The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1845-12-16

ing the operations Of that Department ior
the past year.
MIR. Hannegan submitted the following
resolution, which lies over one day:
Resoiued, That the assistant messcn-
ger of the Senate be authorized by reso-
luton of the 2Ist of February, 1855, to
receive continuance of the pay of mes
senger for his future services IN that ca
pacity, aud for the time ne was so en-
ployed at the Executive session Of the
Senate in March, l845.
The following resolution, heretofore
offered by Mr.. Breesc, was taken up for
consideration:
ReS0lUed, That so much Of the 34th
rule as requires the appointment OF the
several standing committees by ballot al
the present session be suspended, and
that the appointment be made by the
President of the Senate.
The question being on the adoption Of
the resolution
Mr.. Mangum rose and said he hoped,
after the suggestions which had been
made by him yesterday, that the honora-
bic mover of this resolution would have
been induced to refrain from pressing lis
adoption. He Mr.. NJ could have no
objection, certainly no personal objection,
to leave the matter entirely to the action
of the present presiding officer. The
ground on which he opposed the passage
of the resolution was simply because he
thought it involved, on the part of the
Senate. an abandonment of their proper
Legislative duties. He had not had an op-
porlunily, tiii,5,:.:2ch he had them before him
of looking into all the procouen;5 "nnnn
this subject. But the case was very
different one from that where the power
of appointing the standing committees de-
volved upon President pro lempore, be-
cause in the latter case h is an officer
who is responsible 10 the. Senate, and, in
case he should abuse the directona ry pow
er entrusted to him, he is liable to be re-
moved. The Vice President Of the u
nited States, il seemed to him, is all Of
ficer who holds his Office OH very diff
ferent tenure, and who is in no respect
in which he may discharge the trust con-
fided to hun. He did not know that 1t
would at all affect the character of the
committees to be appointed, whether the
appointing power were exercised by
the Vice President or by the Senate; yet,
for decency sake, he would at least hope
that no gentleman filling so hig1 an Office
as that of Vice President, standing before
the country in so responsible a position,
would condescend to have thrust upon
him this duty, where 10 responsibility
attached. In the case of President pro
ienpore he was responsible not only to
the country, but to that body, and must
therefore show proper Difference TO the
will of the body; and this being the case,
there was no maternal difference between
this mode of making the appointments
and balIot:ing for them by the Senate
But with regard 10 having a list made out
by a meeting Of Senators constituting a
certain party, which list is to govern the
appointments in the hands of the presi-
ding officer, lie (Mr. NJ. could not sup
pose that the gentleman who now occu-
pies the exalted position of Vice Presi-
Mt of the United States would for mo-
mcnt consent to suffer himself to be die
tated to in that way.
He believed, from looking cursorily
through the records of the Senate, it
would be found that the power of appoint
ing the committees was never conferred
upon the presiding officer of that body
until the year 1923. In 1885 il was ex-
ercised by Mr. Calhoun, then Vice Pcsi-
dent. But so dissatisfied was the Senate
with the exercise of that power, that du-
ring that very session the whole matter
was reviewed and the rule was rescinded.
From that time forward the power was
never exercised until 1887, when Col.
Richard NJ. Johnson was Vice President:
and the reason for its exercise then was
that it was an extra session of Congress
called for special purpose, and it was
not expected that matters of general leg
islation would be brought forward. The
condition of the Treasury at that period
il was which gave occasion for the extra
ordinary session. And this being the
specific and well-known object, il was not
thought necessary to rescind the rule on
that occasion.
His objection to the resolution then
came to this: he thought that to con-
fer this power upon an officer in no
wise responsible, would be on the part of
the Senate an abdication of its duty, and
that great evil must arise from such
course. Suppose the presiding officer be
opposed 10 majority of the Senate, he
would have it in his power to thwart the
views of that majority. He cared not a
button as to how the appointments were
made IN thus particular instance, but he
did desire that the exercise of It's constitu-
tional duties should rest with the Senate,
unless they could be made to devolve