Weekly national intelligencer., 1845-09-06

fend all other steps taken-excep at last, to those
of poor General GAINES.
In objecting to the step, we spoke of the Secre-
tary's possessing neither the QegaD authority nor
the (pecuniary) means to conduct the inquiry. We
said he could only get information voluntary and
unpaid. In one word, and plainly to almost any
body's comprehension, the Secretary can summon
nobody, compel nobody TO testify, put nobody upon
oath, give authenticity and completeness to no tes-
hmony, employ nobody to take it. With that lack
of conception, however. which distinguishes the
distinguished official contributors to the Union,"
i they can see but the smallest part of the objection
and answer us as if we had stated and there was no
difficulty, except that Secretary WALKER has no
authority to pay for their trouble those who may
choose to testify
/ The Union has itself stated that heretofore such
inquiries have only been made when authorized !;
have been conducted by commission, land of course
under oath all sides J and that or reason gra-
tuitously alleged by the government organ the
power of appointing such commissions has been
withdraw, because it was abused
| word here of this last averment. 1t admits
that Mr.. McLANE, one of General JACKSON earliest
abused power. 1t was not entrusted to any Secre-
tary in l842. Of course, if it has been corruphy
used, it must have been so used under General
JACKSON or Mr.. VAN BUREN. The Union should
take better care what charges it makes.
Let The Union, however, comprehend few
things more first, that the refusal by Congress
(the competent power any longer by law to au-
thorize, for no matter what reason, this power Of
raising up commission, in no sort legalizes the
Secretary's using the very same power without a
commission, and without any other check whatever.
He does not take right because Congress has
ceased to entrust it to any body, Secondly, if las
seems the Union's only thought) the power was
withdrawn because the commissions were abused
as to the pay given them, this cannot authorize the
Secretary to act in the same premises, merely be-
cause ne can giUe no pay; for there may be other
and much more grievous abuses of the authority
than merely that of wasting money. Thirdly, we
beg leave 10 assure the Union and the Secretary
that the latter is exercising, and it is justfyng,
J selfbestowed power which no English Chancellor
of the Exchequer nor French Minister of Finance
would venture to assume. In neither of those Mo
marches would Ministry or King think, for ont
instant, of going to work the Secretary is doing
to prepare, apart from all Parliamentary authority
or indication, revolution of the whole revenue
system. In neither country is such thing ever
set about by Executive authority alone, or in any
other manner than by commission, whenever q
general inquiry into wide national interests as affect
ed by any change, is 10 be made Ministries there
bring forward projects of minor changes of taxation,
but never go unbdden into commissions of general
| inquiry, paid unpaid
| As somewhat expected, the distinguished
democrat" +" have shown themselves quite chary of
letting the country know tohoSe officer 1.-THE Pre-
sdent's or Congress's) the Secretary Of the Trea-
sury is acting in these Investigations. The Onion
surely perceive that this discussion arrive
al any logical conclusion until that point be settled.
To ascertain the Secretary powers, it is ndispensa-
BILE to know from whom they are derived and parti-
culary whether of Executive or Legislative origin.
To say that " the question is frivolous and idle y
may be very expert and very conclusive ; but what
President JACKSON roundly and violently asserted
what he made his justification in the arbitrary over.
throw of the financial system set up by Congress
what gave arbitrary authority TO substitute for il the
| Pet Bank plan of caamitous memory-it is surely
not little rreverent for the Union to style fri
volous and idle question" We can only in one
way conceive how the powerful pens" of the
:" official democracy" Justify their so charac-
terizing question entirely of their chiefs origina-
ton and that way is, by supposing that they
mean that the matter was rreversibly settled by
his assertion that any further question about it is
frivolous and idle. lfths is what the Union means,
we trust it will take pity on our uncertainty, and
say so.
| With an righteousness truly delightful, the Or
gan asks, /" If Mr.. McLANE had, with these circu-
lars to collect information about the state Of our
| commerce and manufactures, then why may not
| Mr. WALKER" startling interrogatory, and
| highly solemn But we think we can answer,
| though we do it in strict confidence: Mr.. McLANE
could, because legal authority and command had
been given him, and Mr.. WALKER cannot, because
| he has neither. AT least we are sure this would
have been a reason once, though perhaps il is none
now.
| With the same conclusveness, the " distinguish
ed official contributors" cite the fact that ALExAN-
| DER HAMILTON, before revenue system had vet
been devised, reported to Congress at their calls
Pressed hard by such overwhelming objections, our
| answers must of necessity be few and feeble. We
hare a revenue system possibly we have not
Hamilton and, if we have that does not authorize
him to 90, as to what he likes, upon his own mo
ton These again, are probably obsolete reasons.
Hamiltons Report the Public Credit January 9, l7sO)
that which embraces his system and tariff Its first
paragraph is in the words following
The Secretary of the Treasury in obedience to the reso
luton the House Of Representatives of the 2st day Of Sep
embcr last has during the Of Congress- applied him
self to the consideration of proper plan for the support the