The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-04
rwENTY-NINTH CONGRESS,
FIRST SESSION.
Tn, RspAY, December 4, 1873
IN SENATE.

In otsNh ic'
o. PRESIDENT laid before the Senate a COM
~ .,;on from the War Department, M reply to a
nan ,'au odopted on the l4;h OF March last ask
sso,maiion with reference TO defensive woks on
s rI,,ran. which was laid on the table, and or
.'.sd 10 be printed. >,
Mf ass;s,art messenger for services rendered
pay w ~ executive session in March last but, OBJ
dunps bsoo made 10 its consideration at this time, II
4 es over. a, rus sry.rr.
~ ...o,ution of Mr.. BREEsE. to suspend so
lh' e,be 9lth rule az requires the appointment
nue. :. ..,sral standing committees by ballot, and
wy ,,hs;r appointment be made by the Presldent OF
@ men coming up for consideration as unhnish-
y uu'M ANGUM said he had hoped, after sug-
~, M, which he made yesterday, that the senator
e., Illinois would not persist IN pressing the
Ns u,,on. For himself. he certainly could have
'ns,sonal objection to such an exercise o. pow
e., me present presiding officer Of the Senate;
y :" sas opposed TO the principle, ON the
@ "a s;mply. that he was unwilling TO
EV"."' measure adopted which involved an
1r.a,;on a surrender Of the proper and legitimate
wv. ~ ,he body. He had not had an opportunity
a.s ~ hsy had this instant been laid upon his table
~ IT," ';ar INTO the precedents ON this subject The
@ov an entirely different one from that which
A' ~. hs annotntment of committees to presiding
~ m'., If ,her own selection; because, in such an
aa, he would be directly responsible to the SEN
!. mi if he abused the power and discretion con-
~ would subject himself TO be dealt with as cir
"osances might determine. But the Wee Presi-
% ,s needless 10 say held his Office by ten
ea ,hs ,everse and was in no form, shape, man
y. y. ,s.oonsble 10 that body for his proceedings.
'T.'IMr Ny did not know whether the appoinl-
I.a, ~ The committees would be made by the Vice
o...dent or not; yet, for decencys sake, he could
y, nresnme that an officer occupying so dgnGed a
w. ',;pn would condescend to be dictated to in his
'i.s,ions by caucus, or by any other arrange
S.o, He stood before the country as responsible
'sroO and he (Mr. ny repeated, he could not pre-
isme apy officer ofsuch dignity, withthe power con-
sr,.d by the resolution devolvng on him, would
MAR dciation as to the manner in which he should
,sform his duty. 1t would be indecent, even II the
s.sr were po ienpoe; and never had dictation been
.hmited TO- except in a solitary instance, in his
',v and such officer was responsible, not only to the
,onnry but to the Senate. In his opinion, however
s,ansr deeence should be paid to the will ofthe Sen
H. and therefore, they should adhere to the course
ls,s,oiore pursued In looking, cursory, TO prece-
.nts he believed, in the whole history of the Sen
+ ~. hat this power had never been abrogated, al
houeb il was temporarily conferred on the presiding
| oScsr in 1923. In 1926, he believed it was exer-
,ssd by Mr. Calhoun; and there were several other
instances in which it was permitted, and where
contingent committees were appointed, for especial
,ssons. In 1926, as he had stated, the power was
,yereised but SO dissatisfied were senators with the
result that during that very session, the whole matter
vas reviewed, and the arrangement rescnded; audit
vas very questionable whether, under the rule OF
December, 1925, the power Of appointments by the
nrsding officer was designed but such was then the
Interpretation After that time, thepower had never
Men exercised except in isolated cases. In 1887,
Colonel Johnson exercised il; and the only reason
,yen why the rule should he suspended was, that il
|xu an extra session, called for special purposes.
twas not expected that general matters of legisla-
lion would come up; the distresscs of the treasury
allied for speedy relief and It was desirable 10 econ
Omze time, with view that there should be no un.
necessary delay in transactng the business I'M
crtant 10 the public welfare, and the objects for
| which Congress were convened being specific and
vellknown. The rule never was rescinded or alb
nsaled. Mr.. Van Buren, never, as the presiding
officer, exercised the power, except on one occasion
| Bat his objection to the course recommended, il
other, was this: the comforting of power on any
man irresponsible to the body--a power which
would not only compromit their Legislative duties
but their dignity ITSELF He thought serious results
might arise from it for every senator was aware Of
upon business, especially in cases where they
we're appointed, for the greater part from the minor
lily Of the party opposed to that in the ascendant.
he cared not button one way or the
|oher but he desired the Senate to exercise their
proper constitutional duties, and not confer the
| ower Of the appointment Of the committees upon
|ny onenot directly responsible to the Senate for his
| Eons.
L Mr. ALLEN desired to say, before the Senate
proceeded TO take action on the resolution, that il
had not emanated from a caucus of the democratic
members of the Senate, as had been insinuated by
the senator from North Carolina. TWAS at the die
tate Of no party; it the emanation, in far
as he could Judge, Of any party feeling. The reso-
uion offered by the distinguished senator from
Illinois, Mr.. BREEsE, because the recent practice
oflhe Senate had been in strict conformity with the
object contemplated by the resolution. Having thus
stated the fact in relation to the introduction Of the
resolution it would be perceived that il had proceed
edom preconcerted action on the part Of the dem
ocraiic members Of the Senate. He (Mr. Az would
proceed To reply to the senator from North Carolina
and, first of all, as to responsibility that was
Tie first point upon which the senator predicated
his argument--upon the idea, that, the Vice Presi-
dent being the presiding officer Of the body, he did
not stand in that relation to sustain the same extent
o'lresponsibiy as he would have to sustain had he
oeen elected by this. body. His answer to that
part Of the argument was, that the Vice President,
. such case, had a greater responsibility than il
e mad been elected by the Senate; for the respon-
,Nllty then was, not responsibility which was
que to the Senate, but to the Senates masters-the
sales and the people. II was from that source
l'he Wee Presidency derived the right according
% the forms Of the constitution. He would ask
Snere could there be greater responsibility due, than
% ne great mass Of the American people, by whom
ne Vice President Of the United States was appoint
ed collectively, as their officer But It might be
SAD that the Senate elected the Vice President to
p'sslde temporarily over the Senate In such event,
ae Mr. A. considered that the Vice President
would thus hold more intimate relation to the Sem
~ Te man IN his capacity Of Vice President alone.
na' would be good argument, il the action Of the
was confined to this matter; but, when the Vice
.esGent's relations to the people were taken into
sonNueiaion, II would be seen that he was himself
.'pons'be to them. As to his action merely as
~. M fesdIng officer of the Senate, the responsible
ny merely involved concerned the Senate alone.
~. hw-making power had vested this right in
aem' out Il was said there was want of decency
nut MANGUM. The senator misunderstands
W. say mat II is not to be presumed that the
II resident would accept the chair for the sake
n mr. ALLEN. Yes, and that is the very best OF
human reasons for his accepting il; for the very
MI uneIt urged on that score by the senator from
m. oaroina is the very argument in favor o
- ~ resolution, The Vice Presidents political
ons are understood by the nation; the majority o.
are responsible to the nation; and il is righ