The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-07-16
Statement Of the Hon. Robert j.
Walker.
WAsnINoFoN, Cry, June l6, 1916.


gether with a confidential communication
from Gov. Brown, a commission for Mr.
Thompson as Senator, to take effect af
ter the 10th of March last, the period fxec
in the tender of my resignation. The
Governor had been induced to make this
appointment In consequence Of assuran.
ces from me, that my own vote, or that o.
my successor, might, and in all probability
would be necessary to give the democratic
party majority in the Senate upon the cleo
ton of printer for two years at the exec
utive session. urged upon the Governor
the Importance of this election to the dem.
ocratic party, fully approaching the injuri-
GUS consequences Of defeat on this ques-
ton, at the very outset of the new admin
istration, and the censure that would attach
to me if this defeat were produced by a
single vote, owing to my withdrawal from
the Senate. Influenced by these consider
alton, and with view to meet this contin-
gency, the Governor transmitted, not to Mr..
Thompson, but to me, commission for him
as Senator, to take effect after the 10th
Of March last, leaving to me, as con-
ceived, a full discretion to deliver the COM
mission or not, as the circumstances of the
case before referred to might require
When the commission was handed to me
with Gov. Browns letter, the contingency
to which | have referred, had not happen
cd, and it was clearly ascertained would not
happen, it having been determined after
the date of my letter to Gov. Brown, not
to go into the election of a printer at the
executive session. The contingency not
having happened, to meet which the COM
mission was signed, it seemed to me, that
to have delivered it under such circumstan-
ces, would have violated the will and pur.
pose of the executive, and the confidential
trust and discretion devolved by him on me.
/ was still further influenced in arriving at
this conclusion by the fact, that it was in
consequence of my assurance to the Gov
ernor of the probable occurrence Of this
contingency, that he had been induced to
transmit the commission, not to Mr.. Thomp-
son, but to me, and that if under such cir
cumstances had delivered the commission,
might be justly accused of procuring an
to meet contingency, and
then delivering it in violation of the trust
reposed in me, when the contingency had
not happened and would not happen, upon
which alone he had been induced to sign
The commission. 1t was my duty as the
confidential agent of the Governor (the
commission until delivered being lawfully
in his controD to have acted precisely as it
was obvious he would have done if present
and it was clear that if present he would
not have delivered the commission unless
he contingency had happened, Ito meet
which he had been induced to act. The
(like any other grant or deed)
was the property of the Governor, and not
Of the person named in the commission I'M i
i'll the delivery to him, and the Governor
by himself or agent could withhold the de-
livery to ascertain the occurrence of a par
ocular event, upon the happening ofwhich
alone it was desired to give effect to the In
tended appointment; and this principle is
80 well settled, and so universally adopted
in practice, in regard to commissions and
ali other grants, as to require no elucida-
ion from me. Twas not authorized to con-
er with Mr.. Thompson, unless the com
mission was delivered to him, and had |
hus conferred with him and disclosed to
him all the circumstances Of the case, he
certainly could not and would not have &C
,ePted an Office designed to be rendered to
him 10 meet a contingency which had not
happened.
And nowthe Withholding the commits
ion is attributed BY some to selfish purpo-
yes or hostility to Mr.. Thompson. As to
he first point, The commission was not