Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-08-14
= wENTY-NlNTH CONGRESS.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10. 1916.
SENATE.

SENATE.
Senate met al "a o'clock, A. NJ.
The reading OF the Journal was dispensed
with.
On motion Of Mr.. Evans, the bill 10 establish
The Smithsonian Institution was taken up-lhe
amendments reported disagreed lo-and The bill
PASSED precisely as il came from the House
Yeas III, nays -.
Mir Lewis, from The Committee 81 Conference
On the Civil and Diplomatic bill, reported The re-
sui ei ihe Conference.
The amendments "ere read and The report
was CONQUERED in.
The amendnen, for paying The Two missing
instruments of The Mexican indemnify was re-
tanned. That Tor free bridges over The Eastern
branch oil The Potomac at Washington was sTick-
en- out.
A Joint resolution 10 suspend The lIIh rule, 50
as 10 permit bills 10 be presented 10 the PRESIDENT
for his signature Today, was received from the
House and adopted.
A message from the President, reioing he
French Spoiiadon Bill, was received and read.
Mr.. J. NJ. Clayton said Ibis was The tits! time
in HE history Of The United States tina; the veto
had been applied 10 private bill The Prcs'.
deni had undertaken 10 veto ;hiS bill, and 10 pro-
nounce the claim doubtful one, without having,
as he confessed, examined i; thoroughly. lie
did ncl intend to MAKE speech against the veto
power. or to express a desire to have il expunged
lrom The Constitution but this was ono oi the
cases in ythich il Wa. never designed BY the
trainers Of the Constitution that the power
should be exercised. Such an exercise OF it
placed the rejection Of the claims OF individuals
in the hands OF one man, without the power OF
anpeal, except a mere nominal appeal. Ancient
Democracy strenuously opposed the increase Of
Executive powe!-nodsrn Democracy, on HE
contrary, Iayors ii.
a!r Clayton then entered into brel review OF
the reasons given by !he President fer his Yeto
and alleged their fallacy.
Mr. Allen said he should not enter into this de-
bate, further than 10 reaG small paragraph from
Jeilersons Manual He then read that section
whirh disaloiSs The vote OF any member having
pccnniary interest in bill.
MIR. j. NJ. CLAYTON desired 10 know what the
Senator meant by reading that paragraph.
Mr.. Allen said he meant 10 read Inc law
MIR. Clayton. Does The Senator mean 10 say
that any one on This floor is interested TO the value
Of sixpence upon this bll2
MIR. Allen. Imeant 10 read the law in the case
which have right 10 do upon any question.
Mr.. CLAYTON No one denies The right, but if
The Senator meant to insinuate that any one here
has an interest in these claims, we ought TO know
who il is.
Mr.. Allen said he had read the law upon the
sub;ecr thai any one interested might know what
il was If no one was Interested then il applied
10 no one.
Mr.. Webster rose hni gave for moment to
Mr.. Fairfield who made report rom The Com
mi,ee Of Conference on The Navy Appropriation
Bill, SAILING lha, the committee had agreed IN re-
ference 10 all The amendments at issue except the
Slh and OH amendments OF the Senate.
The report Of the Committee was agreed 10,
and The Senate then resolved 10 recede from its 9Th
amendment (for dry dock al Pensacola) and IN
sisl upon lis 9th (fur repairs Of For Severn (the
naval schoo) near Annapolis)
The debate upon the Veto was then resumed
Mr.. Webster said he must forcgo what he in
tended 10 saw upon This and upon The first veto oil
this administration, but il ~ opportunity should
offer, not here, but in minglins with his fellow
citizens he INTENDED 10 discuss them BON al
length He would rev content himself with
protesting agans, lis principie-a principle new
and alarming in The hisloryo! Executive power.
lie protested against tie veto as inconcIusiVe,
weak even in its reasons, and as an act Of great
and CRYING Injustice 10 hundreds and thousands oil
persons who have been applying 10 their country
Tor upwards OF lorly years, and are now repre-
hsnded for having applied SO long.
MIR. w. said The principle oil this veto was dan.
gerous. No question ol Constitutional law had
arisen. Ii was private claim, and bad been IN
vesligated by the Two Houses OF Congress
through their CommIlees, and passed, and Inc
Pr sideni who could not, and had not investIsa-
ted it, undertook 10 veto il.
Mr. Benton defended the veto and said ], IN.
vo!ved principle older than any Constitutional
question and that was, whether Government
was hound 10 90 10 war TO recover deoI due 10
its citizens.
Air, Morehead briefly replied, and commended
that The question presented oy Inc senator from
Missouri was mol the question al issue. but that
The real question was, whether the United States
was no, bouna 10 indemnify these claimants or
their claims which the Government had reln-
onished 10 France for valuable considerations
He concluded by protesting agains, the veto as
a new and dangerous exercise of Executive pow
er.
Mr.. Webster briefly explained The question
involved in this bill. II was not whether Ibis
Government had prosecuted these claims with
proper viaor or not-it was not whether il was
boncd 10 90 10 war for lhem whether gnes: or
actual. but il was simply whether, having made
use o. these claims 10 procure the REIMBURSEMENT
OF large claims which France held against us,
and thus precluding our citizens from prosecuting
their claims against the French Government,
our Government was or was not bound 10 salts
fy them.
MI. DlA OIieuy utienueu mt ,eto, auu aHu"eo
TO The small majority by which the bill had pass
ed in both Houses
Mir. Huntington protested against The veto 10
behalf the claimants, and hoped the bill would
pass in spite of ii.
Mr.. ]. M. Clayton again said a few words as
to the nature Of the claim, and took The occasion
to state that neither he, nor any relation of his
nor any one in the remotest degree connected
with him, had any interest, direct or indirect, 10
the amour, OF single cent in these claims.
The question being put, "Shall this bill pass,
The objections of the President to the contrary noi-
wii!siand;ne?" i. was decided in The negative
two.,hir,!s not voting FOR il. Yeas27 nays 10.
On motion OF MIR. Lewis, the bill from The
House. approp,ia,ins 100000 to enable the
President 10 negotiate peace with Mexico, was
The bill having been read, MIR. Lewis moved