Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-08-14
TWBNTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
Correspondence Of the Baltimore Ameriean


TWBNTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
Correspondence of the Baltimore american
WAsHINGToN, August 10.
SENATE.
On motion OF MIR. Evans, the Senate tool
q up the bill from the House for the establish
1 ment of the Smithsonian Institution, whicI
! had been reported from the Committee Il
which ii was Tcl.ucd with sundTy amend
mentS.
MIR. Evans moved that the amendments b
y disagreed TO, which motion prevailed, aud In,
{ bill was passed precisely as il came from tn,
u House. Yeas 20, NAYS -.
Mr.. Evans offered a joint resolution which
was adopted, adopting the following gentle
: men agents OF the Institution:
: Rufus Choate, of Mass.
: Gideon Hawley, OF n. Y.
Richard Rush. of Penna.
WIN. &. Preston, of s. G..
Col. !. G.. P Pof%g' Of Washington.
Mr.. Lewis, from the Committee of Confer
ence on the Civil aud Diplomatic APpropria-
ton bill, made a report similar to that made
IN the House, which was adopted.
The message from the President returning
the French Spoliation bill with bis objections,
was reed.
Mr.. j.. NJ, Clayton said this was the first
lime Ia the history of the u. States that the
veto had been applied To a private bill. The
President had undertaken TO veto this bill,
and to pronounce the claim a doubtful one,
without having, as lac confessed, examined IL
thoroughly.
MIR. &. dill not intend TO make a speech a.
gainst the veto power, or to- express a desire
10 have it ~cxpunged from the constitution,
but he wished To say that this was one OF the
cases in which IT was never designed 10y the
trainers of the constitution that the power
should be e1crcisel. Such an exrn.is, OF il
placed the claims of individuals IN the hands
oi one man, without The power To appeal
from bis decision, except a mere nominal sp-
peal. Ancient democracy sought 10 restrict
the Executive power-modem dcmocrdcy, on
the conirdTy, seeks TO enlarge IL.
Mr.. T.. then entered into q brief review OF
the reasons given by the President Tor lns We.
TO, aud exposed their %iallacy.
MIR. Allen said he should not enter into
this discussion, further than To read IA smal.
f; paragraph from the Jefierson's Manual. lie
then read that section which prohibits an,
member having pecuniary interest in any bill
from voting upon IT.
, MIR. CLAYTON. What does the Senator mean.
l Mr.. Allen. ] mean to read the law.
MIR. Clayton. Does the Senator mean tn in
!. sinuate that any one upon this floor Is inter
u N-'NN W 'N w " - tANH y ~ We
} Cldims7
! Mr.. Allen. ! mean TO read the law in ihc
case; which | have a right To do upon any qucs
. ton.
I Mr.. Clayton. No one denies the right, bu
> II the ) mdtOT means to insinuatc that an,
| one here has an interest in these claims, ",
ought TO know who il is.
=, Mr.. Allen. ! have read the law that an,
5 one interest may know what il is. II u,
one is interested, II applies to no one.
. Mr.. Webster said he ;nust iOrego what h,
! intended TO say upon this aud upon the frs
veto of this Observation-Disclosures IL an oppor
; tunity should offer, not here. but in minglin,
I with his fellow citizens. lac intended to- discus
them both at length.
Mr.. w. said he would now content limscl
u with protesting against this vetO-protestiny
o against its principle principle new and d
d farming in the history OF Executive power
c Tie protested against tive veto az inconclusiye
, weak, even III It's reasons, and as an act q
q great and crying injustice To hundreds an
Il thousands OF persons who have been applyin
y TO their country Tor upwards of 80 years an
IS BTe nov reprehended for having applied )
!, long.
T. Mr.. w. sid the principle of the veto wa
,r dangerous. No question Of Constitutions
ii ltw had arisen. IL was a private claim, an
~ NdV bttN mNthll4httN Df CNuEftS1 infnug
e Committees Of both Houses, and passed, an
" the President who could not and had not in
d vesiigated it, had undertaken TO veto H..
y: Mr. Benton defended the veto. and ssil
e involved q principle older than ANY constitu
p tiOnsl question, aud that was whether goy
D.. eminent was bound to 10 10 wsr TO recover
debt due Co its C%itiheus, or to pay it.
Mr.. Morehcsd briefly replied. and c0ptrnd
ed that ihe question presented b. thc Senate
from Mo. was not the questiJn at issue -bt
= tla tho real question WAS whether the Uni
trdSlutcs Was not bound 90 indemnify ihes
+ claimants lOr their claims which 10 bad under
e taken TO U~linquish to France for yaluabl con
, siderdtions. lie conclud u by protesting d
e gaiust the veto ss a new aud dangerous exc
else of Executive power.
D Ms. Webster bi,ny stated the question in
volved in the bill. IL was not whether tbI
government he'd prosecuted these claims wit
proper yigor or mott was not whether
was bound to 90 tO war Tor them, whetht
qsasi or actual-but II was simply whethcr
2 hB,in msde use oi tiem TO procure the re
iinqui~hnent Of large claims which Franc
held against it, and thus preclu1ing their pros
~ctuiiuu by our Uti1ens against The Fmnc
government. our government was Or was no
. bound Co ray thtm.