The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-01-15

no law Of Congress could change the char
acter Of the constitution"
Again:
He thought itmnsl be apparent TO everJ
one, that the Senate possessed the absolute
power 10 elect its own officers, at any time
when lawfully assembled, without reference
10 any other case, when il might be called
on TO exercise It's relative rights That be.
ing true, was the printer an officer Of the
Senate. New, what was an
employment or officef Hs would quote
from an authority which was, perhaps, the
best extant. Webster's Dictionary thus de-
fines the word officer" An officer is one
who executes an Office ofsome kind. Office,
| a particular duty, charge, OF trust conferred
| by public authority, and for public purpose
employment taken by commission from gov.
ornmenf, and those who administer it. = Ii
might also be duty OF employment Of :
private nature. Il was an employment, bui
office was more dIgniied name. Did any
enc say the printer was not an employment
Ifhe had no employment, he (Mr. Bayard)
would agree with the Senator from Alabanis
| (Mr. Clay,) that he was qaasi-officer; bur
If he had an employment--if he was entrust.
ed with the printing ST all their documents
and their confidential documents, too, he
thought the Senator from Pennsylvania,
would have some difficulty in showing that
he was not an officer Of the Senate.r
Mr. Clay, Of Kentucky, also took high
ground upon this subiebt; he maintained
that
BY the constitution, the SeEats had
power, exclusively of The House, or the
President. or any other authority, 10 electits
own officers. They said that their printers
are officers, but he would not 20 over the
arguments which had been urged with 80
much ability by his friend from Delaware,
mr.. Bayard,) and which stood unanswered
to that day, that these printers we're oficers,''
&c.
Again, in the same debate, Mr.. Clay spoke
of the constitutional right Of The Ssna to to
elect its own printer, under the circumstances,
in the following emphatic language:
"Well, now, let them 90 lnte the circum.
stances Of this case. In 1919 a resolution
was passed, BY which each House agreed te
appoint its own prinier--to do so separately.
This continued in force till 1929, when il
was 80 modified, that a majority was requir-
go TO censummate an election of printer
Well, this continued in force, or at least con.
tinued 10 be- respected ;but il was, If not con-
s'itutlonal, at least unnecessary. AS far
BACK as IA er 80, the House utterly disre-
garded this resolution, and instead OF putting
me appointment OF the printer at the end Of
me sessIon,tney mad thrown the appointment
% me oiher end' ana made Y at the COM
mencement 30 the House had done for
iouf OF nvs sessions; ano y was now with
eut prlh'er, navlng put on the appointment
20 70 'ne next session. 6ut tnat was not all
Ing l1ouse nao ho,oniy mol consldefed Itself
oouhu ~ 'he .Iesoiu''on, wh'cn gentlemen
.1'u 'ne'1i was 'he law O ,ne case, out the
i,ou1s !, hau gone on, ano, oy resolution OF
.ns iasl SESSION, nuo saflea the terms,
ano Cols'deraeiy ieouced mem. Now, u
'ne Ilouse was not Dounu oy ms resolution,
On wna' p,,ncipic couiu itee said me senate
was oounot III was compact between
tne TWO liouses' !. was resipfocal obllga-
Hon ou' y tne o'nef house was not bound,
nei'ner was 'he Sena'e oound, and they
were ne'1ner pouno, because 'bc constitution
wn'ch was ParGmoAns 10 al law, gave them
inc power 70 eiec' lneir own omcers.
! lhen, SIT, tne wings clsmed that the
rfin'ef was an cg,cer oi inc senate, and that
inc term Of MS once was AT the VIII and
pleasure OF inc senate; tnat 'ths Senate had
power, exciusively OF Inc House, or the Pres-
ideht' OF any other power 10 elect Its own
rrhler; ma. TINS power was gwen TO the.
Senate oy "lhe constitution, which was par
amount TO dH 'aio;' that the JOINT resolution
OF 1919, was mere agreement on the part
Of each House 10 40 what the constitution
authorized them TO do separately and that