Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1848-12-07

exercise iAetr reio, upon his reeomn.naat,,.
and reject them and their Is no annssl 80
their decision, but TO the people al me bat
BOX, these are proper checks upon the \.
eea,ive, wisely interposed By the cous,ltni,s
None viii be found TO object to them. 3, -
wish them removed. IL Is equally impos;,ni
that the constitutional checks az he 81
tive upon the legislative branch should ha
preserved.
u i be said that the representatives r. he
popular branch Of Congress are chosen n.
rectiy by the people. il is answered. the nso.
pie elect the President. If both houses ren.
resent the States and the people, so does IL
President. The President represents in ,hs
executive department the whole people of
the United States, as each member ef the les.
lsaiive department represents portions Of
them
The doctrine oil restriction upon esislssv.
and executive power. while a well settled
public opinion is enabled within a REASONABLE.
time, to accomplish its ends, has made onr
country what il is. and has opened 10 us a
career OF glory and happiness to which all
other nations have been strangers.
| In the exercise Of the power OF the veto.
me President is responsible not only to an en-.
lightened public opinion, bat 10 the people Of
me whole Union, who elected him. as The
representatives in the legislative branches
who differ with him in opinion, are respcnsi
bic to the people of particular states or dis.
triets, who compose their respective constit.
uencies- 10 deny to the President the exer.
else OF this power. would be to repeal that
provision OF the constitution which coniers /,
upon him. To charge that its exercise un.
duly controls the legislative will, is TO com.
plain Of the constitution itself
tha pxos,ln.,.aI 80. L.
on the ground that il checks and thwar,s the
public will, upon the same principle the
equality Of representation of the States 10
the Senate should be stiickea on, Of the con.
stitution. The vote Of senator from Della.
ware has equal weight 10 deciding upon
the most important measures with the yo,s
Of senator from New York; and yet the
one represents State containing, according
to the existing appor,ionment Of representa-.
tives in the House Of Representative, bu,
one thirty fourth part Of the population Of the
other. BY the constitutional composition Of
the Senate. majority Of that body from the
smaller States represents less than one.
fourth Of the people of the Union Their
are thirty States; and, under the existing an.
poriionment Of representatives. there are two
hundred and thirty members in the House al
Representatives.
Sixteen of the smaller States are represso.
ted in that House by but fifty members: and
yet the senators from these States constitute
a majority Of the Senate. So that the presi.
dent may recommend a measure to Congress
and II may receive the sanction and approval
OF more then three-fourths Of the House of
Representatives, and of all the senators from
the large States, containing more than three.
fourths Of the whole population Of the u. 8.
and yet the measure may be defeated by the
votes OF the..senatoIs from the smaller States.
None, 1t is presumed, can be found ready 10
change the organization of the Senate on this
account, OF to strike that body practically GU,
OF existence, by requiring that It's action shall
be conformed TO the will Of the more pumsr.
Gus branch.
Upon the same principle that the veto of
the President should be practically abolished.
the power Of the Vice President to give tho
casting vote upon an equal division Of the
Senate should be abolished also. The Vice
President exercises the veto power as sffec.
tualy by rejecting bill BY his casting vote
as the President does BY refusing to approve
and sign it. This power has been exercised
by the Vice President in few instances. the
most important Of which was the rejection Of
the bill to recharter the bank of the United
States in 1871. II may happen that a bill
may be passed by large majority Of tbs
House OF Representatives, and may be sun
ported BY the senators from the larees, States
and the Vice President may reject il By civ
ing his vote with the senators from the SINAI.
lest States; and yet none, it is presumed. are
prepared to deny to him the exercise Of this
power under the constitution.
But It Is, in point of fact, untrue that an
act passed by Congress is conclusive eyi.
dence that il is an emanation Of the populs,
VIII. majority Of the whole number elect.
ed TO each house of Congress constitutes
quorum, and majority Of that quorum i
competent to pass laws. II might hsppen
that quorum Of the House of Represent,-
tives, consisting Of single member more
than half OF the whole number elected N ,b,,
House, might pass bill by majority Of a
single vote, and In that case fraction more
than one fourth of the people Of the United
States would be represented by those who
voted for It. |. might happen that the same
OIL might be passed by a maturity Of one. of
quorum OF the Senate, composed OF Seas-
tors from The fifteen smaller States. and
single Senator from a sixteenth States. and
II tue Senators voting for it happened 10 bs
from the eight Of the smallest of these States.
u would be passed by the votes of Senators
from States having but fourteen representa-.
lives IN the House of Representatives, and
containing less than one sixteenth OF The
whole population Of the United States This
extreme case Is stated to illustrate the fact.
that the mere passage Of bill by Congress
Is no conclusive evidence that those who
passed II represent the majority Of the PEG.
pie OF the United States, or truly reflect their
will. Ii such an extreme case is not likely
10 happen, cases that approximate il are Of
constant occurrence. II Is believed that not
single law has been passed since the adop.
ton of the constitution, upon which all the
members elected 10 both houses have been
present and voted. Many Of the most i'm.
portant acts which have passed Congress
have been carried by close vote 10 thin
house. Many instances Of this might be gi-
ven. Indeed, our experienced proves that
many Of the most important acts Of Congress
are postponed to the last days. and often the
last hours Of sessions, when they are dis.
posed OF in haste, and by houses but little
exceeding the number necessary to form
quorum.
Besides, in most OF the States the mem
bers of The House of Representatives are
chosen BY puralities, and not by msjoriiies Of
all the votes IN their respective districts; and
1t may happen that majority Of that House
may BE- returned BY loss aggregate vote Of
the people than tina, received by the minority.
During the period have administered the
executive department Of the government.
great and important questions of pubic poll
cy. foreign and domestic, have arisen. upon