Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-12-13

the capacity of the people for sell government,
which is admitted in its broadcast extent. is con
elusive argument to prove the prudence " isdoin
aud tegrity of their Representatives
The people. by the Constitution, have COM
manded the President, as much as they have com
,nanded the Legislative branch of the Govern
me n, to execute their will. They have said to
him in their Constitution, which they require he
shall take a solemn oath to support: III Con-
gress pass any bill which he shalt not approve.
he shall return it to the House III winch It shall
have originated, with his objections thereto. -
Ia withholding from it has approval AMI sigma
,ure, he is executing the Will OF the people, con-
siitu,onaliy expressed, as much as the Congress
which passed it
No bill is presumed TO be in accordance with
the popular viii unit! it shall have PASSED ihroug gin
all the Ina nds OF the Mt requisite To make
law. 4 bill passed by the House may be re-
l-ctcG by the Senate. AMI oae passed by the
Senate may be rejected BY the iioasc- In each
case both Houses exercise the veto power over
the other.
Congress, and each House of Congress, hold
under In. constitution a check upon the Presi-
dent, and he By the power Of the u'lihed We
TO "a cheek upon Congress. When the fresien Mt
recommends measures to Congress he VOWS IN
ih- most solemn form his opinions, gives his
voice in their favor, aud pledges himself in ad-
vance TO approve them if passed by Congress
Ii he acts without the due consiee ration, or has
been Influenced by improper or corrupt motives
or if from any other cause, Congress, or either
House Of Congress shall differ with him, they
ercisc Their Uet0 upon the rccomrne M alton, ani
reject them, and there is appeal from their de-
cisiou, but TO the people ut the ballot box These
proper checks. None will be found to oh
Jet to them or to wish them removed. 1t Is
equally important that the constitutional checks
of the executive upon the Legislative branch
should be preserved.
II it he said that the Representatives in the
popular branch of Congress are chosen directly
BY III" people. it Is answered, the people elect
the President If both Houses represent the
..pf
The President represents. in the Executive de-
partment, the whole people OF the United states,
each member Of the Legislative department
represents portions of them.
I ! lie doctrine of restriction upon the lrGIsla-
tive and Executive power, while d well settled
public opinion, is enabled with areaSonl5le time
TO accomplish It's ends, has made country
what it is, and has opened to each career of
glory aud happiness TO which the citizen of all
other nations have been strangers.
Ia the exercise Of this power the Preside mt is
responsible, not only to tn" enlightened public
opinion hut to the people of the United states,
Of The whole Union, who elected him. AS the
Representatives. in the Legislative branches who
differ with BIN in opinion, are responsible to the
people of particular States, districts, the
President in :hc exercise of this power would be
10 repel that portion Of The constitution which
confers it upon him. To ciInrg. that lis exer-
else uniuy controls the Legislative will is to
complain OF the constitution itself.
II the Presi!ental veto be objected 10 upon
the ground iiat it cheeks ami thwarts the public
will upon the principle, the equality Of
representation Of the States in the Senate sh on LII
b., stricken ont Of the Constitution. The vote
of Senator from Delaware has equal weight in
deciding upon the most important measures with
the vote CT Senator from y. York and yet the
one represc nts a State containing, according TO
the existing, apportionnent of ''Rrprese natives
in the House, Represe natives Of but one thr-
tyfourih part of the population Of the other.
7 By the constitutional composition OF the Sem
,te a of that body from he .It ,r
States represent less than one fourth of the peo
pie Of the Union There thirty States; and
under the existing apport:onment of representa-
ton, there two hundred and thirty IN the
House of Representatives.; sixteen of the smaller
states represented in that House but by %
members, and yet tho Senators from these states
constitute ma Jority Of the Senate; so that the
President may recommend measure to Con-
yress, and il may receive the sanction ana APP
prevail of more than three quarters OF the House
of Representatives, and OF all the Senators from
tho large States containing moro than three
fou:tlls of the whole population, ana yet the
measures may be defeated by the vote Of the
Senator from the smaller States. None, it is pre-
suined, can be found ready to change the organ
ization of the Senate on this account, or TO strike
/ that body, practically, out of existence, by re-
quiring that its actions sic!! be con!or!ned to the
more numerous branch.
i Upon the same princi pie that the veto
/ OF the President should be practically a
polished, the power OF the Vice President
70 give the casing vote upon an equal di-
vision Of the Senate should be abolished
also. The Vice President exercises the
veto power as ciicctually by rejecting
bill by hi, casting vote. as the President
does, by refusing to approve or sign IT.
i This power has been exercised IN some
3! instances bv the Vice President The
most important of which was the rejection
Of the bill to rc-chartcr the Bank of the
Unite! States in 1916. 1t may happen
tina, a bill may be passed by large ma
lortv of the House Of Representatives.
and may be supported by the Senators
from the largest States. and the Vice Pres
ident may reject by giving his vote witt:
the Senators from the small States; and
vet none. it is presumed, are prepared to
deny to him the exercise of his power I'M
der the Constitution.
But it is in point Of fact, untrue. that an
act passed by Congress is conclusive evil
dcnce that il is an emanation of the popu-
lar will. \ majority of the whole number
elected TO each House ofCongress consti-
tue quorum, and a majority of that quo
rum is competent 10 pass laws.
1t might happen that quorum Of the
House of Representatives. consisting of a
single blltlliOtT lIiOIC tllu vi inc
whole number. elected by a majority Of a
single vote, and yet in that case a fraction
more than one fourth of the people of the
United States would be represented by
those who voted for it. 1t might happen
that the same bill might be passed by a
majority of one of a quorum OF the Senate
composed of Senators from the fifteen
smaller States. and single Senator from
a sixteenth State. and if the Senators vo-
ting for it happened TO be from the eight
of the smallest ofthose States. it would be
passed by the votes of Senators from
States having but fourteen Representa-
tves 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 a bill by