Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-12-22

- dent. LII both Houses, TepfSeSeDt TIE
State and the people SO does the President.
The President represents, in the Executive
d apartment, the whole people Of the United
States, as each member of the Lssesisl Alive
Department represents the portion. of taem.
The doctrine of restriction undes LeGisla-
tive and restrictive power, while Well settled
public opinion is enabled withih a seasol4abie
time to accomplish its ends, has snlade our
country what it is. and has opened 90 as a ca
reer OF glory and happiness, to which all ether
nations are strangers.
In she exercise OF this power che president
is responsible, not only to an enlightened
public opinion, but to the people ,of the U.
States-of the whole Union-who .lect him.
as well as the Representatives n IT, Legisia-
live branches who differ with hir., are re-
sponsbe to the particular State ore districts.
TO restrict the President in the exercise of
his power, would be TO repeal that portion OF
the constitution which confers it T.pon him.
To charge that its exercise untsulyscontfacts
the Legislative will. is TO cofapla@n Of the
constitution itself.
Ii the Presidential veto be objected TO upon
the ground that it checks and sth'sarts the
public will, upon the same principle She equal
ity OF representatives of the STAGES 10 the
Senate should be stricken out ois tht: constitu
ton. The vote of a senator from Delaware
has equal weight in deciding upsn 9, most i'm
portant measure with the vote. of a senator
from New York ; and yet the one represents
State containing, according ia ttse existing
apportionment of representatiou;int .aeHeuse,
representation of but one thirty fourth part
of the population OF the other. By the con-
stltutional composition OF the Sana;e, ma
jority OF that body from the ssnalser States
represents less than one-fourth of tsle peppie
of the Union. There thirts States, and
under the existing apportionmen. of Sepresen-
faton, there are two hundred end ;linety in
the House of Re personalities; sixt.en of the
smaller States represented sn tsle House
by bu. fifty members, aud yet ahe, senators
from these States constitute a maioi:ty OF the
Senate: so that the President may RECON-
nend measure to Congress. aid il may re-
ceive the sanction of more than fhre.e-louEths
of the whole population, and get She same
may be defeated by senators from rtle small
Ter States. None, it is presnmedscaisbe found
ready to change the organizatlon Of .the en-
ate on this account, or TO strike Ilat l3ody
practically out of existence, by requiring That
lis action shall be conformed to che !nores uu
merous branch.
Upon the new principle that Ele yteeto paw
OF the President shall be practically asoI-
ished, the power of the Vice Prcsidttlt to sive
the casting vote upon an equal dsvisSn OF the
Senate, could be abolished ALSO Che Vice
President exercises the veto poygersas efsec-
taaiiy by rejecting bill by his sang vote,
as the President does by refusing I'd approve
or slgn il. This power has beer exercised in
some instances by the Vice President, the
most important of which is the. re. action of
tue bill To charter the Bank of tke e Ststes
IN 1916. 1t may happen that biz may, be
passed by large majority of the HOUSE of
Representatives, il may be supported by abe
nh
President may reject it by giving his tote with
the senators from the smaller States: and set
It Is to be presumed that none arc prepared TO
deny to him the exercise of his power unler
the constitution.
But is it in point of fact untrue that an act
passed by Congress is conclusive evidence
that 1t is an action of the popular via Ehe
majority of the whole number elected to each
House OF Congress constitutes a quorum and
majority Of that quorum is competenu to
enact laws. 1t might happen that a. quorum
OF the House OF Representatives, cbnsisring
OF single member more than half of she
whole number elected by majority of a sin
gle vote, might pass law, and vet. in that
case, fraction more than one flourish of she
people OF the u States would be rerPre Sc M ed
by those who voted for it. 1t nlish- hans,en
that the same bill might be passed by fess
than a majority of one of a quoruie, of the
Senate, composed ofsenators FROM tie fifteen
smaller States, and a single senatoF froea a
sixteenth State; and it the senator vating for
1t happened to be from the eightsa of ,he
smallest OF those States; it would b:, passed
by the vote OF a senator from a STATE having
but fourteen representatives in the Idouse. of
Representatives, and containing less chan one
sixteenth of the whole population; Of The
States.
l MS extreme case is stated to illustrate the
tact that, the mere passage of bill bv Con-
gress Is no conclusive evidence that the House
who passed it represent the majority of the
people OF the q. States. or truly reflect their
VIII. Ii such an extreme case Is nat likely
10 happen, cases that approximate to it are of
constant occurrence. 1t is believed shat not
single law has been passed since the adop-
ton ct the constitution, upon which all the
members elected to both Houses haze been
present and voted. Many of the most i'm
poTtaatacts which have passed Congress hive
been carried by close vote in these Houses.
Many instances of this might be aIvt:a. En-
deed, experience proves that many; Of rhe
most important acts of Congress are tgostpnn-
ed to the last day and after the last hour Of n
session, when they are disposed of in haste.
and by Houses but little exceeding the mum
Der necessary TO constitute a quorumt
BESIDES, In the most of the Sta{es the
members of the lower Houses are chssen nv
pieuralItles, and not by maiorities OF: all the
votes IN their respective districts: and: it mIy
happen majority of that House mas be ~
turned by less than an aggregate. IF tie
principie insisted upon be correct. then tie
law should be so changed that no bssl sh.l
become law unless it is voted for bs5 uefi
oers representing in each House a rkaioriFv
OF the whole people of the u. States VIE
must remodel our whole system, strikh down
and abolish not only the salutary cheek lodi.
cd ID tue Executive branch. but muss strife
out and abolish those lodged in the. Ssn.ts
also, and thus practically invest the; Whole
power OF the government in the maiorfty of.a
single assembly; majority uncontrolled ard
absolute. and which NAV become desr.ntic