The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-06
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. 0, is4o.
The Military OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in the House OF
R.nrs sentatIves on the Presldsnt'. Ms...ge.

IN, Military Contrbutons.-Debate in tn. House OF
Representatives on the Presidsnt's Message.
The wings of the House seem to have Just walked up
10 the solemn conviction, that from the 3lst of March,
1917 down TO the close OF the war; a fragrant and most
dangerous usurpaon OF power by the President in this
matter of military contributions has been going before
their eyes, and without any attempt their part though
in the majority, 10 check hinder it, If their view OF
the case be correct they will have hard work to show
cause why they have been utterly apathetc about it
ill now The Presidents usurpaton, they call it, be-
can ON the 3ls of March, 1877 On the 7th OF Decem-
Der following, he told them all about il in his annual
message the February be brought to their attention
again the next July he presented it to them more;
and vet with this terrible violation of the constitution,
this most monsrous invasion OF their constitutional
rights and the rights of commerce, perpeated (as
they saw in the open day, and thus repeatedly made
known TO them in all its details by the perpetrator him
SELF heythe representatives, of the peope-the great
inquest OF the naon-reuse all cognizance of the
| ter as a House, while sending ii quietly to sleep in
committee and thus after spending eight months
upon other business, they adjourn and go home! So
have the wing majority, thus far, done their duty in
laon 10 what they now call fragrant violation of the
| constitution
Nay, more than this when the Secretary of the
Treasury, in estimating for the government loans, tells
them that through this alleged usurping violation of
constitutional and commercial right, he expects real
ize for war expenses some three millions, and, there
FORE will reduce the amount OF his required loan in that
sum, the wing majority very quietly wink at the mon
srous abuse agree that the government shall benefit by
the avas of it, and graduate their loan bill accordingly
The treaty of peace recognises and gives solemn
tbo hoh -hanA has
repeated s,pulatons in reference it, all accepting
a legal and obligatory state of things. The Senate
ray the treatythe House appropriaes for the treaty
and them after six months of vacation, the wings
of the House come together again, soemnly call for in.
formation what they have already been repeatedly
told all about, and when no one new fact in the case
disclosed. pretended to be developed jump suddenly
TO the conclusion that the thing all wrongthat there
no law for what has been done and that is last
high time be stirring and do something to staunch
the wounds and heal the bruises inflicted the
sacred body of the constitution, and the yet
cradle code of public law
Thus the case stood when the debate in the House of
Representatives upon the Presidents recent message took
place on Wednesday last closing with the reference of
that document to select committee, to be answered be-
fore should be printed by Congress and out to the
message in reply call for information lhat too,
upon subject upon which the fullest information had
before been officially given and which had for twelve
months been deliberately discussed in the leading journals
OF both parties, to say nothing of divers Buncombe
| speeches in Congress In fact the whole proceeding
bears the brand of faction its face And this espe-
cialy appears when it is remembered that the experienced
and veteran General chief who captured Vera Cruz
IL a.. r.
to levy military contribution in the form of imposts
the port in his possession, that he had of his motion
adopted and put in operation at Vera Cruz plan of such
contribution three days before the military order for him
to do the basis reported from the Treasury Depart
ment issued by the President at Washington If the
wings really sincere in their view of this proceeding
usurpation unlawful act on the part of the
President it is wonderful that they do not think General
SCOTS course, acting without ORDER also deserv
ing of some inquiry. But of this they say not word
In noticing the points made in the debate in the House,
we lay aside in the outset unenabe the position that
distinction can be made between the right to leuy mill
ary contribution and the right to apply disbmse that
contribution for the support of the army and the
The whole right in question is the right of the army-of
under the direction of the commander in Ghetto
do what may lawfully do under the laws of nasns-to
| support itself in the enemy's country If the military
power have not this right then clearly it has not the
right to levy military contribution If have this right
OF sesuppor then clearly has also the right to apply
the contribution to the purpose for which it levied
The right to levy the contribution then, and the right to
apply dsburse for the support of the war; must stand
or fall together. If Mexican grain cattle may be
seized levied upon military contribution for the
support of the army, by the commander in chief. then
other for the armys subsistence. What true of arti
cles in kind when taken a military contribution for
military purposes is of true of money, other
property when seized in the way, by the
thority and for the same end
The brun of the wing objection 10 the military contri-
BUTTON levied by the order of the President in the form
of duties upon the imports at Vera Cruz introduced there
Tor Mexican consumption while the port in our
military occupation, is thus stated by Mr.. Vnton:
Mr Vinon he had no doubt at all about Con-
Sess hight do; he speaking Of what the Executive
had right do He said that the Executive, the officer
inasted by the constitution with the command Of the army
OF the United States, (or that basis that the
resident had placed all his arumen) had the right to
levy military contributions upon the property of the
and he repeated that being the assumption the question
arose. Upon rhoni these military contributions be hrd
lie thought gentlemen might search the laws of
tons find any authority Tor military commander TO levy
'tifdry contributions upon but enemy; from
nun, and from him Alone might he enforce them That
ne mode by which he might distress the enemy But ii
uons, IN carrying that might distress y0tV
Pe TINT you might seise the property o. people,
aud cal that Il military contribution
That precisely chat had been done in this done,
ds true under the forms Of tdW enacted by the President