The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-07-26
sUNHTERvILLE, $. C., JULY SG, 1854.

} the idea of monarchy which, we ar
told, is limited. The king not onl,
unitcs in himself all the branches o
the executive power; he not only dis
poses, without control, Of tho Who'll
military power in the State, but he is
moreover, it seems, the master of tn,
law ITSELF since he calls up and dismis
es at his will tho Legislative bodics.-
| We find him, therefore, at first sight
invested with all the prerogatives tha
ever were claimed by the most abso
lutte monarchs, and we are at loss tc
find that liberty which the English
seem so confident they possess.
{" But the representatives of the
people still havc-that is saying
cnoug gh-thcy still have in their hands
now that the Constitution is fully cs
tablished. the same powerful weapon
which has enabled their ancestors to cs
tablis.l it. 1t is still from their libcr
ality alone that the king can obtain
subsidies; and in these days, when
everything is rated by pccuniary csti.
nation ; in these days, when gold is
become the great moving.sprin Of af.
fairs, it may be safely affirmed that he
who depends on the will Of other men
with regard to SO important an article,
is, whatever his power may be in 9TH
sr ere, respects: in a state Of real dcpen-
"Ihe King of England, therefore,
has the prerogative Of commanding
armies and cla:r;iis fleets; but, with
out tho concurrence Of his Parliament.
he caunot maintain them. lie can bes.
tow places and cnploymcnts; but,
without his Parliamcut. lie cannot pay
the salaries attending on them. He
can declare war but, without his Par
Lament, 1t is impossible for him to
carry it on. In word, the royal pre-.
rogativc, destitute us it is of tho pow
er OF imposing taxes, is like vast
body, which cannot ofitself accomplish
its motions or, if you will, it is like
ship, completely equipped, but trc.:
which the Parliament can, 1T pleasure,
draw OIL the water and leave it aground,
and also set it again afloat by granting
subsidcs.''
Sir, .hes IS :aI ',as;., OF Inc Euglish
: y9I:set,u tIOnwt.ie right 81 tic repre-.
sentative to determine the pecuniary
burdens that shall be imposed upon
the people. And shall it be said that
the representatives of the American
people have less power than the com
mons Of England! 7! Certainly not.
consider, then, this right Of the House
OF Representatives to pass upon all
money bills Us the corner stone of,his
Constitution, and the great safeguard
of our liberties and for one will new
cr consent to abandon it. cannot
agree with the opinions on this s;ihicct
expressed by the gentleman from Ala.
bama, Mr.. Philips. know that
some OF the ablest writer's upon con.
stitutional law have held different doc
trlnes-federal doctrines which were
promulgated by the earlier fathers of
the federal schuol-That this House
have no right to pronounce upon ap.
preparations required by a treaty ;
that the trcaty-nalsing power is abso
lutte and unlimited and that, after a
treaty has been ratified, this House is
under an absolute and pcremptory OBJ
legation to make the appropriations re-
quircd. That is. think the doctrine
set forth by the gentleman from Ala.
bana. But, sir, hold that the House
has a perfect, full and free discretion i?
that We arc to do as we think best ac.
cordlng to our honest judgements not
that we are wontonly to reject treaty
appropriation without q sufficient cause,
but that we have the ght to exercise
Il sound discretion as to whether we
will pass or reject it.
WHY, sir, what was the practice OF
the British government at the time our
| iH"Stltutlon was formed for the prac.
.'cc OF that government at that time
is OF much itnportancc In giving the
proper interpretation and meaning to
our OWL Constitution in reference to
this sirjcct, because it was from that
source our ancestors, in Il great degree,
derived their ideas Of government. 1t
was from that source .hey drew the
very life blood Oi our institutions
Now, Sir, what was the practice in
England ut tile time OF the formation
OF our Constitution According tc
Blackstone and other elementary wri
tcrs, the king is invested with the alb
solutc right to make treaties. But
in point Of fact, all monetary PROPOSE
tons, or propositions affecting in an,
way the internal regulations of the
country, embraced in treaties, had te
be submitted to the House Of Com
mons.
We'll, sir, our ancestors, in framing
our Constitution, could not have beer
governed, in II great degree, in framin.
the treaty. making power, by tho prsc
t;cp then in existence in England, ant
which IS still in existence there. Wit
the practice then existing, that all prou
ositions involving the appropriation q
, money must be submitted to tn
House of Commons. is it to be SnDpos