, 1856-08-29

] TWO UOUluS Dl II messenger, ulu, lHCTtlOTt
/ the evil cannot be at once arrested but il
/ is time the Government should take step,
to deter such assumptions or abuse Of au
| thOrity in that or any other Territhry il
the future make this suggestion to the
! honorable Senator from Michigan. lie
may have thought the same thing himself
but it seems TO me that the inquiry ought
to he made by another body.
The PRESIDENT pro tcMpore. Docs the
Senator from Tennessee object to the cou
siderdtion of the resolution?
Mr.. BELL, Of Tennessee. No, sir.
! Mr.. CAss. The answer to the Senator
from Tennessee is very ready, and | think
it will be palpable to the honorable Sena,
tor l wonder a little that it escaped him,
for he is certainly observing on these points
take it, if there is gross nfracton Of
law anywhere, either House has the right
to inquire into it the House Of Represen.
tatives for double purpose, if they choose
and the Senate for single one. The Sen
ate for the purpose of providing any legs.
lation that the circumstances may require
to prevent such grievance, and to ascertain
whether our legislation is sufficient the
the other House for a double purpoSe-to
do the same thing, and likewise to impeach
the offender if they think proper. Now,
sir, no grievance, no palpable violation Of
law can take place under this Government
which it is not perfectly competent for this
body to inquire into, to ascertain what has
been the execution of their own laws, with
view to introduce all such legislative
amendments on the subject as the circunl-
stances may prove to require. 1t is for
that reason that introduce the resolution.
1t may be necessary to legislate on the sub
icct. | do not know that it. is In the
meantime, if the House choose to go on,
and if they think the circumstances justify
them in going on with it, they may do SO.
My own impression isl have no authori-
ty for speaking it-that the action of the
Executive will render the action Of the
House unnecessary.
Mr.. BELL, of Tennessee. | meant mere
ly to throw out, for the consideration Of
the honorable Senator and the Senate, the
views which have expressed of such an
abuse Of the powers of the Governor of one
Of our Territories. 1t is q question to
which the attention Of the public may
properly be called. | shall not object to
the consideration of the resolution. The
information can be laid before US but
certainly this body cannot take the proper
and eifectual steps to prevent for the fu-
ture such assumptions Of authority.
Mr.. JOHNSON. Many things that par.
take somewhat Of this character have been
coming up for some time-not exactly like
this, but having tendency in this direc.
ton. If we look back 10 the precedents
and antecedents Of various parties of this
country, this will be apparent l rise
merely to express the hope-as believe
this resolution will pass at Once-that
nothing will prevent the Senator from
Michigan from prosecuting this matter to a
fall understanding and fnal determination,
for it is going too far
l think have heard intimations indors.
ing all that has been done by the Governor
of Washington Territory. | do not know
that heard them distinctly; but il there
is any one here who indorses everything he
has done, as his acts ore now understood
here, Of course it ought 10 be known.
The declaration OF martial law is always
serious matter. The subject has been
brought to the attention of the Senate
and if such policy has been pursued by
the Governor, the circumstances under
which it has been done ought certainly to
be distinctly understood. The military is
very high power in this Government /; it
has been a high power in the history oi
every republican government that has ever
existed 1t has been the power from which
every republican. government that ever
existed has persisted, as we learn from the
history of the past. At no day, from the
commencement Of this Government to the
present time, since the army Of the Revo
luton were disposed to confer q crown upon
Washington, has it ever shown so strong =
disposition to assume to itself the control
Of the Government as it seems to me it has
exhibited within the last few years.
Though the army has not declared martha
law in this case, the authority which die
declare it is connected with the authority
of the commander-in-chief in that Territory
l hope it will be called to account and
that the terms and conditions, and consid
erations on which it has been done will bC
distinctly understood by the Senate, SC
that, if it be proper to be done hereafter
it may be sanctioned at once or, if not
be censured in such way as the Senate
may think proper.
The resolution was adopted.
TO-
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