Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-01-27

hice introduced O bill to
relieve mail contractors.
Mr., Benjamin introduced q bill TO author.
ize the missionary societies of the Episcopal
Church to enter a certain tract Of land in
Wisconsin. Referred.
Mr. Bright introduced q resolution to in.
crease the Committee on Claims to seyen-
Adopted.
The Vice President wss authorized to ap.
point the two additional members.
Mr.. Hunter wished Mr.. Douglas resolu-
ton called up and made the special order
for Tuesday, at half past one O'Clock. as he
wished to speak on it.
MIR. Davis objected on the ground that a
committee had been appointed to investi.
gate the Harper's Ferry raid, and suggest
eny legislation which may be necessary
de referred to Mr.. Douglas remarks, that
Mr.. Buehanan's letter in reply to Gov. Wise
was n garded by the South as an official an
nouncement that the constitution and laws
conferred no power upon the President 10
protect one state from invasion by another,
For himself, he had formed no such i'm
PRESTON he thought il put the President in
a false attitude, and desired the Secretary
to read the correspondence, which was done.
Mr.. Davis remarked that it was evident
from the letter of the President that he did
not deny the power Of the Federal Govern,
ment to pass the necessary laws to protect
the States from invasion.
DE only said that no power had been
conferred on him to do what the Governor
Of Virginia asked. The power belonged to
Congress, and not to the Executive. The
President had no power to call out tho mi.
litia, and the policy of the founders Of the
Government was to restrict the Executive
power. he never would DO willing to grant
the President power TO call out the militia,
or to invade a State. The Presidents let
ter did not deny the power of Congress to
pass all laws necessary TO carry out the pros
visions Of tho constitution. he would neva
er consent, from motives of temporary ex.
pediency, to invest the Executive with a
great ce~ntralizing power.
Mr.. Douglas said the Senator from Mis-.
sissippi certainly could not have read his
speech. He made no criticism on the Pres.
idents letter, made no issue with him. His
impression, on reading the Presidents let
ter, was that he thought the Constitution
conferred no power on the Federal Govern .
ment to interfere, though he might have
meant that the constitution and the laws
gave him (the Presidency more power still,
be desired to make no issue with the Presi'
dent his only object was to secure the en-.
actment of official laws to extend the con,
stitutional power of Congress. He had
carefully avoided putting any construction
on his letter, and had no desire to assail
the President or make issue with him.
The Senator from Mississippi had intima,
ted that they wanted legislation that would
prevent the invasion of States, and then
went on to show that the President did not
differ with him.
Mr.. Davis asked if he wished the Presir
dent clothed with authority to suppress
conspiracy
Mr., Douglas replied, no; he only wished
the Grand Juries in the United States
Courts to indict, and the Courts TO punish
the conspirators when convicted He new
err wished to put any one at the head Of the
army to seek out and punish offenders; he
only wanted to give the courts jurisdiction
over these cases; but II a military force
from one State be in the act of invading
another, then he wanted to authorize the
employment of military force to rspsl inV
Yasion.
Mr.. Davis said it was not necessary TO at
tack every ono Of the States to constitute
treason; an attack on one State Was an at
tack on the Union ITSELF and Wss treason.