Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-06-18
2ailg Siraiaiau.
Tho House Censure.

Iuo house Ooneuro
We gave Thursday some account Of tho recent
action of the House Of Representatives, which
had been furnished us by telegraph, In voting to
censure tho President and Secretary Of the Navy
for alleged mafeasance in office. A fuller report
having snce came to hand, wo herewith publish
the resolutions aud the debate thereon, as con-
tained in the National Intclligcnccr. Tho mpor
tance OF tho subject will justify departure from
our usual custom, which is not to publish Congress
sional dehates
THE NAVAL EXPENDITURES.
The House proceeded, rs the special order, to
the consideration of the following resolutions.
reported from tho Committee on Naval Expend
lures by MIR. llatton on Monday last:
hesofrrd, Tint the Secretary of tho Navy has,
with the sanction Of tho President, abused his
discretionary power in tho selection OF n coal
agent aud in the purchase vi fuel Cor tho Govern.
ment.
Resolred, That tho contract made by tho secre.
tary OF the Navy, under datc of September %
with W Z. n. Swift for the delivery of liyo.oak
timber. was made in violation of law, and in a
mnnner unusual, improper, and injurious to tho
public service.
Reso'red That tho distribution ty tho Sccrcta
ry of the Navy Of tho patronage in the navy yard
among members Of Congress was destructive of
injurious to the public service.
Rrsofred, That the President and Secretary Of
tho Navy, hy receiving and considering tho PARTY
relations of bidders for contracts with the United
States and the effect Of awarding contracts upon
peuding elections have sot an example dangerous
To the public safety aud deserving the reproor Of
this House.
Rcso'rcd. That tho appointment by the Secrc
tary If the Navy of Daniel d. Martin, Chief I'm.
ginccr, rs n member Of Board Of Engineers to
report upon proposals for constructing machinery
for the United States, the said Martin at tho time
being rccuniary interested in some of said pro.
posnls is hereby censured by this House.
Mr. lIorsroN moved to postpone the resolutions
until the third day Of tho next session but sub.
scquently withdrew The motion.
Mr. Bococx Addressed tho House in opposition
to the resolutions. The proposition was nothing
more nor less than that this House should resolve
itself into judicial tribunal, to pass son
tcnce, and inllict punishmcnt-tho punishment of
censurc-upon the Chici Magistrate of this coun-
try. The resolutions had reference to lcsisla-
ton, nor to any procedure before the Senate for
impeachment They proposed only tho con.
demnaion and punishment of the Chief Execu.
tive Of this nation. The abuse referred TO in tho
first resolution could no longer be practsod if it
were an abuse, because tho system under which
1t was prnctised had already been abolished by
law. II these resolutions should pass, it would
not be surprising 10 see them followed ty pro.
position to aend tho Sergeautat-Arms to arrest
tho President and bring him before tho bar of the
House t, the publicly ccnsured by the Speaker.-
Was it right and proper for this House to judge
aud punish the highest Executive officers upon cx
pdrfe testimony taken by n committee of a past
House Of Representatives If 40. what end Of
strife would there be in this land? f they could go
back to the last Congrcss,they could also take the
records ol preceding Congresses back to tho be-
ginning of the Government.
lie denied the authority of the House TO pro.
nounce judgment or infict punishment upon Ex-
ecutve officers in any case. From tho beginning
of this Government in 1889 down to tho presant
time this the first proposition Of the kind ever
made by an American House Of Representatives:
and II they had the power, 1t was strange that,
although the country had passed through periods
Of the most bitter party anin'6sty and excite
meni it had never before been asserted. Resplu-
tions were PASSED by tho Senate in regard 10
the removal Of the deposites hy President Jack.
son, which only impliedly censurcd the President;
yet Gen. Jackson had left upon record his protest
against what he d, emed an invasion If tho rights
of the Executive And those who defended tho
resolutions ut that time. among whom woro emf
nen statesmen, placed their Justification cxpres4-
ly upon the ground that the resolutions embodied
no ceusure. II the llnusc m ght ccnsure the Pro-
silcnt, could not the President call together his
Cabinet and resolve that the House was an lilo,
gal dsorderly, unlawful body, deserving ot tho
ccn.ure Of ;hc Executive Department? Aud if
they might ccnsure tho Executive. why not tho
Judicial branch Of the Goernmcn aud rice rcrsa?
So that instead Of n harmonious Government Of
coordinate branchcs, we should have n Govern
ment Of discordant powers, each wranging with
and warring upon tlse others.
lie admitted the fact Of appointments being
made in the navy yards upon political grounds,
but snid it was IN evil common to the whole coun-
try and to all parties. llo adverted the cons,.
tuition Of the committees. ana especially Of tho
Committee on Naval Expenditures, which hc
thought was formed with the design of reyivng
this old question. lie commented mt some length
upon the testimony on which the resolutions were
alleged to lie based.
Mr. SHERMAN replied lie thought it sim
gular that n high officer Of Government should
seek to shield himself by technical objections and
plea in abatement. 1t was usual thing for
bills and resolutions to be based upon tho evidence
taken by and records Of preceding Congress,
and the same practice prevailed in courts of JUS
tce. The committee Of the last Congress had re-
questcd the Secretary Of the Navy to summon
witnesses, had furnished him with copies of oil de.
positions affecting him, and had invited his coop
eration in the investigation. Tho examinations
conducted altogether In accordance with the
strctest rules Of law. giving the party accused
tho fullest opportunity for defence. This report
was made nt the closing days of the last session,
and the resolutions were not acted upon because
of the pressure of ether business. lie had press
ed vote then in the House of the friends Of the
Secretary of the Navy. and had vote been OBJ
tanned he would not have brought up the matter
in this Congress. lie admitted that he was up.
pointed on the Committee on Naval Expenditures
at his own request. and with view to vote up
on these resolutions and he had suggested to the
Speaker the propriety of strongly organizing all
the committees which were likely to be charged
with Investigations. The gentleman from Virgil
". l.. hal uA1Is A. Sc
objection in the last Congress- when thcY Jointly