The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-05-03

doubtful prerogative," are well-timed ant
forcible, and canaot fail to impress all men o
honor and intelligence with sense of thei
entire justice and propriety:
From the Tribune.]
Right Against Prerogative.
The House committee of investigation
whereof Mr. C0vode, of Pennsylvania, is chair.
Schell, Of this city, shall produce and delivel
a list in his possession of contributors in thit
city to the fund raised here to carry Pennsyl
vania for BUCHANAN at the October election o
1856. The committee, it is understood, pro
pose to invoke the power of the House to co
cree Mr.. Schell to produce the paper demanded
II they do this, we trust the House will pause
and consider we'll before taking the action re.
quired Mr.. Schell, though now collector Of
this port, was private citizen in 1856; those
who contributed the money he raised for the
Pennsylvania canvass were likewise mainly
private citizens. 1t is not even in evidence that
the money was used improperly, though We
presume a good part ofitwas; there is Of course
no shadow OF proof that it was contributed by
public officers, or that it came, however cir.
cuitously, out Of the Federal Treasury. BY
what right, then, under what color of reason
do the committee undertake b constrain Mr.
Schell to give up this private paper and blazen
to the world the names Of private citizens un.
der circumstances calculated to expose them to
odinm! Ifthey have been guilty of conspir-
acy or corruption, why not indict and try
them |? II the object is to fish out evidence OH
which to base a prosecution, we object that
the mode is illegal, unconstitutional, and the
whole procedure fraught with danger to the
rights Of every citizen.
Wespeak thus freely, because the subject is
of the gravest Importance, while our relation
to the parties in conflict enables us to do SO
without exposure to misapprehenson. Mr..
Schell and his contributors are our political
adversaries the committee who are pressing
them to the wall are our political fiends. But
quite another thing. 1t is an attempt to make
party capital by an abuse of power "a danger
GUS stretch Of u doubtful prerogative.
The fact may as we'll be stated that this
whole business Of developing political scandal
by legislative investigations has already been
about run into the ground. Intelligent, fair
minded men are growing sick Of it. In so far
as public functionaries and recipients of public
money are required to give an account Of their
dealings with the Treasury, We uphold the
claim to the fullest extent. Even this may be
abused but it is salntary, conservative pow
er, and we rejoice in seeing it fearlessly,
citizens when the acts as to which inquest is
made were committed, before Investigating
committees to be catechised in secret, under
circumstances which secure them no protection
against insult, nor against the most inqusito-
rial and impertnent peering and prying into
their private concerns, will not answer. II
must either be strictly limited or utterly
stopped.
A government of laws is one thing gov
ernment by investigating committees, with
unlimited discretion, is quite another. We
greatly prefer the former. and believe few re-
fecting men will be found to dissent from our
choice.