Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-02-14

tons and that fair parliamentaian would be
able to give uttersnce TO all he might desire with
out let or hnderanco. Should il turn ont other
vse, the rules would be charged or the decisions
{ the Speaker overrued Except when answer
z 10 resolutions or questions, the Secretaries
upon business relating 70 their Department., are
q nave tho same latitude Of debate enjoyed hj
members Of the House. ard would Of course be
able to be interrupted by questions even without
the three DAYS notice Aay hi niainirg
barge upon the Treasury could be debated by The
f-eir,aty OF u9 1rsa Ir.; ass pf hl..d A'
whaieyer would be open to The Attorney Generals
and thus no matter Of legislation could come up
where the Executive Departments might not az.
lively interfere. Even NOW our resolution days,
20 called, though often convenient coming upon
every alternate honday-to say nothing OF sus-
pension day-aro SUBJ CT to great abuse, and are
used hy all parties more or less for the classlt
purposes Of Buocombe. Old members on both
sides Of the House feel that these days are, as t.
legislative Objects mainly wasted, and they bail
an early adjournment as q relief Il IS here that
smart gentlemen bring in cunnngly vorded ress-
lulons to obtain the weather guage Of their oppo-
rsnle--tuch resolutions as one party may swallow
and such as another party might refuse, but which
ike Macbeth's amen viii stick in the throat. II
"a the perpetual entertainment oil the fox and
stork--dshes palatable to the hosts bot unap-
proachabls by the guests.
II vo were 10 adopt this scheme We might
thereby throw away eight days every month in'
stead Of Two or lour, and in this tollaome but
useless labor the psrtsans Of Tho secretaries would
be driven to ceaselsss activity equal to and s'
conspicuous as that Of their opponents. Instead Of
attending to legislative duties, the House would
be tho arena for skiltul political fencing masters,
and the chief interest would soon centre upon
these elger encounters, vhere the yctoB would
he congratulated and the vanquished derded
Nor is it until after this takes place tbat the
House reaches any vote. Any member may oiier
as many resolutions, wise or crude, as it may suit
his pleasure, or m PROFOUND as many questions,
restrained only BY his sense Of PROPHECY he
clerks notice-bsok where oil these are TO be en-
tered, would soon be, in learned phras, IA big
thlg2' Any malignant outsider, who could OBJ
tiln the kind feryices OF a member willing - ask
crooked questions, might here find tbs highway Of
hn ambition. Now, 10 resolutions calling upon
the Executive for information, anything frivolous
is apt to be excluded, for We must have ,ue slrc.
ten a. majority, OF least, ol The House, and
usually Inc yste ol lhe eAtire liou,s Is o1tainsd
when The OBJECT is truly legitimate, and then the
response becomes permanent record for all
coning time. The document remains 10 be exam
iled by every member, sud does not pass away
with tho hour. Ii seems to me that this method
is by far the most satisfactory
Again the House is to vote, but upon what IS
the House to vote II the information sought
has been communicated, what will be left to vote
upon? And yet the resolution can only DO with
drawn by the mover. II The Information has been
withheld for reasons satisfactory to the secretary,
what shape is the vote to assumeP Is il to DO
content or non-ooutent Is 10 10 be com
/ plmenasv or ctnscrious The amendment 10
The rules leaves oil this quite ia the dark, II il
was proposed TO have the decision one Of conf
dence or want Of confidence, anu the retention OF
dism ss4 Of Inc Cabinet pending upon that de-
eslon the proposition would not appear, as It noN
does, 50 ogectle,. To have a vote Of con
tsnt and yet 10 have the Cabinet 20 out, or tC
have vote of non conten. aud yet have the
Cabinet retained, vould leave the position Of the
Heus, quite IS ridiculous as that OF the Cabinet.
1t will scarcely be denied lha, the new practice
il once inaugurated, would consume much valuable
tins, s-d greatly proloug the sessions OF Congress
Inc information now communicated 10 Con
gress, in u Hs,, aud variety, as to the annual cor
giiion Of public sfiir', IA unsurpassed by that O
any nation in the world. Tue Presidents Mes
sage, the rspOfs OF the secretaries, and the state
ments Of the head, of the different bureaus, 10
their saborsteness and completeness, rarely leave
anything to BE- desired. Ii anywise at fault, i, 1,
that they are yoluminous and too minute to be
seasonabIy read. 1t might crafty some members
TO have this abbreviated and given in concentrated
doses, but submit whether, in addition 10 the
original sources Of information, We shall institute
abridged oral communications for the grsufcatior
Of ,h, iadolen,ly blind and halt? Let us not.b
daEzled by the idea Of reform when only change
Is offered, and that change the surrender Of toe
substance f,r a vain shadow.
The proposition nov made vas Of course n9i
overlooked BY the hamers Of our C0n'ti,ution
ana was a, most Of cur people have alwey'
thought, properly rejected, nothing having been
provided unless it be its prohibition and AVOID
sucs. The power is noShere directly granted
and il iniefsptay assumed il will be seen 70 b.
maladroit assumption.
DO not tlink it is going too iar 10 say lnlt lh,
project iudousd by meJorlly OF the committee
li not warranted by anything in the Constitution
aud th, view Is fully susIsined by It's earliest aud
beat expositou. The question came up in The
session Of Congress in 1900 far as the question
could come up upon the adm ssion o. the Store
lary Of the Treasury for once only into the House
OF RepTesenlatiyes-upo the question Of allowing
Alexander Hamilton Secretary OF the Treasury
to make his celebrated report upon his plan i0l
supporting the public credit, and, though th'
temptation could hardly be greater from the pres,
ing nstute OF the subject aud the eminent chlrac
ter Of the man. il being the discussion ef mvasure
vita. 20 uut young Republic, by Tie most accom-
plisned Secretary OF the Treasury tor or 90,
other country MS, furnished, yet, upon an occt
I.on Of such gravity, the II use, composed OF
large number Of the distinguished men who hlC
mRde the American Revolution q success, ant
who had based Constitution upon ne principles
relec ed the proposition after oriel debate, auC
that nearly or quite un inimousy
Oncl more tnls question was incidentally dis
cussed upon report OF a committee Of the llous
upon Inc defea, Of General 5 Ullir, whom the,
attempted 10 shield from blame, while ltey in
culpsttd, more or less, the Secretary Of War an,
, lhe Secretary OF the Treasury. Tue secretaries
/ belieyms themselves to be g,ealy wroneed, cat
uraiy desired TO yndlcale themselves, Ca th
l3lh OF November, 1902, resolution wa, 0iere'
by oue 0f their tueads, notifying the stctowtie
thai the subject would be taken up on day name
70 inquire lnlo the causes oil the failure "to tn
! end mat they may attend the House and IufnIs
, such information u. may be conclusive TO the du
investigation Of The matter stated IN said report.
Even this was refused by the House, Wais
fret voted 10 strike out the latter par, OF the res
4 ulution, and then rejected it as thus amended.
4 Hut the earnest discussion which occurred,
= impolani, as Il records the opinion OF Mldisa
/. upon the main question nov ueiore us' and III
= will b. as authoritative as the opaion' ot au
!. modern statesman, os even as that OF learne