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

Government, which at an earlier day would have
been reyolied from. He was decidedly IN iayol
Of written Information"
atk gentlemen 10 mark the emphass OF his
conclusion. Z" Il involved said he, 4" q coucu-
sion, in respect 10 the principles Of the Govern
fnt, whjch At an earlier day." only five years
after the date Of the Constitution "womd hare
Lsen rsuslieG from. He ,cas deciddlg IN tduor o.
wrifteR niormqiion.'
The two cases cited are believed 70 be the only
ores where Congres, has acted on the question OF
giving The Cabinet sny share Of the privileges Of
aembera OF the House FOR more than seventy
ye3i there hls been 10 attempt 70 bring about
sy a. Gpe W Dbl. character. The House has
n t.iar sought to nominate or control the Cab
D. 4t the President, nor has it exhibited any dis
position to diminish its own importance by shar-
Hg a privileges With the Pfesidents nominees,
AID be by hem controlled. No ambitious minis
ter has suggested The idea, and where Hamilton
twice knocked al the door and w1s twice refused,
% others need apply.
Oar fathers looked with Jealousy upon the in
reference Of executive officers with the legislative
deliberations Of Congress in either House. Their
pfetcucs here, merely as visitors, pending ary
MEASURE in which they or their Departments are
concerned, even in more recent days, as far IS my
observation reaches, has always been looked upon
With so much healthy aversion that il has more often
INJURED than sdrd the progress OF the measure.
Iae Executive Mansion, and other executive
buildings, o. well known, wero placed at one end
Of the city while the Capitol was placed at the
other, ayoWedly 20 avoid executive influence, and
20 escape any encroachment upon legislative de-
ibeIations. Urdtf the Manual it would be
breach OF our privileges 10 stlte the views Of the
Executive upon any pending measure, save where
II has bsen officially and openly communicated in
writing aud nov !, is proposed 10 reverse all this
an have all the members Of the Cabinet here al
Oh. time, i they choose, and semi-weekly at any
iaie, 10 whisper in our ears some indication OF
the will Of the Executive. We are to have this
influence forever on the alert, not through one,
but seven Of the representatives Of the Executive
IN this tlouse--inAasntia by position, character,
patronage and power--lnd these possibly hereafter
10 be inorea'ed, according to British precedent
80 as 20 include The under OF Assistant Secretaries
u should be remembered that British ministers
hold their places in he House OF Commons by
virtue oI on election, and not By appointment.
Hey mus. have constituency, and be elected TO
the House OF Commons, aud that after their a.
cepianes OF Office, or thsy cannot occupy their
se4ts. - Jealous ar. hey, even there, that
90 era who receive appointments thereby va
c'Ie lh5f .el;', and must allow their constituents
10 pass upon the question whether they are will
iaS lhe member should take an appointment from
the Grown and still be their representative. but
mere the bali proposition is made TO give certain
Official gentlemen seats in this House with no
constituency whatever despotism or an abso-
.n,e monarchy might look upon il with favor but
can republic? Asa measure involving grave
ptlncipes-he preservation Of the fundamental
privileges and Independence Of a republican Leg
'slatwe-l am persuaded we ought to give It no
eountenance or support.
10 may be suggested that by the change pro-
posed we should have an open, face 10 face, com
munication with the heads Of the executive de.
partmen,s, instead OF a caBdesline, secret and
suspicious one. must deny the covert allegation.
By the Constitution 1t is provided the President,
not the Cabinet, " shall from time TO time give to
Congress information Of the state Of the Union,
and recommend TO their consideration such mea
4 sures az be shall Judge necessary and expedleni,"
end this he does through the secretaries annually,
and ohsner when necessary, through their reports
made . him and communicated BY him 10 u.s..
The Secretary of the Treasury reports to US be-
cllss Of law TO that effect, and because we hold
the purss-tttine- oi the na.on The option 10 the
law allowed us 10 require il TO be done in person,
bu' this the House hss never required and never
permitted. All these reports are at once printed
and promulgated TO us and 70 the world They
are opss 10 our scrutiny and 10 the criticism oi
ages. The President speaks by his own author
ixsi secretaries. The responsibility cinno, be
shrked. The new scheme, however, would tend
in tho direction Of making these officers response
ble to the House, and to that extent relieving the
President. II the secretaries we're of great force
1 Of Character they would make the House berd TO
/ their will. lfthey were weak they would become
the tools Of faction, or Of some artiul demngogue
But the idea tha, any less Of secret and suspicious
influence would be exerted when smpler opportu'
mites Of constant intercourse should be offered =,
hardly requires retu;a,lon.
/ Mr.. Speaker, have thus presensed some OF the
objections 10 the admission Of the Presidents Cab
met to seats in this House. and to me they appear
insuperable, However lamely presented, feel
confident the House Is in no danger Of reaching a
wrong conclusion, as al parties have an equal IN
taress 10 the maintenance Of its character and
privileges. Il will not seek obedience where it
has 40 power TO enforce It's commands. IL will
never consent 10 dim, either 10 form or substance,
the ustrs OF ito repubclnism and conscious OF
having been created and elected TO represent the
people only, separated by fundamental awss we'll
as by al our most reyered traditions from exscu-
tive alloy, it will not debase its original standard,
20 matter whether the solicitation come, from
within or without.