The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-04
4.
LATEST NEWS
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
Monday Morning, March a, 1867
WASHINGTON.
Veto Messages by the President
Report of the Jndici0Ty Conn
9ssSttee on Impeachment.
CONTRIBUTIONS,
CONTRIBUTIONS.

ARLINGTON, March 2
The President has approved the Consular
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill. the Militia
ny bill and the bill refupding money to people
who paid communication and who subsequently
went into The military service.
Inc following is.a synopsis of the Presidents
veto message on the Reconst :uction bill:
Inc PRESIDENT submits whether this meas
ure IS not in its whole character, scopa and
oUect without precent and without authority;
IN probable conflict with the plainest provis-
ION OF the Constitution, and utterly destruc-
tive to those great principles, liberty and hui
manity for which cur ancestors on both sides
OF the Atlantic have shed so much blood and
expended so much treasure. He says the bill
Would seem to show on its face that the estab,
lishment of peace and good order is not its real
object He alludes to the conditions which
must be fulfilled before the people OF any OF
the Southern States can be relieved from the
bondage of military domination. The military
rule which it establishes is plainly TO be used
not Tor any purpose OF order OF ior tne preVen-
ton of crime but solely as means OF coercing
the people into the adoption OF principles and
measures to which it is known they are oppos-
ed and upon which they have an undenlabie
right to exercise their own Judgment. He con-
cludes by saying: At present ten States are
denied representation, and when the 40th Con-
gress assemblies on the 4th of the present month
ten States will be without voice in the House
of Representatives. This grave fact, with the
important facts before us, should induce us to
solely to the attainment of political ends, fails
to consider rights it trangresses, laws which it
violates, or institutions which it imperile.
WASHINGTON March3.
The following is synopsis of the Presidents
message vetoing the Tenure of Office bill:
The President quotes the language of the
first section of the bill, which, he says, con-
tains the material portion. In his Judgment,
the bill conflicts with the Constitution in pro-
viding that the President shall not remove any
of the civil officers when terms of service are
not limited by law, without the advice and con-
sent of the Senate The question is not a new
one. That the power of removal is constitu-
tionally invested in the President, is a princi-
pie which has been not mo3e dietinctly declar-
ed by judicial authority and commentators than
it has been uniformly practiced upon legisla-
tive and the executive department of the Gov
ernment He refers in support of this opin-
ion, to the discussions which have arisen at
various times on the subject. The question
first arose as early as 1889, in the House of
Representatives, on the bill to establish de-
partment of Foreign Affairs. Mr.. Madison,
whose adverse opinion on the constitutional
power of removal by the President had been
relied upon by those who denied the exclusive
power, participated in the debate, and declared
that he had reviewed his former opinion. Mr..
Madison, in summing up his opinion, in which
he asserts as his opinion, that the Executive
power includes the power of removal and that
the Senate is only associated with the Presi-
ucub III 10 OIllCt, lS QuUltu Ill lull
The question was decided by the House of Rep
resentatives, "a to 90 in favor of the principle
that the Executive power of removal is, by the
Constitution, vested in the executive; and in
the Senate the principle was sustained by the
casting vote of the Vice President. The ques-
ton has often been raised in time of high ex-
element but the practice of the Government
has nevertheless conformed in all cases to the
decision thus early made. In 1889 the Supreme
Court decided that the power of removal was
HnSf IN PRnGr dan n1n Irac al
though the appointment of the officer is by the
President and Senate. The late Daniel Web.
ster, while dissenting from it, admitted that it
was settled by the Constitution, settled by the
practice of the Government and settled by
statute. Having at an early period accepted
the Constitution in regard to the Executive
Office in the sense in which it was interpreted
with the concurrence of its founders, the Pres
ident says he has found no sufficient grounds
in arguments now opposed 10 that construc-
ton, or in ony assumed necessity of the times,
for shaking off those opinions, l return the
bill to the Senate, in which it originated, for
the further consideration of Congress, which
the Constitution prescribes.
The Judiciary Committee of the House, in
theirreport on the impeachment, say that soon
after the adoption of the resolution by the
House, Hon. Jas. M. Ashley communicated to
the committee in support of his charge against
the President of the United States such fact as
were in his possession, and investigation was
proceeded with and has been continued almost
without days Intervention. Everything has
beed done which could be done to reich con-
clusion, but the investigation covers broad
field and involves mnltitute of officials, while
most OF the witnesses are distant from the Cap
ital, owing to which tho committee have not
been able to conclude its labors and it is not,
therefore, prepared to submit a definite and
final report. The committee not having fully
Investigated the all the charges, it is deemed
inexpedient to submit any conclusion beyond
the statement that sufficient has been brought
to its notice to justify and demand further
prosecution of the investigation.
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of
John A Dix as Minister to France, and Hugh
Ewing as Minister to the Hague.