St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-05-03
The President and the Senate.

PANNAtSAe 900 ~ 80 III VI eiiN
Senate and have done with the wretched
business of nominating men to Office with
the certainty that they will be rejected.
So he says, at least, and believe he Is
sincere in this, if in nothing else His
last decision, as reported by lis friends,
in reference to the vacant post Offices,
shows that lie means TO prevent sum-
mer session Of Congress II he can do 80.
The fact that number o. post Offices
We're left vacant, it was thought by some.
would result in a summer session. The
president concludes TO take the risk and
run them with special agents for the
present. He cannot require bonds of
these agents, but lie must take care who
he appoints TO them, for ii any one of
them plays the rogue ii will be CHARGED
that he appointed bad men without due
examination. The tenure-ot-ottice act
certainly will have TO be amended next
winter. Fessenden and men of that
stamp | believe would like to have it re-
pcaled altogether. The course OF FeS-
sender in the extra session OF the Senate
was. exceedingly CONSERVATIVES" He
thoroughly disguised the Chambers and
somewhat alarmed the better class ot re-
publican senators. | am told that he
generally voted for the presidents nomi-
nees, and Chandler says for very good
reason, because the president has removed
none Of his friends from office. The fact
Is doubtless true, but the relation OF cause
and effect has probably no foundation.
The president naturally treated Fessenden
with courtesy, knowing him to be con-
sentative, and rather in position of OPP
position TO Sumner on most questions.
So he left many of his personal friends in
office. Now it is ridiculous 10 suppose
that Mr. Fessenden voted generally 10
confirm the presidents nominations be-
cause his own friends We're cared for He
is not the man to be affected by such
considerations, but he has openly avowed
his belief that the president should be
permitted to make appointments to office
in the recess. He would prohibit the
appointment of men once rejected by the
senate This is the ground he took dur
ing the debate in the senate upon the ten
ure of Office bill, and the views he then
expressed will explain his subsequent
course in executive session.
OF course | speak of such things as
rumor brings US from the senate when it
sat with closed doors. Its secrets at
such times are not always very we'll kept,
but they are better kept than they were a
few years ago. remember one winter
when the New York Herald was in the
practice of giving almost verbatim re-
ports OF the debates in secret session. At
last it came to be understood that two
senators were in the habit of furnishing
the ''reports." On one occasion shrewd
old Senator Collamer rose and remarked
something like the following: "Mr
President, desire to submit a few re-
marks to the senate upon the important
subject now before US, but / observe the
reporters of the New York Herald are
present, and | shall await a more favor
able opportunity" This put an end to
tattling for that session, and the Herald
grew uninteresting in its Washington cor
respondence. The senate's doings in ex-
ecutive session are not quite so well re-
ported now.-Wlshmgton letter to Rspub-
Hcdn