Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-01-02

- mean the fRutchi iNtst' |
.r.;,. seem 20 re, more and more tanSien v
,rs.sa the Democracy has only 10 remain
uaies, sna 10 good time its enemy WIZ per q
,svvo A.. very sensible act Of scf.de.'ruc- !
,,sn. which viii do more than anything else $
lo render IL beloved by the people. It's Lead
~ ana sdhsrents seem 10 be unable 10
nrrse upon any Of its party measures save
IAas Of public plumber, and even in that
there are . certain few old crows posted
.ssusd the public corn6eld, who are get
ding drsadf0l uneasy, and show signs o.
great alarm.
AZ prsssot opinion secms 10 dlnsr - 10
whether The President can legally pocket
che District Of Columbia bill. and thus pre-
vent Il from becoming . Law. Precedent.
u course. establishes this view. but some Of
che radical members, Including Speaker
Colfsx. deny the truth Of the position, and
claim tha, Congress has not adjourned, but
merely taken . recess. and that the ten
days ~ill not expire until the expiration OF
zen days after the re-asscmbling, including
.he ten 20 be enumerated the days the
President was in possession Of tho bill pre-
vioas 90 the adjournment. The New York
World expresses the hope that the party
vii adhere 10 this view. and says "the con
sequence would be, that they wouid take no
steps to pa: the bill again on its passage;
and their new position 10 10 prcposterous
tha, no court will ever sustain II, nor, ex
ccps - IN cot Of courtesy, waste time in
Listening % argumeuts on the subject. As
soon a. negro is elected 20 office under
chic pretended law, the proper legal pro-
cseding will DO instituted for bringing the
question before . court. when it will be de-.
cidcd that the bin never became law be-
esuse Il did NOT receive the signature Of the
President. Tho new doctrine OF the Re-
, puhlieana respecting the ten days, Is dis
ingenious fetch. easily exploded. The Ian
esass Of the Constitution 10 :"
II any bill shall not be returned BY tho
Ps~sde within ten days sundays except.
cd after u shall have been presented to
him. ths same shall Be Law in like IN amer
- II be had signsd il. unless Congress by
their adjournment prevent its return, in
which case is will not be law.
The constitution 10 its own best interpre-
ter Whenever question 10 raised respecting
che meaning Of word Il frequently usss.--
The only question in this case 10, whether
shors suspension Of the settings Of Con.
gress. like that during the holidays. 10 to
be considered - an adjournment II not.
vs suppose the reason must be because il
u % brief. This Argument IL quickly dis
posed o. The Constitution says that a
number Of members icss than n quorum
''msy adjourn from day to day 10 Con
stitu,ional language, thercforc,a suspension
Of business for . single day is an adjourn
ment. In another place il is ordained tina
neither House "shsll ndlourn for more thar
three days without the consent Of the 9th
cr,' which proves again that suspension
OF business for even 50 brief a period is AZ
adjournment The word "reccs." is usc,
hat once IN the Constitution, and in such
cosns elton a. 10 show that it means peri
Oh VI some length. When vacancies Occur
m the reces OF the Senate il is declared
that the President my I'll them by ap
po,ntinsns. to expire ut the close Of the next
session. The provision would not apply "a
avacancy happening in the interval during
the holidays. which is therefore not IRE
eess," bat an "adjournmsnt II hsrdly
needed this collation. Of passages 10 max,
clearer What is evident from the languag
respecting the return Of bil.a. The sxprea
exception OF Sundays from the ten day
prcvcs that the Constitutio contemplate
NO other exceptions. IL il settled rule o
Interpretation that specified exception
strengthen the generality Of y rule In il
extension 70 all other cases included in IL
language. The new Republican crochet 1
utterly prepcstsrous. suppose Congress
passes bill on Saturday, and then adjourn
10 week from tho next Thursda,
Would the President be allowed rev
I'm extra days for its consideration il
addition 10 the ten given him 10y the Cor
stituticn : Such an idea is as rcpugnant I
usage and common sense as il is to the lar
gnaec OF tho section. Any adiournmer
within thc ten days counts for nothing Oh
:aleaess Of Congress being no impedimer
10 the elaboration Of the President. II
esn prepare veto with equal convenience
whether Congress is in session or not. b.
hn IL ~
when he may scnd it in. lie is under n
obligation 10 return the bill before the tent
day. because the Constitution allows his
ten days for deliberations lie has no rig,
70 return il after the tenth day, because o
the eleventh it is either dead letter hy III
adjournment Of Congress, o, else il il
lsw without his signature BY his letting Ii
tenth day pass without veto. On IN
Seventh day no other state Of the case
possible, unlcss il can be shown that III
Constitution allows the President NOR
than ten days (Sundsys exceptcd) for Ii
consideration Of bills. After the Const;tr
ton had tied down the President to the tc
days beyond which be can send in no veto
the adjournment clause vas added 10 s,cu,
to him the full extent Of The time by NAL
ing il impossible for Congress to cut i, sho,
without the loss Of the bill. No such thin
was contemplated, or il possible, q an ..
ssnsica u the Presidents time by any =
tioa. Or By any :naction, Of Congrsss.
they pass bill from which the President
likely 70 dissent their only security is
avoid an adjournment extending over Il
tenth day.
A Republican paper thinks ".here is n,
much probability Of any immediate settl
ment of the Alabama controversy vii
England, as General Grants views on que
tons of foreign policy are said to be muc
less sound and sensible than his views Z
home questions. We are told, for inst anc
that he is in favor Of keeping the Alabau
matter open, rs hook on which to hang
quarrel with England whenever the occ
sica offers. We can not help thinking tn