The national Republican., 1869-02-18
nECEPTIONs.

acsrLsz Propr,sssr HAslosAI nssvslisAs.
vsshinstoa. D. q. 1..L ..iL-lE E--L--
RECEPrIoNs. .l
srsAKER OoLpAx's receptions will be on
svery Friday evening during ths session,
fromsao TO II pm. ..
Mrs. Colfax receive, every wednesday,
from totp.m.
Mas. PosrxAsrRn GENERAL RANDALL will
receive her friends on Wednesday Of each
week, from ! to p. m, at the residenos, COR
ner Of Twelfth and K streets.
MRs. SroRErARY MoCuLLooa resolves on
wednesday OF each week st the rssidsnss,
No. 800 II street, from II 10 4, and on Friday
from 8 to II p. m. Cards TO be issued for the
evening receptions.
MRs. sEoRrrAav BaovsIne reesiyes on
Wednesday OF each week at her residence, No.
$50 street, from Il m. toe pm.
RECIPROCITY - SENATOR MOR-
RILL, OF VERMONT.
One Of the ablest and most instructive |
speeches delivered during the present session |
of Congress was that Of Senator Morrill,, Of
Vermont, on the 1lth Of January, upon the
general subject of reciprocity treaties.
He shows that prior to the Zollverein
treaty Of 1874 there had been In our previous
history Of nfty-nve years under the present
Constitution only two instances OF the inter-
ference of the treaty making power with the
right Of Congress to levy duties and regulate
commerce. These instances Of interference
were Of small Importance and grew out Of
peculiar circumstances. The frst, In our
treaty Of 1908, for the purchase Of Louisiana,
was clause giving to French and Spanish
vessels the same rights as our own, for q
term OF twelve years, In the ports Of the ter
ritory ceded to us. The second, In our treaty
Of 1881 with France, under which nve mil
lions were paid to us for spoliatlon, was q
clause by which the importation Of French
wines was permitted for eleven years at
nxed and specific rates Of duty. Exceptions
are said to prove rule. From 1850 to 1874,
with thesc two unlmportant variations, there
had been a uniform acquiescence In the prin-
ciple that the regulation Of commerce be-
longed to Congress, and not to the treaty
making power; and that IL was the peculiar
prerogative Of the House TO originate tariff
laws.
In 1874 the first reciprocity treaty was ne
gotlated by Mr.. Wheaton, known as the
zollyereln treaty, with Prussia The inter
ference fthis treaty with our tariff Of duties
was upon a scale which attracted attention
TO II, and the result was It's decisive rejection.
Two reports were made against Ii by the
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs-one
by Mr.. Choate, Of Massachusetts, and one
by Mr.. Archer, Of Virginia. The language
of that committee, as quoted by Senator Nor,
rlll, was as follows:
"The committee are not prepared 10 sane
tlon so large an innovation on the ancient
aud uniform practice In respect Of the de
partment Of Government by which duties on
imports shall be imposed; that the Constitu.
tion In express terms delegates the power Ia
Congress TO regulate commerce and Impose
duties, and to no otheri and that the control
Of trade and tho functions Of taxing belong,
without abridgement or participation, to
Congress-"
The only reciprocity treaty ever made on d
ratified by the United States was that most
disastrous one Of 1854, in relation to trade
with the British Provinces. As noticed by
Senator Morrill,, Congress availed itself OF
the first opportunity to abrogate IL, as soor
as the stipulated ten years had expired.
Senator Morrill's eucidation and illustra
tious Of the point, that reciprocity treatiei
invade the constitutional control OF tn,
House over tariffs, were too clear and strik
ing not to have produced a marked effect
We sec II In the fact that the Canadian lobby
do not venture directly upon the concoction
OF another treaty, but commence by an at
tempt to obtain the passage of q resolution
by the House, authorizing aud advising ne
gotlatlons for new treaty. So far as this
goes, 1t Is an acknowledgment Of the au.
thority of the House, forced from them BY
the vigor with which Senator Morrill, en-
forced the true constitutional doctrine
But, AFTER all, what Is proposed to be don
In the House Is a mere evasion. Whateve
power that body has over tariffs 1t canno
delegate to Presidents or Senates. II cannc
give q sanction In advance, and In genera
terms, to negotiations which may In the en-
assume unexpected forms and reach unes
pected results. The constitutional power
of the House are only Its constitutional d,
ties. They are incapable Of assignment an
cannot be abdicated.
The constitutional Advisers OF Oh
President.
We hear much said by public men an
others, and see many articles In the new
papers, about the Presidents Constitution
advisers, but we have looked In vain In til
Constitution for any such officers of th
Government.
We fnd the following words, which is th
sum Of all that that instrument says upo
the subject; she (the President) may T,
quire the opinion in writing of the principi
officers In each Of the executive department
upon any subject relating to the duties {
their respective Offices" &c.
1t will be observed that there Is nothir
said here about Constitutional advisers
cabinets. There Is no provision authorlzir
the heads Of departments to meet to advi
the President, and no such thing as boa
Of counsellors is contemplated; nor Is the
any suggestion that cabinet meetings are
be held on certain days to determine Il
general policy of the Administration, or |
settle questions Of great or minor consider
tion that may come up for solution. lfthe
Is anybody authorized by the Constitution
United States. The President 'snldv rsqtIi
Tie opinion in writing Of the principal oDsed
IN each Of he eyscutivs departments" at
that Is the all Of 1t. 1t Is known that Il
earlier Presidents acted upon this Idea, an
Mr.. Lincoln also was much inclined to at
did In many instances pursue this course.
We do not object to the Presidents askr
the advice Of the heads Of departments,
to his calling them together once or twice
week, or as often as he pleases. The pre-
dental machine has come to be pretty b
thing to run, and In the multitude Of cou
selIors there Is safety; but II he shall choo
to follow the methods pointed out In q
Constitution and require the opinion of q
Secretaries in writing who can complal,
Cabinets and constitutional advisers a
bodies not known to the fathers, nor a
they provided for In the Constitution. Tn
is q thing Of recent growth, and looks ye
much like an implantation from monarchic