The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-22
CoNGREssI SIGNAL.
xLIst CONGREss-F.Rsr SESSION.
SENATE

SENATE w AsHIEGToE, March 20.
Fenton introduced a bill to p ohibit Sc
cret sales Of gold, Referred to the Finance
i Committee.
| RAMSEY introduced an amendment to
/ the act aiding Minnesota railroads, W whieh
| IS grants of public lands.
a resolution 10 appoint Committee of
seven to consider applications for the re-
mOYai of political disabilities, was adopted.
The bill fixing the statues o. Judge Adj
Voeates IA The army, was indefinitely
postponed.
Mcdonald introduced a bill granting
lands in aid of the construction of a
railroad and telegraph line from the juno
tiOn of the Oh o and Mississippi Rivers in
Missouri, to the boundary hne between
the United States and Mexico at or near
Presldio del NoTte, on the Rio Grande, in
the direction OF the harbor of AItata Or
y uIf of California, with branch to some
point East of the ntnel y-ninth degree OF
West longitude, to Lawreace, Kansas r.
ferred 10 the Committee on PuDIIc Lands.
Wilson introduced a Joint resolution au-
thorizing the President to place The name
of Brevet Major General sci tzelman on
the retired Ilsl OF the army, with The full
ra K of the com maj nd held by him when
wounded. Referred TO the Military Com
mlttee.
Sumner offered a joint resolution to re-
duce ocean postage to land rates. Refer ed
to the Post-Omee Committee.
The bill TO repeal the Tenure-of-Ofh ee
Law was taken up.
Wicker auvOcai ed the bill.
Thayer mod fled his substitute for the
report of the judiciary Committee SO as to
give BIG FfeS Gent bnlfLy OagS aILSE the
commencement OF u session of the senate
within which 10 report the names OF Off
GERS removed during he preceding recess,
aud added TO IL pTOYisO thai no person
rejected the Senate IN session shall be
appointed to Office during the following
recess. tie hal offered the substitute, he
Salu, with the hope getting direct
vote, but it could not be had at on e upon
the House bill II r had listened in vain I
throughout thIs long debate Tor some good
reason why the act should not be repealed. |
The law had been passed solely to check |
the career Of Andrew Johnson, after ne |
had treacherOuSly abandoned hls party, |
violated his pledges, and forgotten hts |
principles. He ERayeT) had voted for the |
law originally because IL was necessary, |
but he would not nov vote upon an honest |
President the mana les he had helped to /
forge for "A dishonest one. He had no /
but from his knOWed &c of hum IN nature |
he felt satisfied the President must desire |
the repeat of the law, and he believed IL /
any Senator occupied the place of Presi- /
dent Grant he, too, would desire It's re-
peal.
brake was in favor of repeating the law,
but would not vote for its tenn Dorary su y
pension. the proposition of the Judiciary
COmmiJLee to suspend the law W IS only Il
way of saying To the President. . we will
try on until next session of Congress and
see what u q you make of this power; IL
you use it to suit US the repeal may stand.
but If you do not choose to suit Us, the law
shall go into force again" He Was not
prepared to say this to the President, and,
IN his judgment, the President did not de-
hoped to leave the Exec tive f ee to turn
out CORFU pit officers and Others unfFieudly TO
the Republican party; he mad no hesita-
tion in avowing himself party MAJ; his
party had saved the country, and, as he
be ieved It's conttnu Ice a power would
promote the welfare of the country, ne |
was in favor of using the Executive pa
trOnage to keep IL in power.
Morrill, YOU'D rather modify he act
than repearUr suspend ii, aud beiive the |
senate could reach vO pom this ques-
ton of modifying II as soon as upon re
the impeachment of JOhnson, or article
third, had thereby deeiared 1t to be his
Judgment that IN dIsreg riding this act the
President bad been guilty of violating, not |
merely the law. but the Constitution.
How. therefore. could these Senators, vote |
now for the repeat ,1f the law He denied !
that the purpose of the act was mercy to
check JOh son. a reference TO the record |
would show that it had been distinctly al
part OF the permaL ent pollcy OF tue com |
Try. The proposition 70 Suspend di4 not !
strike HIM favorably ia any view. He di--
sented, at least in part, irom the
view osthe Senator from Missouri, [Drakel !
In regard 10 Cover nmeIt patronage. |
1t was unquesttOnab y true IN It Tn party +
ly take to itself the chief offices Of the
Government; yet it was just as certain
officer of Govern ment at the end of every
I. f.3ur years was great evil.
Casserly had not intend to take part in
the debate, Dut IN view Of the character II
had assumed he thought IL due TO himself
and his constituency to make few re-
marks in just fcati0n OF "a vote ne would
give. He would not discuss, IN detalt, the
Ope ration of he act, but c3nfine himself
TO considering the question. where Is the |
power of removal vested? He then made
an argument to show that under the Con- |
this power Da on zed not TO he
Senate alone, nor to the President, with
the advice and consent of the senate. but
to the President alone; and he insisted
hat this was not the only true constitu.
tional, Dut the only reasonable vi-w: be-
cause unless the President had this power
of prompt remOva', he could not pos |
possibly secure the faithful administra- /
ton of public affairs. He SAID the doctrine
IN Piled IN The Tenure-of-office Act, that
by legislation, he regarded aS dangerous |
here,y. II this power was properly sub
ject for legislation, then Congress ought,
by egiSlaJlon, 10 taEe 1T eHIreiy away
from the PreSiden and vest it wholly III
itself or IN either House, or give it to the
Supreme Court or any other tribunal or
person. He had heard during the debate
many profesSiO $ of confidence ~ Presi-
dent Grant an this was not surprising,
but the subject before he Senate was one
II hat ought TO be cOnSide Ell and dotermIn-
ed on other than personal considerations,
and his vote would be -lVen upon general
pri cip es without reg srd to the pf eSent
or possible future occupant of the White
House He wO lld vote for the absolute Te-
peal of the law glad To be alb e by his
vote to do AOmsJui & toward restoring |
the Government to the salutar4 principles
upon which ii rested under the Constitu-
{ on.
ing committee on Political Disa bilittes:
Har an, Howe, Ferry, Bareman
and VlckerS
The Senate. without action on the bill,