Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-19
w ORCE S T E R 4.
FRIDAY. MAY 10, 1871.
The senatorial investigation.

The senate, in attempting to punish certain
reporters for procuring and publishing the
treaty, is in danger of going beyond the limit
of its rightful power. That body is not as one
of its members claims, "omnipotent." 1t can
not rightfuIy assume universal jurisdiction"
Nor is it the American congress. 1t is habit
of some OF the senators to forget all this.
1t is certain that some official CONNECTED with
the state department probably has betrayed
public trust, an otfense for which be should be
cashiered and punished 1t is certain, also, that
the reporters in question, or some other person
in their behalf, bribed and seduced this offender,
for the benefit of the Journal on which they are
employed. They, too, should be made to feel
that they are partakers of the dishonor connect
ed with this betrayal OF bis trust. The case de-
manded investigation; and, so long as there was
reason TO suspect that the bribed offender
was connected with the senate, directly or iu-
directly it was the duty of the senate to pursue
the matter, until this suspicion should be con-
Rrmed or removed. If the investigation ordered
had made it certain that somebody connected
with the senate has been tempered with and
bought, il would be easy to decide what must
be done. All connected with the dishonorable
transaction, whether reporters or clerks, could,
AT least, be expelled from their places in the
senate chamber.
In the present case, it has been proved to the
committee of investigation, that nobody con-
nected either with the senate or the govern
ment printing office, was in the remotest man
ner concerned in furnishing copy of the treaty
for publication. This fact having been ascer-
tanned, we do not see how the senate can right
fully pursue the investigation. Its jurisdiction
does not extend to what may have been done at
the state department, any more than the juris-
diction of the secretary of state extends to
what is done by clerks of the senate
Congress, of course, could, by joint resolu-
ton, order an investigation of the state depart
ment; but the senate is not congress. viii any
senator pretend that the state department could
not have published the treaty on its own re-
sponsibility, without any regard whatever to
the senate, if those controlling it had seen it to
have this done2 If the copy published went
from the state department, let Secretary Fish
look to the matter; this is his duty. But what
has the senate to do with it any more than if
the copy had been furnished by somebody at
the British legation or the executive mansion
1t has been manifest for some time that the
senate needs to understand more clearly that
it is not "omnipotent;" that the sphere of it:
jurisdiction is limited, when it is acting by
itself; and that by forgetting this, it may itsel
come to need investigation quite as much a
delinquent clerks and SHARP" reporters. Ger
investigation, for it can not go on with it mucl
further without doing what it has no right I,
do. The means used to get the treaty int
print, as matter of newspaper enterprise,
are not to be commended; but the publication
rendered important service to the public. That
was done most improperly, which the senate
itself should have done as soon as the treaty
came into its hands.