The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-22
42d CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, D. O., Dec, Is, 1871.
HOUSE,

| WAshNuION, " W DcC, 10 loll'
| HOUSE.
The House went into committee of the
whole for general debate on the state of
the Union But few members were pres
ent, most Of them having lell for the
Christmas holidays. Adjourned to Janu'
ary 9Th. .' Vs.
SENATE.
Mr.. SUMNER offered joint resolution
amending the constitution SO as to confne
the President 10 one term and said Grants
civil service reform recommendation
omitted tho important recommendation
and adoption Of the one term principle.
Tho civil service reform authorities would
he playing Hamlet with Hamlet LEFT out,
as this amendment would not 60 into
operation until tho 4th Of March, 1873.
The resolution was laid over.
Mr.. SUMNER offered resolution,
which was adopted, directing the COM
mittee on retrenChment to inquire wheth-
or any money had been paid on account
Of any asserted lease Of the Bay Of SANTANA
70 the United States, and Il so by whom,
and out Of what fund and 10 what amount;
also, II such moneys have been paid by
private persons, then 10 report the names
Of such persons with their business and
inducements for this outlay; whether they
are interested In land grants or other
SpeculatiOns on the Island Of San Domin.
go; whether there has been any under
anuihs !aat @ sneh sTI ilIioseys sy Wouiu @ 10 le'
lunueu % W he et Uhlten o'aIes aiSo o,ua'. 10 as.
Celsalh 1nc apPllCaton vi sA'9 iiionGys
ana tle agent ootalning anu uEsDurslhg
lne same, WIN power 10 Senu LOT pSlSonS
anu papers
Mr' SUMNER ihtrouuccu Ihe lollo"lng
Joint resolution proposing an amendment
Dhe Constitution cOlant'l3 H6 President
10 one term.
WHEREAS, For many wears there has
been an incrcaSlng conviction among the
people, without distinction Of party, that
one welding the vast patronage Of the
President should not be candidate for
re election, and this conviction has found
expression In the solemn warning of illus.
trious citizens, and In repeated PROPOSE
tions for an amendment 10 the Constitu.
ton combining the President 10 nno term;
and WnEEEGs, Andrew jackson was so
iully impressed by theperll 10 Republican
institutions from temptation on the acting
President, welding the vast patronage
Of his office as o candidate for re'elec'
tion, that In his first annual message he
called attention to It, thatin his second an
nnal message after setting forth the de-
sign Of the Constitution to secure inde'
pendence to each department OF tho gov:
ernment, and promote healthfnl and
equitable administration Of all the
trusts which IL has created, h0 did not
hesitate TO say: H"The agent most
likely TO contravGne this design Of
the constitution Is tho Chief Magistrate"
and then proceeded TO declare: "ln order
particularly that this appointment may,
as far as possible, be placed beyond the
reach Of any improper influence, in order
that he may approach the solemn re-
SpOnsibllitles Of tho highest oilice in the
gin Of a tree people, uncommitted 70 any
other course than IN the strict line Of sim
plicity and purity. deem tho following
Of importance: 1st, To contine his scr
vices To single term" and then In
public speech during the canvass which
ended in his election, declared that Il the
privilege Of being President Of the United
States had been limited to ono term, the
incumbent would devote all his time to
the public interest, and there would be
no cause to misrule the country, and no
concluded by pledging himself before
heaven aud earth, "if elected President o.
the United States, To lay down at the END
ofhis term Fourth ofJuly, that high trust
at the feet Of the people, and WHEREAS,
Henry Clay, though differing much from
Andrew jackson, united with him on tho
one term principle, and publicly enforced 1t
In his speech June 9Th, 1S40, where, alter
asking for o provision TO render person
ineligible 10 the office Of President oil the
United States after the service Of one term,
he explained the necessity OF the amend;
ment by saying much observation and
deliberate reflection have satisfied me
that too much of the time and thousand
exertions Of the incumbent arc occupied
during tho first term In securing his re-
election. The public business conse-
quently suffers" And then again in a
letter dated September IL, 1872, while
setting forth what he calls the principal
objects engaging the common desire and
common exertion Of tho Wing party, the
same statesman specifies an amendment
10 the Constitution limiting the incumbent
OF the Presidential Office 10 single term;
and WHEREAS, the Wing party In its na-
tional convention at baltimore May !,
1874, nominated Henry Clay as President,
with q platform wherein single term for
the Presidency Is declared 70 be among
the great principles OF the Wing party
principles inseparable from public honor
and prosperity, to be maintained and ad-
vRnced by the election OF these candidates,
which declaration was echoed at the Inn
nense meeting In Monument Square, ad'
dressed by DanieH Webster, where y ives
resolved that the Limitation OF the Presi-
dent to q single term was "among the OBJ.
jects for which Ihe Wing party will un.