The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-07-02
Iona Branch and the Lar.

Section 1. 796 OF the Revised Statutes oil
the United States reads thus
GAN offices attached to the seat of Govern
meut shall be exercised in the DIstrlct OF
Columbia, and not elsewhere, except ss
otherwise expressly provided by law.
By '.An act respecting quarantine n ana
health laws" approved February 20, i'So'
the President may remove the puonc OIL
ces, and the Supreme Court may ADJOURN
its sessions to some other place, Gin case
of the prevalence of contagious or cpl
demieal disease at the seat Of Government,
but further than this there is no exception
to the imperative rule of law above iald
down. Unless there be a virulent disease
in the District and the President or gu,
preme Court thereupon order removal
beyond its limits, s'All offices attached to
the seat of Government shall be exercised
in the District Of Columbia, and not else
schere.''
Now, is the Presidency an ''ofiice at
tached to the seat of Government ?' III
so, the incumbent of that office cannot eX-
ercise any of its powers at Long Branch.
That the Presidency is an "0ffce" the. .Con-
stitution itself says:
"Before he enter on the execution of his
office he shall take the following oath or at
firmation
81 do solemnIy swear Cor affirm) that 1
will faithfully execute the office Of President
Of the United Stotes,," etc.-Art. IL, Sec. 1,
par. T.
Is it an ''office attached 10 tie seat If
GoUernment?" To answer this we must
take a plunge into the past. On cornplet-
ing its labors the convention which framed
the Constitution of the United States Ie-
quested the old Congress to fix 'the time
and place for commencing proceedings
under this Constitution" and in accord
ance. with this request that body designat-
ed March 4, 1889, as the time and New
York as the place. The necessity of a
more central location was soon felt, however,
and therefore by Gan act for establishing
the temporary and permanent seat of the
Government of the United States" ap
proved July Is, 1890, it was provided that
by December 1, 1880, ''all Offices attached
to the seat of the Government of the Uni
ted States should be removed to Phila-
del phia, and there remain mp to December
|, 1900, at which time the scat of Govern
ment should be removed to what is now
known as the District of Columbia. 'And
all Offices attached to the said seat of Gov
ernment shall accordingly be removed
thereto by their respective holders, and
shall, after the said day, cease to be exer-
csed elsewhere" In compliance with this
statute President Washington duly re-
moved from New York to Philadelphia
prior to December !, 1890, and his success
or, John Adams, removed from Philadel-
phia to Washington previous to December
1. 1900. The Presidency being an ''office
attached to the seat of Government" fol
lowed the seat Of Government-irOm New
Y orl< to Philadelphia and from Philadel-
phia to Washington. The transfer each
summer from ashington to Long Branch,
which has come in vogue of late years, is
not only without law but positively agains.
law The President cannot lawfully exc
cute any of the many and great powers
to his Office except in and at
the seat of Government, always provided
that no infectious disorder prevails there.
In that event he may exercise his office
elsewhere, but only in that event. De-
spite this the present incumbent carries his
office about at his summer pleasure, and
exercises it wherever he may happen to
perch for the moment. He believes in en-
forcing obnoxious laws. Let him enforce
this which strips the President of Presiden-
tial power when he abandons the scene of
duty. \. World