Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-06-02
Presidential Absences.

PRESIDENTIAL Absences.
A democratic Congressman a few
weeks ago offered resolution, for lit
tie political capital calling upon presi-
dent Grant for the amount of time he
had been absent from the Capital and
what official transaction he had perform
ed during such absence. The resolution
was of course a piece of impertinence, and
so pronounced by even many democrats.
The President replied in parliamentary
language that his absence was none Of
their business, and after his message had
been read, the Congressman who offered
the resolution was spoken of as the
late Mr.. Blackburn of Kentucky" The
President added to his message in re-
Spouse, a memorandum, which is per-
feet settler on the point raised, and which
we copy below as follows
MEMORANDUM.
Accompanying the message is mem
orandum of absences of Presidents of
the United States from the National
Capital during each of the several ad-
ministrations, and of the public and ex-
ecutive acts performed during the time
of such absences. This memorandum
contains the following information, and
much more of the same general charac-
ter, only the most important of the acts
recited in the memorandum being select
ed for mention in this abstract
President Washington was frequently
absent from the Capital. He appears
to have been thus absent at least ISL
days during his term. In March, 1871,
the seat of the Government being then
at Philadelphia, he issued proclama-
ton dated at Georgetown in reference to
running boundary for the District of
Columbia. He signed at Mount Vernon
an official letter to the Emperor of Mo-
rocco and from the same place issued
the commission of Oliver Wolcott as
Comptroller of the Treasury, and the
proclamation respecting the whisky in
surrection in Pennsylvania also the
proclamation of the treaty of 1895 with
Spain, and the executive orders of Au-
gust 4, 1892, relative to the duties on
distilled spirits, &c. When at German
town he signed sundry commissions. He
proposed to have Mr.. Yenjo officially
presented to him at Mount Vernon as
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plen-
ipotentiary from Spain, and Mr.. Yenio
went there for that purpose but the
ceremony of presentation was prevented
by an accidental omission of the Minis
ter to bring his credentials.
President John Adams was absent
from the Capital during his term of four
years, on various occasions, 3S5 DAYS
DE discharged official duties and per
formed the most solemn public acts al
Quincy, Mass, in the same manner a.
when at the seat of the Government
Several OF them are recited, and it j,
also specified that on the 2Sth of Sep
TENDER, 1896, he forwarded to the Sec
rotary of State commission for Jus
tice of the Supreme Court, signed il
blank at Quincy, with instructions {,
NIL IN the name of john Marshall
if he would accept and if not that 0
Bushrod Washington.
President Jefferson was absent from
the seat of the Government during hi
two terms of Office 7s5 days, or more thai
one-fourth of the whole official period
He signed and issued from Monticello
among other things, IS commissions.
President Madison was absent So
days, and President Monroe was absep
7OS days, independent of the year 1S2
and two months Of the year 1926. fo
which period no data are found. TIL
latter transacted public business whel
ever he happened to be, and sometim,
while travelling.
President John Quincy Adams VS.
sbsent during his single term 222 day
and in his Memoirs (yol. S. page 4;
speaks of his practice of leaving wit
his chief clerk blank papers, signed b
him, to be used when necessary /,
proclamstions, remission of penalti,