Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-04-29


their support is carefully provided for by law.
The money required for this purpose has been
collected from the people, and is now in tho
Treasury ready to BIO paid out as soon as the
appropriation bills are passed. Whether az.
the tazoa will 90 on. Tho public money will
accumulate in the Treasury. It was not the in.
tenlon Of the trainers of the Constitution that
any single branch Of the Government. should
have the power to dictate conditions upon which
this treasure should DO applied to tho purposes
for which it wss collected. Any such intention,
if it had been entertained, would have been
plainly expressed in the Constitution.
That msj olity of the Senate now concur5 in
the claim of the House adds to the gravity of
the situation, but does not alter the question at
issue. The new doctrine, if maintained, will re.
suit in 8 consolidation cfunchecked and despot.
ic power in the House of Representatives. A
bare msjority of the House will become the Gov
eminent. The Executive will no longer be
what the frsmers of the Constitution intended,
an equal and independent branch ofthe Govern.
the President TO exercise bis discretion and judg.
ment unon all bills presented to him without
constrsint or duress from any other branch OF
the Government. Tossy that majority of Ell.
Their Or both Of the Houses of Congress may in.
sist on the approval of bill under the penalty
| ment for want of the necessary supplies, is to
deny to the Executive that share of the legisls.
tive power which is plainly conferred by the
second section o. the seventh article of the Con-
stitution. 1t strikes from the Constitution the
qualified negative of the President. 1t is said
the peculiar function of tho House Of Rep
| resentatives to represent the will Of the PEG.
| Pile. But no single branch or department OF
the Governm ent has exclusive authority to speak
| tor tho American people. The most authentic
| and solemn expression of their will is contained
in ha (Iopctiufinn 0f fha I1nitad Statn1 10
that Constitution they have ordained and estsb.
| lished Government whose powers are dlstrlo-
uted among coordinate branches, which, as far
| as possible. consistently with harmonious CO.
operation, arc absolutely Independent OF each
| other. The people of this country sre unwilling
to see the supremacy of the Constitution replaced
| by thu omnipotence Of any department OF the
Government.
The enactment Of this bill into law will cs.
| tablish precedent which will tend to destroy
| the equal independence of the several branches
| of the Government. Its principle places not
merely the Senate and the Executive bat the
Judiciary also. under the coerciVe dcsstion OF
| the House. The House alone will be the judge
of what constitutes grievance and also OF the
| means and measure ofredress. An act Of Con-
| gress to protect elections is now the grievance
complained Of But the House msy on the same
principle determine that sny other act of Goa
gre:s, treaty made by the President with the
advice and consent OF the Senate. nomination
| OF appointment to Office, or that q decision or
opinion of the Supreme Court Is grievance
and that the measure of redress is to with Did the
appropriations required for the support OF the
offending branch of the Government.
| Believing that this bill is dangerous viola
lion Of the spirit and meaning Of the 0onstl:u.
| lion, am compelled to return it to the House
| in which it originated without my approval.
| The qualified negative with which the Consttu.
ton invests tho President is trust that involves
| 9 duty which he cannot decline to perform
With firm and conscientious purpose to 40
what l can to preserve unlmpsirsd, the consti
tulioual powers and equal independence, not
| merely OF the Executive, but of every branch OF
tho Government, which will be imperilled by the
adoption of the principle of this bill, desire
earnestly to urge upon tho House Of Repre3eh.
tatives return to the Wise and wholesome usage
of The earlier days Of the Republic, which ex.
cluded from appropriation bills all irrelevant
legislation. By this course you will insuguraLe
| an important reform in the method of Congres.
sional legislation your action will be in harmo-
ny with the fundamental principals of the Con-
sttution and the patriotic sentiment Of national
ity which il their firm support and you will re-
store to the country that feeling Of confidence
and security and the repose which are so essen
tisl to the prosperity of all of our fellow ci!zans.
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
IMPORTANT DECIsIoN.--In the Court Of
Appeals of Virginia, on Thursday last. es
heretofore stated in the Gazette, in the case of
tho Fredericksburg and Alexandra Railroad
Company w. Graham, tho decision Of the Cir.
cult Court Of Alexandra was affirmed, Judge
NlorCure delivering the opinion of tho court.
This case decides that the portion OF the said
railrond between Alexandria and the Long
Bridge at Washington ia not embrso,d 10 the
mortgage of tho said company, and henoe is
liable for the payment Of some $4,000 OF
judgments obtained by Messrs Marye and
Fizhugh, for g. Nj. Braxton as contractor,
and tho parties who worked with him. among
whom are several OF our young meh 10 town
and vicinity. Tho point decided was that at
the date OF the mortgage tho oompany's charter
did not authorize it to acquire the said road
from Alexandra TO the Long Bridge heDoo
it VAS not intended to DO embraced in tho
after acquired property" mentioned in said
mortgage, the expression ''attcr acquired prop
erty' referring only to such property as the
company had the power to acquire OF the date
Of the mortgage. This makes tho judgments
above mentioned good being the first lien on
this section Of road.-FrederacEsburg NelcS.
LETT MUD Day FIRST. Hero isa capital
lesson that may we'll bo impressed upon the
memory of both old and young; Mr. Spurgeon
in walking little way out of London to preach
ohanoed to get his psntaoous quite muddy
A good old deacon met him at tho door and
desired to get brush aud take of some Ct the
mud. Oh, 20, said MIR. s. don't you 500 it ia
wet, and if you tried to brush it now you will
rub the stain into the cloth? List it dry, when
it will como eff easy enough. and leave no mark.
So, when men speak evil of us falsey-tbrow
mud at us-don't be in hurry about brushing
it eff. Too great .oagerness to rub it off is apt
to rub it 10. Let it dry, by and By, if need DO,
little effort will remove it, Don't foster soan.
dal about yourself or others, or trouble 10 socc'
ty, or 10 church by haste to do something
Let il alone; let it dry it will will be more easily
eradicated than you think in the first heat of
excitement. Time has wonderful power in
such matters. Very many things in this world
will DO easily got over by judicously letting
them dry.
SALE OF FLOODED STocK.-TWenty eight
Bonnie Scotland and John Morgan yearlings,
at Harding sale, 10 Nashville, Teuu., yester-
40 Il -.