The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-24


One Of the unexpected, and we mi nj
say Illogical, consequences Of The attempt 10
assassinate President GsRFTsLp Is the u's.
coyery that the vice.Presideut OF tue onleo
s,ases bas too few duties to perform. THIS
discovery has been followed by various
suggestions as TO VIDA, he might be en-
powered 10 do by act OF Congress one
suggestion is that he be made Governor OF
the District Of Columbia, and snolher lnat
no no made consulting member OF Inc
cab,net--an honorary member, having the
rich, 10 speak but not the right TO vote.
AS to those suggestions, we would re-
mark that Congress has no power TO add 10
the duties OF The Vics-Presidept. III u S''
most universally admitted that no state can
ada 10 the qualifications prescribed lot
congressman Ia the Federal CONSTITUTIONS
The rule Of the law, expreSSio uniuS eTcfu'
$40 est dlierius, is held 10 apply. we couio
cite many eases in which this maxim n"s
been acted upon by tue United states sen.
Ate. The latest that we can recall Is thaI Oh
Mr.. MORroN, OF Indiana, who was eIected
~ the Senate in contempt OF provision OF
the Constitution OF Indiana dis4ualiiying
him as Governor from being a United
States senstor, but whose title was declared
good by the Senate itself, for the rea-
son given above that when the Federal
Constitution prescrlbCs qualifications It pre-
scribes all that can be required; TO name
certain qualifications being in effect to pro-
vide that no others shall be required. Other
wise, state after State might add TO tue
qualifications OF congressman until those
named IN the Federal Constitution would
be showed under, and a man who could be
chosen 10 one State might be eligible IN no
other State In the Union. We know OF no
reason why the same rule OF construction
should not be applied in the case OF the
President OF the United States. The
Constitution says that be shall be Presi-
dent OF the Senate" Ii also says that in
certaiD cases the office OF President OF the
United States "shall devOlye on the Vice
President" Can Congress add TO his du-
ties? II il can, il can add TO the duties OF
the President Of the United States. II it
eau make the Vice. President perform the
duties Of the Office OF Governor Of the
District Of Columbia, it cap make him per-
folm the duties OF the Office OF Governor OF
Alaska Territory, or Of a Territory ten thou
SIND miles from Washington city. More ::
II Congress has the power to compel the
Vice. President to perform those duties II
of course has the same power in the case OF
the President Of the United States, and can
expel him to the remOtest OF our Terrific
ries.
Again: II Congress has such power, II
can compel the Vice President to perform
The duties of Governor OF Alaska on pain
OF being turned out OF bis Office OF vice.
President. Can Congress do thatt II so,
il can make the same requirement OF the
President. Nobody will claim for that body
such power las this latter. II would be to
make Congress, like the British Parliament,
omnipotent as TO legislation above the
Constitution, aud bound by no written law
II we are right as TO the power OF Con-
eress 10 make The President serve as Gov
ernor OF Alaska Territory, it follows that
Congress cannot cOnstituiOnally make the
Vice. President member OF the Cabinet.
1t Is, however, a proposition that merits
condemnation without reference TO It's
unconstilutionaliiy The Vlce-Presldent
belongs to the Legislative department
OF the Government. He ought, there
fore, under the theory Of the local gov
ernments OF all the States in the Union,
TO have nothing TO do with the Executive
department. No member Of either house
OF Congress can be chosen an eectOr OF
Wee. President OF the United States. And
50 no Vlce-President, after being elected,
should be allowed to be both member OF
the Cabinet aud member Of the Senate.
He Is the Presidents rival as being his law
ful successor. He is our Prince Of Wales ;
and the Prince OF Wales has never, we be-
lieye, failed TO be "out" vito the reignirg
King or Queen. The Vice. President
would, in the cIse supposed, sit in
The Cabinet to assist in making treaties
and then preside over the Senate
and assist In ratiiyIng them, or rejecting
them as he might choose. He would get the
secrets OF the Cabinet on Monday-as 10
Judge ROBERTSON, say-and Oh Tuesday SIT
In secret session OF the Senate on the ques-
ton Of confirming that gentcman's appoint
ment.
After considering the subject well, SIC
cannot but wonder that no one Of the north
ern Journals which have discus. ed it could
see any objection TO the scheme Of which
we are speaking. We should say ratheI
that it has nothing to recommend 1t, bu
everything to condemn it,.