The daily gazette., 1881-04-15
Fro m the Baltimore Sun.
THE DEADLOCK AT THE CAPI-
TOL.
THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE


THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE
The constitution of the United States.
viewed as the exponent of the different
political powers of the several branches
OF The government. has often enough
been the source of dispute and disagree
ment between those who favor its strict
construction and those who regard it as
the charter OF strong central govern
ment. In no particular have these dis
putes and disagreements been more
tantallzlng-no9 substance, now shad-
oW-than in regard to The rights, the du-
ties, the functions and the powers of
The President of the Senate, whose
offices The VIce-President was assigned
TO discharge. In the matter of counting
the electoral votes, for instance, the
most extreme difference of opinion have
been entertained as to the Vice Presl.
dents power, and Senators and Repre-
sentatiVes have showed themselves will
ling TO resort TO the most extreme meas
ares TO enforce their views. On one or.
| casion, after the death of Vice. President
Wilson, the late Senator Wade, of Ohio,
was chosen President of the Senate up-
on the express ground that he had the
courage of his opinions, and, in case of
a dispute about the electoral count.
would be willing to enforce the extreme
radical view OF the subject in the most
Imperative and uncompromising way.
Al the last session of Congress, when
Senator Morgan's bill for regulating
the counting of the electoral votes was
up for discussion, Senator Edmunds
and Representatives Robson, Conper
and others walked inSrepidly 10 the foot
steps OF Mr.. Wade In regard to this
point, declaring their belief In the AN.
ocratIc powers of the President of the
Senate TO count and declare the elector-
al votes. IL was the consciousness that
dangerous and irreconcilable issne
would be joined upon the very threshold
of the discussion of these disputed DOW.
ers of the VIce-President which made a
majority OF the conservative members of
| Congress consent SO readily to the cleo
toral count bill in 1876. Now again.
another dispute has arisen as to the
| powers of the Vice President to take ac,
tion which is practically antocratle In
its nature. The constitution gives 10
the presiding officer of the Senate the
casting vote tn case of tie. The de-
lection of Senator Malone and his deser-
tion OF the party under whose colors he
had been acting has gwen the republi-
cans In the Senate an equal number of
members with the democrats, and Yica.
President Arthur accordingly has the
casting vote. But that casting vote. the
balancing forces on either side being
eliminated, removes the present officers
of the Senate aud appoints others In
their stead. None will deny the right
of the Flce-President to vote In such a
contingency, but equally none will pre-.
tend to assert that the constitution con.
templated the President of the Senate
being placed in position such as to
enable him, without appeal, let or him
dranee, to WELD all this great power of
patronage. covering the appointment OF
offices and employees whose annual sal.
aries aggregate between $4,000 and
| $150,000. The President of the United
States has no such power, for he can on
ly make appointments with the advice
and consent Of the Senate. but the pre-.
siding officer of that body, in case of q
tie vote, is GrbtIer dietam.