Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-24
THE CABINET IN CONGRESS-.
SHALL ITS MEMBERS Dc PEEaITTgD 10 PAR.
TttIPATg IN DgBsTgT

SHALL ITS MEMBERS Dc PEEafTTgD TO PAR.
fitIPATg ~ DgBsTgT
Mr. Pendleton, from the committee
appointed 70 consider the bill for seat
lug the members of the Cabinet ON the
floors Of the Senate and House, for
the purpose of impartinp oral iniorma.
ton aud allowing them to take part in
debate on subjects pertaining to their
respective departments, has submitted
n report 10 the Senate. 1t igan clabo.
rate and carefully prepared paper and
clearly sets forth that the measure
proposed is not altogether the new and
novel feature in our parliamentary
forms, which, at first bIcsh. it would
appear. During the Administration
oi Washington. a. the annals Of Con.
gress show, there were several occa-
sl0ns when the Secretaries Of the De.
partments Of that day, IN the persons
OF Jefferson, Hamilton and Knox.
were summoned before both the Senate
and House to make statements Of facts
ahd answer question. on public meas
nre- OF which, they were, under the
President, entrusted with the execu.
ton. The constitutionality Of the bill
cannot be questioned, aud il i not AN
unirequcnt occurrence now to see the
secretaries, busy az bees. on the floor
Of either House, in the interest Of
matters touching their particular
branches Of duty. Now. however
their influence j. a purely personal
one, and exertei not upon either
House a. political body, but upon
the members a. individuals. Mr. Pen
dleton contends that il the influence
OF the Secretarie. j. to be cxerted NJ
all, IT should be IN the open. broad
daylight Of debate, face to face. where
the pros and cons can be given and
received. where the reason. aud ucccs.
silIes for the adoption Of measure. NAV
be stated, whilst those measures are
under actual consideration. aud be
patent to all the world Just a. tie
Secretaries now visit the two Houses
on matters in which they are interested
as public officers, 80 are members of
either H0u both as individuals. and
as parts Of committees and sub-com.
mlttecs IN the daily habit Of consult.
ing the heads Of departments, AT their
official places Of business. There ex-
Isis, therefore, an influence. in the
passage Of laws, which j. not an open
aud tangible one. aud which nothing
~ our parliamentary forms. unlike
those OF the English Commons and
the French Assembly, enables us 10
meet, aud, II necessary, TO expose aud
check. These are certainly cousidera-
ton. Of great weight, while the in
creased facility and rapidity in the
transaction Of husiues, provided bv
the passage Of the measure will or
itself prove Of great benefit both to
Legislators aud the public. In this
case, however Is in all changes Of
legislative form. and proceedings. ex-
periencc must be the test. aud time
alone can prove whether a system,
similar IN many respects to that which
has taken 70 deep root in Great Brit
ain, bat coupled there with vast re-
sponslblity, can bc successfully incor.
poratcd into our republican political
forms without the saving checks i'm
posed by that responsibility. 4 brief
extract from the report viii show that
the legal relations of the Secretaries
TO the President and to Congress re-
main nnaltcred. II will
not make their tenure of Office in any
wise dependent on the favor of Con-
gressioHal majorilies or on adverse
votes Of either or both Of the Houses.
They cannot assume undue leadership
~ Congress, because success will not
prnlonc, a. defeat will not terminate.
their tenure Of office They may be
removed BY the President at any mo-
ment, notwithstanding their success.
They may be maintained in Office by
him during his whole term notuith-
standing their defeat At the end Of
his term they will almost certainly
leave office and probably soon have
place in Congress. Their indepeud.
ence of Congress will prevent their
succumbing to its will. aud will rouse
the natural jealousy OF Congress to re-
sist their power becoming too great.
The concurrence of opinion between
the President aud Congress Is not e.
sentlal, perhaps Is not possible. Neither
will be broken down by the assertion.
of the will of the other in its own de-
partment, because both will soon be
called TO judgment by the people. aud
the people will correct any auiagonism
which threatens the effective working
of the Government
Seine Questions.
4 Young university Enrlishman