Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-04

I Ulu-cs ". Tic u ultcu obhSCc dic AS6A.Ns~e -
controlled in their relations to either house
of Congress by the fact that they were
''created by laws enacted by themselves. 1t
must be that these instrumentalities were
created for the benefit of the people and to
! answer the general purposes of government
under the constitution and the laws, and that
they are unincumbered by any lien in favor OF
either branch of Congress growing out OF
their construction and unembarrassed by any
obligation to the Senate as the price of their
creation.
The complaint of the committee that access
to official papers in the public offices is de-
MED the Senate is met by the statement that
at no time has it been the disposition or the
intention OF the President or any department
of the executive branch of the government to
| withhold from the Senate official documents
or papers filed in any of the public offices.
! While it is by no means conceded that the
Senate has the right in any case to review the
act of the Executive in removing or suspend
ing public officer upon official documents
or otherwise. it is considered that documents
and papers Of that nature should, because
they are official, be freely transmitted to tine
Senate upon its demand, trusting the use OF
the same for the proper and legitimate pur-
poses to the good faith of that body. And
though no such paper or document has been
specifically demanded in aHy of the numerous
requests and demands m ,de upon the depart
ments, yet as often as they were found in the
public offices they have been furnished in
answer to such applications.
FoR THE PRESIDENTS PRIVATE USE ONLY.
The letter of the Attorney General in re
Spouse to the resolution Of the Senate in the
particular case mentioned in the committees
report was written at my suggestion and by
my direction. There had been no official pa
pprs or documents filed in his department re-
lating to the case within the period specified
| in the resolution. The letter was intended
by its description of the papers and docu-
meDts remaining in the custody of the depart
ment, to convey the idea that they were not
| official and it was assumed that the resolu-
ton called for information, papers and docu-
ments of the same character As were required
by the requests and demands which preceded
it. Everything that had been written or done
on behalf of the Senate from the beginning
pointed to all letters and papers of private
and unofficial nature as the objects of search
if they were to be found in the departments,
and provided they had been presented to the
Executive with view to their consideration
upon the question of suspension from office
Against the transmission of such papers and
documents have interposed my advice and
direction. This has not been done. as is sug.
gested in the committees report, upon the
assumption on my part that the Attorney
General CT any head Of department sis the
servant of the President, and is to give OF
withhold copies Of documents in his office
according to the will of the Executive and moi
otherwise" but because l regard the papers
and documents withheld and addressed to me
or defended for my use and action, purely
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in the least instIgated thereto by any official
| invitation or at all SUBJECT to othcia. control.
consideration, many OIL them are so irrelevant
or IN the ilght or other 1acts so worthless, THAT
they have not been gwen the least weight in
determining the question to which they are
supposed to relate Are all these, Simply be-
cause they are preserved, to be considered
official documents ana SUBJECT to the lnspec'
ton OF the Senator III not, who Is to deter
mine which belong to this classI Are the
motives and purposes OF the Senate, as they
are day by day developed, such as would be
satisfied with my selection! Am l to submit
to theirs at the risk OF being charged with
making suspension from office upon evil
dence whlch was not even considered! Are
these papers TO De regarded ofncial because
they have not only been presented but pre-
served IN the puoiic ofhces! Their nature