The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-03-11

RreseAessss Messowe - che uun2eo.
WAsHseroS, March LA &6a j. 4. Ia
Chair laid before the Senate mssnna 4hpm -
President bearing on The right ~ lie 6uoals a
Srnators to have access TO papefs, etc, II fk3Ex-
ecuiive Department relating 10 suspsnsions @fom
Office
The following b =.
TIE MESSAGE:
To 1s Senate Of us Uassed Ssatn.-
Ever since the beginning Of the present sess;oo
Of the Senate different heads Of Tie government
have been piled with various requests and d.
mands from committees Of ihe Senate. ffom
members Of such committees, and q lasl fkon
the Senate itself, requiring the irausmission of
reasons for the suspension Of certain 0o1ciaIs
during the recess Of that body, or Tor The papers
touching the conduct OF such oflcials, o. Tor pa
pcfs and documents and papers died IN such de-
parimenis in relation TO the management and
conduct Of the o6ices held by such suspended
of1cialA
/ The different terms ffom time 10 time adopted
in making these requests and demands The o..
der 10 which they succeeded esch other. end Tie
tion for that purpose was passed In Executive
Session, have led to . presumption, the correct
ness Of " hch will trust, be canditily admitted.
that from first to last the information that Z
sought and the papenjhus demanded are for use
by the Senate and Its committees in considering
| the propriety of the suspensions referred to.
Though those suspensions are my executive
acts, based upon considerations addressed 70 me
alone, and for which / am wholly responsible.
have had no invitation from the Senate 70 state
the position which have felt constrained TO as
sumo in relation To the same or 10 interpret lor
myself my acts and motives in the psenises.
In this condition OF affairs, have iorcborne 70
address the Senate upon the subject lest might
be accused of thrusting myself unbidden upon
the attention OF that body. but the report Of the
Committee on the Judiciary Of the Senate, lately
presented and published, which censured The
Attorney General of the United States for his re-
fhsal to transmit certain papers relating to The
Suspension of an official which also II correctly
interpret It, evinces misapprehension OF the no
sition OF the Executive upon the question OF such
suspensions, will, hope, justify this communi-
cation.
The President refers to the resolution Of the
Senate calling for the Dustin papers and th,,
reply OF the Attorney General thereto and
says:
Upon the resolution and the answer thereto.
the issue is thus stated by the Commi<see on the
Judiciary at the outset oil the report:
The important question then is, whether IL h
WITHIN the constitutional competence Of either
house OF Congress TO have access TO the ofIIcisl
papers and documents 10 the various public on
ces OF the United States, created by laws enacted
do not suppose that "the public officers of
the United States are regulated or Controlled
In their relations to either house of Congress bv
tn the TACT that they were created BY laws enacted
Ii must be that these instrumentalities were
created "s'o
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE
to answer the general purposes of oovsrn,,s,.
under the Constitution and the lava and that
tney are unincumbered by any lien in favor of
ELMER branch OF Congress growing ont of tbeir
construction, and unembarrassed by spv obIiea-
iion TO the Senate rs to the price of their crea-
ton.
The complaint of the COMMITTEES ,h., ......
to official papers in the public Offices Is denie,l
tue senate. Is met by the statement that af M
time has 1t been the disposition or the intention
OF Inc PRESIDENT or any department of the Exec
ntIVs branch OF the government to withhold from
any of the public Offices. - ~
l" bile II Is by no means conceded thai the
senate mas tne right in any case TO review the
acts OF Inc Executive in removing or susnendino
pooic omcer, upon official documents or 9th
erwise, u Is considered that documents and "a
pers OF that nature should, because thew are ~.
ncial, be freely transmitted 10 the Senate rr,o,
It's demand, trusting the use OF the same fnr
proper anu legitimate purposes to the good faith
OF thai BODY and though no such paper or doen-
mehi has oeen specifically demanded IN anv Of
.,' .,'e numerous requests and demands made upon
the departments. yet, as often as thew were
loona IN the public Offices they have been fur
nisneu, In answer 10 such applications
ING ie,eef Oh the Attorney General in respouae
~ tue reso'uuon of The Senate, in the particular
case mentioned In the committees report. vac
written al my suggestion and by NV direction
There had been no official papers or documen,s
nlea IN MS department relating TO the case With
In the period specified in the resolutfon
ine ietter was intended by its description Of
tne papers ana documents remaining in the cus-
."oy OF tne department, 10 convey the idea that
tney were mol Official, and il was assumed that
the resolution called for information r.T,sr. 80
documents OF the same character a wers Re-
ceded it. P'~
Everything that had been written or don. a,
oenau VI Tue senate from the beginning poisted
u an letters and papers Of private and uDofi
cai nature as the objects of search. If thev rere
10 De found in the departments. and nrov;ded
they had been presented to the Execut;ve ~ish
view to their consideration upon the ouession of
| suspension from Office -
Against me transmission Of such papers and
oocumentS have interposed my advice and di-
rection. This has not been done a. 4 snrgrs,e1
an ine committees report. upon the assumutioo
| on my part that the Attorney Genev.l - an
other head Of department dis the servsnt ~
| me President, and Is to give or Withhold copjes
os uocuments 10 ms ONCE according TO the VIII
OF the Executive, and not otherwise but b.
cause regard the papers and documepts vifh.
| ne'a and addressed 10 me or intended for NV ne
| and action
PURELY UNOFFICIAL AND Private.
not infrequenty con6dentiai, and having refer-
| mine ~'ev
| consider them in no proper sense n mon ,be
| Hies OF the department, but - deposited there
for my convenience, remaining still comnle:elv
| under my control