Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-03-12

Senate being callrd ON to Judge Of the
Official conduct of Duskin, could not have
lhe papers because if it did, they would
disclose the grounds on which the presi-
dcut acted. az that" said Edmuuds,
us not proposition which would amaze
| the understanding Of any intelligent man,
am unable to comprehend what would.
| Had it come to this. that because
| the president was the chief eXecu-
| tive officer Congress could know
nothing as TO the facts relating 90
the execution of the laws because if they
! dld they might be able to comprehend the
motives or reasons of the president in
| carrying out the laws. Why such a stale
! lnent was shocking yet that was the logic
OF this whole thing. The reasons must he
| tremendously sacred" If the facts were
never to be revealed lest the reasons also
might he revealed. The jurisdiction Of
Congress was infinitely broader than the
presidents. When the constitution
information on the state of the
Union" ii says "he shall do
it," That had reference to the uuiver-
sal power OF knowledge of the two Houses
OF Congress. in respect to every operation
of the government aud all its officers.
Edmunds said that the improvement in
public methods as far as we had yet gone
would seem to be chiefly and most con
splcuOuSly the suppression of public pa
pers. He referred to the appropriations to
cover deficiencies in the department of
justice, and asked if Congress had not a
right to ask for information as to how
that money was expended. Duskin, he
said, was one of the men who handled this
money and was Congress not to know
anything about it, merely because such
Information might disclose the presidents
reasons for making suspensions
The speaker stated that the president
with courage very unique had inter
Jected his supplementary report to the
report of the minority committee before
the Senate had even considered it. Ed
munds did not think it possible to carry
on the government in this way He
thought that If the senators were to act
by faith instead of knowledge, they had
no business here. He cited IL case be-
tween President Jackson and the Senate
IN 1875, similar to the present in which
the Senate asked the reasons for making
q removal. jackson replied business.
ne senate thereupOn refused to confirm
the successor and that ended the contest.
From that time to the present all Informal
ton had been given TO the Senate when
called for.
President Jackson, like all his predeces-
sols and all his successors until to-day,
felt bound to give this information 10
Congress. The president himself had sent
to the Senate CAB instances of obedience
10 that law 643 nominations under it, and |
Edmunds therefore took it that the law
was still in force
Pugh rose to reply to Edmunds but gave
way for motion to 90 into executive SEES |
sion. At 5:O5 the Senate adjourned.
The Presidents Position Championed by
Senator Pugh.
WASHINGTON, March lO.-At . O'Clock |
the chair laid before the Senate the reSo. |
buttons from the judiciary committee con |
corning the relations of the Senate and |
president. Pugh said his main object in |
now addressing the Senate in reply to the |
Senator from Vermont was to prevent, if |
possible that senator from changing the |
character of the question between the
senate ana the president. Its real char
acter could not be misunderstood. When
the senator from Vermont was at the
wheel he steered by his own chart he
never ran on straight lines he never con
suited other sailors, and he lost his tenn
per when there was any question of his
skill. Pugh reviewed the suspension of
Duskin, rs district attorney of the south
ern district of Alabama and the desipna
ton by the president of John ID. Burnett
to succeed him. The latter's nomination
went to the Senate Dec. II, 1885, being re-
ferred TO the judiciary committee where if
t.,
on Dec. 20 Duskin's term expired and he
was no longer an incumbent of the Office of |
senator. He read the resolutions of the
Senate calling for papers in the Duskin
case. The purpose of the Senate was to
enable that body to exercise the power of
revising the act of the removal of Duskin |
by the president. The resolutions did not !
ask for the official documents and papers,
bat for all documents and papers, in
GLIDING private documents and private
papers, relating exclusively to the official |
act of the president, in the suspension |
OF Duskln. The inquiry proposed by the !
senate was to be made, knowing that |
more than four weeks before the resolu-
ton was offered to the Senate, the term
of Duskin had expired. The majority re-
port declared that the information was
wanted to enable the Senate to discharge
the great duty imposed upon it, of inuuir-
ing as to the propriety of all the official
acts by the president the power to do !
which was expressly conferred upon him |
by law, TO be exercised within his discre-
ton. III they had decided the removal |
was improper, what would have been the !
result Could 1T have restored Duskin
II Is purely abstract question. |
Pugh Justified the refusal of the attorney
general, i've weeks after the expiration of |
Dusklns term OF Office, in obedience to |
| lie express order of the president, to send |
III private documents relating to his sus-
PthoiOli' VII lIIC lcIlllS VI Tue government |
tai relation stated by the senator from |
Vermont himself, President Cleveland |
could not, with self-reSpect have held the |
attorney general in his cabinet single mo-
ment after obeying the resolution of the |
Senate.
The distinguished senator from Vermont |
has presenteda long array of what he
calls 'precedents." | challenge denial,
that there have been no cases in govern
lnent history for SO years, where any such |
documents us called for by this resolution
were ever transmitted to the Senate.
Pugh referred to a letter read by Senator
Edmunds from Alton e. Thurman to the |
president asking reasons for the suspen-
sion ota judge of Il territorial court, and |
sand that there was an express exception |
of judges Of the United States. Such |
judges could be removed only by and with |
the consent of the Senate and that was |
why Senator Thurman had sent his letter |
as chairman of the judiciary commit |
tee, asking for information concerningthe |
removal not suspension OF such an officer. |
Pugh read from the speeches of Edmuuds |
during the debate on the tpnurp of nfTica !