Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-29
ESTABLISHED 1850.
J.H.EsTILL, EditOr and Proprietor.
PRESIDENT AND SENATE.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
REFUSE INFORMATION.

Approval of His Determination of Re
fusal by the Cabinet--A Question that
Was Raised in Andrew JohnsOn's Ad-
mintstration and Never Settled-A
Matter for statesmon 10 Handle ana
yVilI he Finally Settled Now.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 2S.-The
President determined this afternoon that
the Attorney General should refuse to fur
nish the information called for by the
Senate in the Edmunds resolution. His
entire cabinet approved his determination
that the resolution was adroitly worded
so as to get the Presidents reasons for
suspending the United States District At
torney for Southern Alabama, without in
terms asking for them. 1t asked simply
for information as to the management of
his office for months preceding bis sus-
pension, and asked this Information of the
Attorney General. This was very round
about way of asking the President
why he made the suspension, designed
to entrap him, if possible, into a formal
statement OF his reasons for so dong.
The way in which the request was put
was very Objectionable to the President.
If the Senate wants his reasons for HIS
suspensions, he wants the Senate to ask
him directly for them. Then ne Will an
swer directly whether he Will give them
OF not. The matter VIII then he settled
once for all, and the course of public busI-
ness will be no longer interrupted. The
course of the Senate so far has been any
thing but direct. The resOu-
zion of Dlr. Edmunds was typical
OF the whole proceedings. Now
the Attorney General has refused
TO give the information asked for. The
grounds for this refusal are, first, that +
Nthe resolution is what it purpOrts to be,
IAN inquiry as to the conduct Of Dis
trict Attorneys office, tor information
upon which possible legislation might be
based, it ought TO have been adopted in
open session, because the Senate, in
executive session, can consider only
nominations and treaties; and. second.
that il it is a request for the Presidents
reasons for suspending the United States
District Attorney for Southern Ala
bama, it ought to be directed to
the President ana put in plain
terms. Two courses are now open
to the Senate. 1t may adopt a resolution
asking the President for his reasons for
making this suspension. In that event
the President would IN All probability re.
fuse to give them, knowing that it may
adopt a resolution similar to the Ed
munds resolution in Oren session. There
would then be a question for the Presi-
dent to settle as to how much information
the Senate was entitled to. This is one OF
several very important questions which
will have to be met before this matter is
settled. They were raised under Andrew
JohnsOn's administration, but have
never been settled. When Gen.
Grant came in they were brushed
aside by other qges tiOns Of greater pres
ent interest, but they Will have to be set
tied sometime, and are likely to be settled
now. Thoy are questions for statesmen,
and will be treated at least by the Admin
lstratiOn in a statesmanlike manner. ono
thing seems certain, and that is, that in
no event will the senate get the Presi-
dents reasons for his suspensions.