Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-03-02
PaRsuSESr cIEvrlxxp
sesds an Extraordinary uessase o.
the senate.

dent sent special message 70 the Sen
axe iodsy 10 regard 10 its demands for
papers. Following 10 tue massage:
To the Ssaat, Of ne Uaited sratss -
Ever since the beeinRinz Of the pressns
session of the senate, the diSeren,
heads 81 departments attached t. the
execut We branch If the Govsrnu en-,
have been piled With various rsqses,s
add demands from cs1mittees OF the
Senate. from members Of sach com.
mittee and at last from the Senate It,
self, requiring the transmission Of the
rstsons for the snsp=nsion of certain
officials during the recess Of that BODY,
or papers touching the coaduet Of such
ofneiAls, or for all the papers and docu
NESTS relating to sueh Suspensions. or
fes all toe Documents and pspsrs flied
IN zach departments in relation to the
management and conduct OF the Off ,es
held by such suspended officials Differ
est terms bsvs from lime 20 time been
adopted 10 making these requests and
| demands The order in which they
sncceeded each ether, and the fact thai
xhen made by the Senate Q resolution
Tor that purpose was passed In executive
session, have led to the presumption,
the correctness Of which will. suppose,
be candidly admitted, that from nrst to
last tbs information thss sought and
the papers were demanded for use by
the Senate and Its committees IN con
siderine the proSriesy IT the suspen
sions referred TO, though these suspeu-
sions are my executive acts, based sn
considerations addressed TO me alone,
and for which | am alone wholly re
| sponsible.
/ have had no invitation from the
senate 10 state the position which
have felt constrained 10 assume in rela-
ton to the same. OF to interpret for my
sef my actions or motives In the prem.
ises. In this ooLdItion OF III airs have
| forborne addressing the Senate upon
toe subject lest i might be accused of
thrustinR myself unbiddea upou the
Attentions Of that body. But the report
Of the Committee ou Judiciary of the
| Senate, lately presented and published,
| which oensures the Attorney General of
the United States for his refusal 10
transmit certain papers relating to a
suspension from office, aud which also,
IL I correctly interpret u. evinces a mis-
apprehension Of the position Of the
executive upon the question of sacb
snspensions, will. | hope, justify this
communication.
The attitude Of the Senate from the
beginning pointed to sll the letters and
papers of a private, unofficial natare, rs
the OBJECTS Of search, " they were 10
be found in the departments, and pro
yided they had been presented to the
executive with view 10 their consider
alton upon a question of suspension
from office. Against toe trans mission
Of sach papers and documents | have
interpssed my advice and direction.
This has not been done, as suggested in
the c,mmittee's report. on an assump-
ton on my part that the At
tornsy General or any other head
Of a department lis the servant Of the
President and Is 10 give or withhold
copies OF documents 10 his etfice &C.
cording to the will Of the Exc cative and
not otherwise" but because regarded
toe papers and documents withheld aud
addressed TO me or intended for my use
aud act ion ss purely unofficial and PR
vste and not infrequenily confidential.
and having reference to the perform
snce OF duty exclusively mine, l con
slider them 10 no proper sense as upon
the files of the depa 'tnents, bat As d. =
posted there for my convenience, 70
naming still completely under my con
troll. / suppose II ] desired to take
them into my custody ! might do 30
with entire propricts, and II | saw at tn
destroy tnem no one oouid complain.
The papers and documents that are
Row the objects Of the Senste's ques-
tions consist of letters and representa-
tions addressed to the Executive, or
intended for his inspection. They are
4 gntnnf n "a - and tod kx
private citizens who are not in the least
instigsted thereto by any official invi
talion or at all subject to official con
troll. While some of them are entitled
TO executive consideration, many of
them are SO irrelevant, or In the light Of
other facts, 80 worthless, that they
have not been given tbs least weight in
determining the questions to which
they are supposed to relate. Are all
these, simply because they are
preserved. to be considered official doc
uments aud subject TO the inspection
OF the Senate IL not, who is to deter
mine which belong to this class Are
the taotives and purposes of the Senate,
a. they are day by day developed. such
a. would be satisfied with my selection
Am to 81 omit To theirs at the risk OF
heing charged With N liking q suspen.
sion from office on evidence that was
not even considered Are these papers
10 be regarded as official because they
have not Only been presented but pre-
served In public offices Their nature
and character remain the ssme whether
they are kept IN the Executive Mansion
or deposited IN the departments. There
are no mysteries OF transmutation Ia de
psrtmental custody, nor 10 there magic
IN the defined and sacred solsmnty Of
department files. Ii the presen 20 OF
these papers in public Offices 10 q stamb
ling block in the way OF the perform
ance Of Senatorial duty, it csn be easily
removed. Tue papers and docun Its
which have been de oubed derive no
otfoisl character from any constitu-
tiouai, statutory or other requirement
making them necessary TO the p-rfsrm
snoe Of the official duty Of the Execu-
tive"
| The President refers 10 the resolution
of the Senate calling for the Dustin pa
psrs and the reply Of the Attorney Geo
erAi thereto. and says that upon this
resolution and the answer thereto tue
issue 10 thus stated by the COMMITTEES
On Judiciary at the outset Of Its report:
F" The important question. then. il
whether 1t 10 within the constitutional
competence of either house Of Congress
10 have access 10 the official papers and
documents In the various public places
of the United States created by lave
enacted by themselves."
!" do not suppose that the public OH
GERS of the Uuitsa State. are regulated
or controlled In their relations 10 either
house Of Congress by the fsos that they
we're created by laws enacted by them
selves IL must be that thsse inssru
me d t. we're or ated for the benefit OF
the people, and TO answer the general
purposes Of the Government under the
constitution and the LAYS, and that they
are ualncumbered by any lien In favor
Of either brasch of Congress growing
cot of their constitution. and uus nbar
raised BY any obligations 10 the sen its
O, sne price OF taslr creation.
Tue complaint Of the committee that
access 60 official papers In public Offices
10 deaitd the senate 10 met by the state
ment that o. no time has 10 been the
disposition OF intention OF the President
or any department OF the Executive
branch ~ the Government to withhold
from the Senate the official docu bents
l ALL I'm sxf h.. mi n