Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-03-05

The President sends special IVES.
anre.


AFTER THE MESSAGE HAD BEEN READ.
After the conclusion of the executive ses-
sion Of the Senate on Monday afternoon,
message from the President was presented, /
bearing on the question Of the constitutional |
right Of the Senate to call for papers on file .
In the executive departments relating to sus-
pensions Of officials from office. Such a step |
was an innovation on the part Of the Execu-
tive and was a surprise to both Republicans |
and Democrats. The reading Of the docu-
ment was listened to with close attention.
The message begins with a rehearsal of the
various demands made by the Senate upon
the heads Of departments, for the reasons for
the removal OF certain federal officers. The !
immediate cause of the message was the res
olution of the Senate directed to the Attorney
General. It required the Attorney General
ito transmit to the Senate copies of all doou.
ments and papers that have been filed in the
department Of justice since the LIST of Janua
~, 1885, in relation to the management and
conduct of the Office of district attorney OF
the United States for the southern district of
Alabama" This demand WAS met by the de-
NAL Of the Senate's right to any such infor.
nation. The question at issue between the
President aud the Senate was thus stated by
the committee on the judiciary
"The important question: then, is wheherit is With
in the constitutional competency Of either house Of
Congress have access to the official papers aud doc
umenis in tue various public Offices Of the United
States created by laws enacted by themselves
The President denies that the Executive
has any intention Of Withholding any odicidl
papers on file in the public Off ies. These no
is ready to place at the -po-al of the Senate
whenever called for. The papers which the
committee Of the nate have demanded are
not official, but are in reality private and con
hdentlal. Il consider them in no proper
sense as upon the files OF the department, but
a. depo,it there for my convenience, re.
naming still completely under my control. /
suppose il desired to take them into my Gus
tody, might do so with entire propriety
and If saw fit to destroy them, no one could
complain" The President quotes from the
report of the committee, which admits that
private, unofficial papers, views, reasons and
! opinions" cannot rightfully be demanded
| The question at issue il, then, narrowed down
to this Are the papers under consideration
official or unofficial? The President contends
that they are in no sense official.
"rhey consist Of letters aud representations adj
dressed to the Executive intended for his inspec
ton; they are voluntarily written aud presented by
private citizens, who not III the least instgated
thereto by any official invitation at all subject to
official control. While some OF them entitled to
executive consideration, many of them irrele-
want or iu the light OF other facts So worthless that
they have not been given the least weight in deter
mining the question to which they supposed to
relate. Are all these simply because they are pre-
/
iect to the inspection OF the Senate? II not, who Is
to determine which belong TO this class Are the
tyes and purposes Of the Senate, as they day by
day developed, such would be satisfied with my
lection? AN to submit them at the risk Of being
charged with making a suspension from office upon
evidence which was not even consdered2 Are these
papers to be regarded official because they have not
only been presented but preserved in the public OH
cesY Their nature aud character remain the same,
whether they are kept in the executive mansion OF de-
posted in the departments There Is no mysterious
power OF transmutatun in departmental custody, nor
Is there magic in the uudehued and sacred soemnity
Of department files"
The President declares that many suspeu-
sions from office depended more on oral than
written evidence. The constitution is then
appealed to, which declares that the "execu-
tive power is vested in the President of the
United States" The one instance in which
the executive power is shared by the Senate
is that in which its advice and consent is re
quired to presidential appointments. The
constitution gives the Senate no responsibility
for removals. The encroachments of the
Senate are traced back to the time of Andrew
johnson, when it was necessary to limit AZ
far as possible the prerogatve of the Presi-
dent. Gen. Grant, in his first message to
Congress, advised the repeal of these restric
tive laws, using the following language:
at may be well to mention here the embarrassment
possible to arise from leaving the statute books the
so-caed tenure-oioice acts, and to earnestly
mend their repeal II could not have been the iuten
tiOn Of the trainers Of the constitution, when provd-
lug that appointments made hy the President should
receive the consent Of the Senate, that the latter
should have the power retain in office persons pac-
ed there by federal appointment, against the VIII of
the President The law Is iucoussteut with faithful
and efficient administration OF the government. What
faith can an executive put in officials forced upon him
, aud those too whom he has suspended for reason
How will such officials be likely serve an admins
tration which they know does not trust them %
In reply to the argument that after his
statement that no removals should be made
except for cause, stigma is cast upon sus-
pended officers, the President says
at has been claimed that the present executive
having pledged himself not to officials eIcep
for cause, the fact Of their suspension implies such
misconduct on the part OF suspended official iu
ures his character and reputation, and Therefore the
Senate should review the for his yindication.
have said that certain officials should not, in my opiu
ion be removed during the continuance OF tue tern
for which they were appointed solely for the purpose
Of putting In their places those in political athatiOu
Immediately followed 10y description Of official par
tisanshp which ought not to excuse those in whom il
7 was exhibited to consideration
The message thus ends
q 1.-THE pledges have made were made to the people
aud to them am responsible for the manner IN which
e they have been redeemed. l am not responsible t,
the Senate, and am unwilling to submit my actionl
and official conduct to them for judgment Ther,
are no grounds for an allegation that the fear Of hen
found false to my profession Influences me IN dechu
ing to submit TO the demands OF the Senate. bay,
constantly refused to suspend officials, and thus in
Cured the displeasure Of political friends. Neither
the discomfort OF party friends nor the allurement
constantly offered Of combinations Of appoiutees con
ditoned upon the Ryowal that suspensions have beer
made on PARTY grounds alone nor the threat proposet
in the resolutions before tue Senate that no con
hrmations will be made unless the demands Of tba
body be complied with, are sufficient to discourage OF
deter me from following in the way which am con
WINGED leads to better government for the people,
1t took the reading clerk nearly half al
hour to get through his task, aud the las
word was scarcely out of his mouth wher
Messrs. Eimunds and Harris we're on the
feet. Then followed these proceedings
= Mr. Harris-Mr President move that the mcssag
o be printed and lie on the table.
- Mr.. Edmuuds-Ou that ask for the yeas and nays
do not proposethat it shall be laid ON the table JUS
= Mr.. Harris-I will move that the message be print
ed, if the Senate will allow to amend my motion.
Mr.. Edmunds-Very well. On that motion snoul,
| like to say word.
! The chair-The Senator from Tennessee tMr. Har
ris) moves that the message be printed
Mr.. Edmunds-I add To that that It be referred t.
the committee on the judiciary. / simply wish T.
cation to the committee on the judiciary, that Ia
q very wildly brought to my mind the communicated
Of King Charles the First to Parliament in telling then
what, in conducting their affairs, they ought to do
II ought not to do. And think am safe saying tina
it is tue first time in the history of the republican
United states that any President of the United State
mas undertaken TO interfere with the deliberations
o either house Of Congress on questions pending befor
. them, otherwise than by the Of tn
Union, which the constitution commands him to max
from time TO time. This message is devoted solely T.
J. question for the senate itself. in regard to itself
that 1t has under consideration. That IL ts singular
a ity. think it will strike rejecting people In thi
country as somewhat eNtraOrdtnary-ifi in these day
o Of reform, anything at all be thought e1traord
Y nary.
a only wish to add to what / have now said til
satementso that it shall go with this message so ia
> the newspapers will do the honor to have 1t
IS that the President of the United States has ninte1
, tonay, no doubD entirely misstated the question
The Senate Of the United States in its communlca
u tons to the heads Of departments-uOt his heads
- departments, but the heads OF departments create
by aw-directed them 70 transmit certain Official ia
: pers, and that Is ALL The President of tue Unite
" States undertakes to change the question into cor
sideraton by the Senate Of his motives
Il putting civil officer, 1t might be called "unde
arrest, with which the Senate has not undertaken /
any way to make any question at all. By every mes
T. sage he has sent to this hody-and they are all publ
n he has asked the Senate to advise aud consent
him, to the removal of one officer and the appoint
ment Of another. That is what he has done and tn
Senate, in calling for these papers-to say nothin
about wider considerations about any deficiencies
~ the department Of JUSTICES asked to owe hes
> officers without knowing the condition Of the admin
10 traton of their Offices But do not wish to 20 int
10 that discussion now. move that the message be II
81 ferred to the committee on the judiciary.
70 The motion prevailed, and the message wa
a referred to the judiciary committee, of whic
g. Mr.. Edmunds is the chairman.
k The Republican Senators were not onl
t. surprised but indignant over the message