Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-19
THE SENATE DEFlED.

mOvAlS from OTnce-lne senate StfiNes
Back by Declining to Confirm Several
Nominations.
WAsu1NGToN, March 2.-The President
sent to the Senate yesterday n message
stating his position in relation to the sus-
pension OF officials and defending his action
in refusing to SEND to the Senate papers on
file in departments upon which it is as
sumed by the Senate that the suspen-
sions OF certain officials ARE based. The
message was read in the open session OF
the Senate. 1t is as follows:
TO THE ENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:
Evcrsince the beginning of the present ses.
sion Of the Senate the different heads or the
departments attached to the executive branch
OF the Government have been Piled with VAR,
Gus requests and demands from committees
OF the Senate. from members OF sucn
committees, and ut last from the senate
itself, requiring the tran ms nsrt,in OF ot,;c dan,
during the recess OF that body, or for the
papers touching the conduct of such oticla.s,
OF for all papers and documents relating 70
such suspensions, or for all documents and
papers filed in such departments IN relation
to the management and conductor the on1Ses
different terms from time to time adopted
in making these requests and demands, the
order in which they succeeded each other,
and the fact that when made by the Senate
the resolution for that purpose was passed IN
executive session, have led to n presumption,
the CORRECTNESS Of which will ! suppose, pc
information thus sought and the papers thus
demanded were for use by the Senate and its
committees Ill cOnSider ny the prOprlety OF
the suspensions referred to.
Though these suspensions arc my executive
acts, based upon considerations addressed
to me alone, and for which am wholly re-
sponsible, / have had no invitation from the
Senate to state the position which l have
felt constrained to assume in relation to
my acts and motives in the premises.
In this condition of affairs | have forb ornc
addressing the Senate upon the subject lest
might be accused OF thrusting myself unbld-
den upon the attention OF that body. But
the report of the Committee on the judiciary
of the Senate, lately presented and published,
United States for his refusal to transmit GER
tain papers relating to a suspension from Of
evlnccs a misrepresentation of the position of
the Executive upon the question OF such sus-
pensions, will, hope, justify this communion
ton.
The President refers to the resolution OF
the Senate calling for the Duskin papers
and the reply OF the Acknowledgement
thereto, and says:
Upon this resolution and the'answer thereto
the issue is thus stated by the Committee on
the J judiciary at the outset OF the re port:
"The important question, then, is whether
it is within the constitutional competence of
either House Of Congress to have access to
the official papers and in the vari;
by laws ENACTED BY themselves"
49, While it is by no means conceded
that the Senate has the right in any case TIC
or suspending a public officer upon official
documents or otherwise, it is considered that
because they are oificial, be freely transmitted
to the Senate upon its demand, trusting the
use of the same Tor proper and legitimate pur
poses to tho good faith of that body. y y
The letter OF the Attorney-General in re
Spouse to the resolution of the Senate to the
particular case mentioned in the committees
my direction. There had been no official pa
pers or documents filed in his depart
m nar,ta relating enadia,d to the re case within the the
ton of the papers and documents remaining
IL the id s"st that ct }he eSe we're aspar noa oise to ea anG I
was assumed that the resolutions called fol
information, papers and documents. OF
s ey same tine 'h reqSests as AND mere d seaninet
which, proceeded it. Every thing. tina
had been written or done in behalf
all letters and papers of nprivate and unoffi
ciul nature as to the objects of search, 1t they
were to be found in the departments, nnd
provided they had been presented to the EX
ccutire with II view to their consideration
upon the question of suspension from office.
Against The transmission Of such paper:
and direction. This has not been done. Il:
iSsuggeSted in the committees report, upoI
1es% aSs%@nil'e or any on % ofScr pG head 1no Of an, 4 d ept9t
ment sis the servant Of the President
und is to give or withhold copies o
of the Executive and not otherwise" but he
cause l regarded the papers and document
withheld and addressed to Inc or intended 10
and private. not fnfrequeutly contden
tial, and having reference to the perform
ance OF a duy exclusively mine I con
ESIar fHaSr in NO woman ~ ,o 1n1 h
files of the department, but as deposited Their
for my convenience. remaining still com
plletely under my control. suppose, if ] DC
do SO with entire propriety. and il | saw tit t
destroy them, no one could complain.
ob lice PAPER" ~ the a sen a3e :sn Tnst c .nae ate 81 9G Ieft tn
and representations addressed to the Execu
tive or intended for his inspection: they ar
: citizens who are not in the least i~nstigate
thereto by any official Invitation or at u
subject to official control; While some 9
, or, in the light Of other facts, SO wortt
: less. that they have not been given tho leas
, they are supposed to relnte. Are all these
simply because they are preserved, to be col
! sidered official DOCUMENTS and subject to II
!, is to determine which belongs to thi
class? Are the motives and purposes of tn
Z senate sonh ,s us w 16ey are he aay sa 9T gay d mite e.
SNN" 'osAH 'AhsStASNA - Va
selection? Am / to submit to tleirs at til
. risk of being charged with making Il suspe,
i sion from office upon evidence which was nc
even considered? Are these papers to be RI
garded official because they have not onl
been presented but preserved IN the publi
r offices! Their nature and character renal
the same whether they nre. kept in the e:
l ecutive mansion or deposited in the depar
ments. There is no mysterious power {
rnnSInutat,on in departmental custody. nc
is there magic in the underlined and sucre
solemnity OF department files. If the pre-
ence OF these papers in the public offices
q st~ulnhling-block in the way of the pc
formance OF Senatorial duty. it can be easi
removed.
d The papers and documents which have bee
described derive NO official character fro
II my constitutional, statutory or other l.
<. quircment making them necessary to the pc
h formance OF the official duty of the Executiv
- II will not be denied, ! suppose. that the Pres
d dcntlnay suspend u public officer in the emit.
absence of any papers or documents to aid Il
% official judgment and discretion. And | Il
~ quite prepared to avow that the cases are n!
50 few IN which suspensions from office have d
pended more upon oral representations mac
to me by citizens of known good reput
ID and by members OF the House of Repr
scntttives and Senators of the Unite
y. States, thar upon any letters and dc
IS umehts presented for my examinatio
have not felt justified in suspectir
~ the veracity, integrity and patriotism
Senators. or ignoring their representation
because they were not in party nliliation wi