The Red Cloud chief., 1886-03-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The President Gives His Views on
the Right of Removals.

the Right of Removals.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-T1ie following
IS the message sent 10 tie Senate yesterday
by tie President relating TO his right IN
withhold information relating to suspen-
Sions from Office:
To the senate of the Cnitcd States:
Ever snce the beginning Of the prrsent
session OF the Senate the different head. Of
departments nave been piled with various
questions ana requests for papers from COM
mit'ccs of the Senate. from the mcmie-s of
such committees. and a. last from the Sen
ate tel. requiring the transmission Of the
reason ior inc suspension of ccrtai m officials
during the recess of that body, or for papers
touching the conduct OF such officials or for
Ell papers and documents filed IN such de
pnrftncDts in reiat.on to the management
and co.Hduct of the Offices held toy such sus-
J.cfrsied Official =. Different terms were from
time To time adopted in max ny these re-
quests ana demands. Tho order in which
they succeeded each other, and the fact that.
when made by the Senate. a resolution Tor
Thai purpose WAS passed in cNecut. We session
gives tet rirht Ia Il prcs,Imp tion which viii.
4 supI,os". lac candidly admitted that from
frsf 10 last the informal on thus sought aud
the papers thus demanded is for rh. use of
~" senate and It's committees in considering
,bc piDpri"ty oitac suspensions referred 10.
D~tfENDtSG MIR GAItLAsD.
Though tbrS" snsprnsi ul- IRE the cxcciI-
tive acts based uIr,n considerations al.
dressed 20 ~. alone. and fer which I nm
yhoiI5 responsible. I have had no invitation
from III" ScnIi" To state the position whch /
have ic.t constrained to assume III relation
To III" same or to iilierDrc: for myself my
.icfS ana motives III the premises. In this
cond ton ui affairs | have foThUrue ah-
<ir"~-ing the Sr'isitc ON the subject lest {
might g acct~"d uf 1hrtIsting myself unl.id-
den "n ia" attention g: that tpds. Eat the
fon'Wiif"o ON Judiciary iaicir IrrScuirI "a
pub >nr'l report which con~urrs "a. Arfsr.
it"t General q i.r In ted States Tor his re-
fu~a' - transmit certain papers Talat .Ig To
A%u>i"'- nH~ from oihc', and which also II I
curr''ily Interpret I cvIncrS iTi-apprchrnsion
81 thr io> "n of IA" "A"cUl:y" Epou the
question 81 such suspensions. aul viii, 1
hope, just f. Tins communication"
TIE President refers TO the resolution of
the senate calling for the Dustin papers
AMI the reply Of the Attorney General
thereto, and says:
Upon this resolution and the answer there
to. the issue - thus stated by the Comm.rt".
on JId 'iarg at To" outset Of the report IAc
important question then l. whether il -
with ihe constitute nal competence OF
either house oi Congress to have access Ia
iii" "f;iciIl papers and documents IN the
various puiilic Offices Of ia" United States
created 10y laws enacted by themselves.
IVHIsnICrroN OF "oNGHEss.
lido not suppose that 'thr pubic officers
of the United state are regulated or con.
frDilci ~ Their rrlgttoHS to either house OF
Congress 10y the fact that they were created
Ia laws "nHct"i 10y themselves" IN must 10.
That thc>" inStrgrncn,al.fs were created for
the icn"nt al tn" urOp g and To answer the
general purposes OF government under the
constitution ana the laws and that they mr.,
un'ncrInt"r"d hy any Hen IA favor of either
tTanch al congress. GROWING CUT pf the.
construction. ana unerniarrascd 10y ANY oiii.
Cation To the SENATE rs io the price of Their
creation.
The complaint OF the committee tia: ac-
ress la oiiicia! paprIs in the public offices is
denied the Senate Is met 10y the statement
that AT no time has IL lecn iil. disposition
or the intention OF The President or any de-
I,artmcnt of tine executive branch of the
Government Ia withhold from the Senate
oficial documents or papers flied in any of
the public offices. While Il Is no means
conceded that The Senate has lie right in
any ease la review the act of the executive
in removing or suSlrnoing a public officer
upon official documents or otherwise, ii is
considered that documents and papers
uf that nature should, because they
are official, Ice freely transmitted Ia the
Senate upon lis demand, trusting the use al
the same for proper and legitimate pur-
poses Ia the good faith of that body, and
though no such paper ar document ha, been
specifically demanded in any of the hume
rous requests and demands made upon the
departments. Yet as often as they were
found IN the public offices they have been
furnished in answer 10 such applications.
The President continues:
The letter of the Attorney General in re-
Spouse 10 the resolution of the Senate in "a.
gard To the particular case mentioned IN tho
committees report wa~ written at nav sug
GcsiIon AMI 10y my direction. There had been
mo official papers or documents bied IN his
department relating to the ease within th.
period spe-citi fled IN the resolution. The letter
WIS intended. 10y its dcScr ption of the dccu-
s,t.nf aud ma I. q remaining in th,. fn-fntA
al tine department. to convoy the idea that
they were. not official, and n was assumed
the resolution called for informal on. papers
and documents OF the same character a.
were required hy the requests AMI demand,
which preceded a.. and every thing that had
been written or done IN t"hnIf of the Scnat,
from the beginning pointed to ali letters oi
II private ANA unofficial nature n the
ob lcct of the search. n they were
In lee found in the dcpaI imcntS nnd
provided they had been presented Ia the cN
ccutiNr with a view Ia their con>fdcrdi' o1
uinn the question of Suspension from o;iIcr.
Again. the trsinSm sSi"u at such rnrers and
documents | have iEtCrPoscd my advice ans
Erection.
TEE PAPERS UNOFFICIAL.
TGis has not lc"n done. a. IL suggested IN
the committees report. upon toe assumption
an nm part that the Attorney General ar any
other head of a department lis The scrrau;
of the President AMI - Ia give ur withhold
coz, e. of documents in his office according
Ia the will at the executive and moi other
wise, hui because l regard lin" papers aud
documents withheld ana u!irc>Std Ia mC al
intended for nav use Iud ac.iun a. purely un
oflV..l ana private. Tut mirrGIUutly conf
dental aud having Inference 10 the per
foiUanCc of "a duty cNClU~fNTly IA ne. ! con
slider tirm ia no proper sense AS uIoifhc flies
ot IA" department. lui ~ deposited there
Tor nay co:;vcn cnCc. RENAL iG stu com
plctclv under my control. suppo>c II ! dc
sired 10 tIkr them into my custody l inlcni
so 80 with entire propricfr aipd IL l saw nj Ia
DESTROY them no one could complain.
The papers ana documents that are now
the object 81 the Senate : ,~,u"st cons. Il Of
leIt"r> and representations addressed &" the
executive or intended for his inspection
The ARE voluntarily written and pr,tscnt'd
bs private citErus who are not IN the least
inst gated thereto 10y nm, ofhc al iny.tnt ON.
or AT All subject To official control. While
some al them are entitled 10 executive con
sidcraiion. many at thrm are So irrelevant
or "a the light 81 other facts 81 worthless
that they have not been given the least
weight IN determining The question Ia which
They arr supposed TO relate.
Are MI these simply because they are pre-
serNeu la Ice considered official documents
ana SUBJECT Ia the Inspection Of the Senate:
u not. who Is Ia determine VIII ch belong tu
THIS class: Are the motives and purposes OF
the Senate. ~ they are iay ty daY Developed.
such a. would lee satisfied With NV sclrc-
ton Am l 10 submit To theirs AT the risk
al beng charged with max nag u su>pcns on
from ONCE upon evidence which MAS not
even considered: Are these. papers Ia ~, re-.
garded 40 o:hc'ai because they have not only
been presented but preserved in the pubic
oihc'>: Their nature aud character remain
am "n'Ahct 'ncN ar" Kept IN ihe exec
UrNc manson or deposited IN the depart.
mcntS. There X mo mysterious power of
transmuiaiion IN departments custody. nori>
there magic In the underlined sacred >olcm,
ntr of different files. IL the ppscnce az
these papers n the public offices = n stumh.
ling hlock in the WAY Of The performance oi
senatorial duty. IL can lie easily removed
The papers and documents which have been
described derive no official character from
constitutional and e;atutsry. or other re-
ouircrncnt. making them necessary IN the
performance of the OflSial duty OF the eA.
ecutNe.
PRERoG ATIvCS az THE PRESIDENT.
IL will not be denied. l suppose. that the
President NAV suspend a public officer IN In,