Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-13


in his official capacity. That paper,
according to his definition, would he
paper to which the Senate and House
of Representatives and the whole Gov
eminent would be entitled.
Suppose some other vile man should
have addressed a letter to the presiding
officer Of this body in which he declared
that the President Of the United States
in his civil-Seryicc communications had
declared that men were to be removed
only for cause that the Senator who
took the initiative in framing and ma
turing the issues with the Executive
which should have the practical effect OF
enabling the Republican majority on the
floor of the Senate to stand between
those who hold Office, having got
1t under former Administrations, and
those who aspire to hold office
under this Administration-would adj
vance himself with that vast army OF
political implements -; that letter,
too, would be All Official paper under the
definition laid down by the Senator
from Vermont to which the Senate,
House, and executive and judicial de-
partments Of the Government would be
entitled under any circumstances in
which they iaicht ask for them.
The country know, Mr.. Kenna con-
tinucd, that the Senator from Vermont
vas a lawyer Of ability and senator
Of ability. The Senator frem Vermont
knew that after bis long years Of ser
vice in this body and the prominent po-
sitions which he hal occupied in j: the
press would give respect to utterances
from him which the people would have
a right to receive and respect as
IN the nature Of judicial declara-
items. VINO would undertake to say
that any citizen would question the
statement of facts made on the floor by
the Senator from Vermont? The honor
which reached tina. measure in this life
was not to be despised, but it was an
hoLCr that carried with it, or ought to
carry with it, the full measure of equal
responsibility. Mr.. henna then quoted
from the language Of the majority re-
port Of the committee AMI from Mr..
EdmundS's recent speech to the elect
/ that President Andrew Jackson. like
all bis predecessors, and like all his sue
cessors until to-day, felt bound to and
did give to both houses Of Congress
every information that they ever called
for, except the instance Of President
Washington, who, while a treaty was
| pending before the Senate, was called on
by the House for papers and information
about it, which President Washington
had declined on &" obvious grounds - to
/ furnish. Mr.. kenna denied that the
treaty was then pending, and read from
he proceedings Of Congress and the
| Presidents message to show that copy
Of the treaty had been sent to Congress
on March |. 1926. with the announce
meut Of Its ratification, while She House
resolution asking for information about
it was not adopted till March 9th.
Besides. he said, the House resolutions
especially excepted from the call any
particulars that under existing neg0
tlations # might not be proper to make
public. The matter Of practical legis-
lation, Mr.. kenna said, was submitted
to the House under that treaty. PreSi-
dent Washington was in the executive
chair--a man devoid of partisan pre-
ludice, if ever a mortal man was a
noble and diSinterested patriot, if
ever mortal man was. What was
his reply to the call Of the
House? 1t does not occur to
me that an inspection Of the papers
asked for can he relevant to any pur-
pose under cognizance Of the House Of
Representatives, except that of an i'm
peachment, which the resolution has not
expTessed.' There, for tie first time,
the President Of the United States, in
sole regard for Inc maintenance Of the
dignity and prerogatives of his high OF
fee, declined to aid the proposed inter-
meddling By the House with something
that did not concern IT.
Mr.. kenna was surprised that Mr..
EdmuudS should have said that on the
refusal Of President Jackson to send to
the Senate the papers in the Writ case
there had been an end of the matter be-
tween President Jackson and the Senate
as tothe papersrelating to appointments.
lie Mr.. kenna) presumed Mr.. Elmunls
must have forgotten the bitter fight
between that President and Congress
on this question Of papers in the case
Of the removal of the Secretary Of the
Treasury by President Jackson for the
purpose of eilectine a removal Of the
deposits from the nited States Bank.
Mr.. Clay had then offered q resolution
requesting the President to inform the
Senate whether the copy Of a paper then
going the rounds Of the press was cor
rect, the paper being one purportiug
TO have been read by President Jackson
to the heads Of the departments re-
latinG to the deposits" ETC.. and alleged
20 have been published 10y his author
ity; and the President was fnrthc: re-
Quested if the publication was conectto
send the Senate copy Of It. There had
been no secrecy about that document.
1t had already been spread broadcast
over the country, but the attempted in
reference of the Senate with matters
not its own was promptly met by Pre-
sidont Jackson. who IN a message In
formed the Senate that he had yet 70
learn on what constitutional authority
that body had the right to require him to
account for anything written or said to
heads Of departments. lie declined
compliance. President Tyler also de-
cllned the request Of the Senate for
papers touching a removal Of an officer.
OF couse, Mr.. Kenna said, no man de-
MED the tight Of the Senate to call on
the President for a private paper, even
private letter in his pocket but
no rational man would deny the
President the equal right to declina
TO send it if he chose 50 TO do.
Mr.. Kenna would say, however, that
communications had been made over
and over again during this session Of
the Senate by the present Executive
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