Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Mr. DANA said if the amendment proposed by the gentleman from
Pennsylvania were inserted, it might imply that we may pass laws that
were unconstitutional; it was, therefore, superfluous. It is objected
to the scope of the second section, that it is unconstitutional; insert
the amendment and it nullifies it. The gentleman from New York (Mr.
MITCHILL) has referred to a subject with which he is well conversant. He
is correct in stating that the formal style of the English acts is in
the name of the King. In the formal style of the acts of Parliament, the
King is legislator; but will it be inferred from this circumstance that
he is the real legislator? The gentleman is too well acquainted with the
constitution and laws of that country, not to know that the King, though
nominally the dispenser of justice, cannot himself sit upon the bench,
and that this has been the case since the act of settlement. He might, in
support of this position, refer to the declaration of a celebrated Chief
Justice of England, who had said that the honor of the Crown had nothing
to do with the courts of justice.
The gentleman is equally unfortunate in his remarks on the power of
Congress to make rules for the government of a Territory. It is objected
to this, that in this case you make no laws at all. Is it to make laws,
to say a man may do as he pleases? The proposed government is not even
provisional or circumscribed. Insufficient also is any argument deducible
from the ordinance establishing territorial governments. He presumed the
ordinance alluded to was that of 1787. Under that ordinance the President
is authorized to appoint the judges of the Territory; but once appointed,
they hold their offices during good behavior. Who, under that ordinance,
make the laws? Neither the judges nor the President. No laws can be
accepted but such as have received the sanction of a representative body.
What is proposed by the bill? That all powers, military, civil, and
judicial, exercised by the officers of the existing government, shall
be vested in such persons, and shall be exercised in such manner as the
President shall direct. He may, under this authority, establish the whole
code of Spanish laws, however contrary to our own; appoint whomsoever
he pleases as judges, and remove them according to his pleasure; thus
uniting in himself all the power, legislative, executive, and judicial.
This, though a complete despotism, gentlemen may perhaps say is
necessary. If so, let the military power be exercised by the President as
commander-in-chief of the armies.
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