The Senator from California [Mr. CASSERLY] has read to you the clause. We have been reminded to-day by a Senator on this floor that these are formal words, words that often appear in statutes. But are they not significant words? Have they not a meaning? Why are they there? Because they have a meaning; because they reserve to Congress what I call plenary power over the whole system. That system may be readjusted, modified, shaped anew, and the banks cannot complain. They began their existence under that law; they knew the conditions of their being; and they cannot now murmur, if Congress chooses to exercise the prerogative which it reserved at the very inception of the whole system. Sir, I approach this question, therefore, with the conviction that the whole matter is open to our discretion. Nobody can say safely that what is now proposed is not within the power of Congress. Congress may do it, if the occasion justifies, if in its discretion it thinks best to do it. It may do it, if it thinks that the financial policy of this country will be thereby promoted. The banks are all parties to that policy. May not the country turn around and ask the banks to do their part in this great work of renovation? To a certain extent the banks are in partnership with the Government. May not the Government insist that they shall do their part on this great occasion? Shall this effort of ours to readjust our finances and to save this large interest to our country be thwarted by a pretension on the part of the banks that we have not the power to interfere? But we are reminded that there is a difference between power and right. How often, Sir, on other occasions, have I so insisted in this Chamber! A great, broad, vital distinction there always is between power and right. A nation or an individual may have a power without right. Now is there not here a right as well as a power? I cannot doubt it. I cannot doubt that Congress may rightfully exercise what I cannot doubt is an existing power. Why should it not? It could exercise it--who can doubt?--with reference to the public interests, to promote the national credit. It will not exercise it in any spirit of wantonness, in any spirit of injustice,--but to promote the national credit. Is not that a rightful object? No one will say the contrary. Why, then, shall we hesitate?