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The Senate Reacts To Franklin Pierce's Veto
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| 91 | Mr. WELLER. Mr. President, I think the experience of today has demonstrated that the best policy is to proceed at once to the consideration of the message from the President. I believe, with the Senator from Delaware, that such was the intention of the framers of the Constitution, when they used the phraseology which they employed in that provision of the Constitution which has reference to this subject. I know of no public considerations why we should not immediately proceed to entertain and dispose of this question. The fair, legitimate presumption, is that every Senator examined it before he originally gave his Vote. I know it was said yesterday by my friend from South Carolina, -Mr. BUTLER,- that this matter had not been considered-that it had not been discussed. It is true there was but a limited discussion in the Senate upon it at this session; but the presumption is, that every Senator investigated the question before he proceeded to decide upon it. For myself, I may say that there never has been a bill introduced in this body for which I was so anxious to give my vote as this bill, which has been vetoed by the Executive. It was a bill which appealed to all the sympathies of my heart. It was one which appealed to all the warm and generous impulses of my nature; but, upon calm and patient investigation of the important principles involved, I dared not, as an American Senator, with the obligations of an oath to support the Constitution resting upon me, give my vote for it. I was therefore reluctantly compelled to vote against its passage. | |
| 92 | The principles announced by the Executive in this message, are those by which I have been governed since my entrance into public life. I am a strict constructionist. I do not believe in that latitudinous construction of the Constitution which invests Congress with power and authority to do whatever the "common defense and general welfare," in their judgment, may demand. That class of politicians has usually been styled expediency politicians. I have been compelled to apply the constitutional test to all questions upon which I am compelled to vote; and the application of that test to this bill compelled me to vote against it. | |
| 93 | Now, sir, I say that we have been discussing this question today, and we may as well proceed with that discussion. There are some important bills that are yet to be disposed of. There is the one which has been alluded to by my colleague, and, for personal reasons, connected with himself, I am exceedingly desirous that it shall be acted upon within the next two weeks. Then, again, there is the homestead bill. Some Senators think the general principles enunciated in this message cover that bill. That is my opinion. If all the principles announced in the communication made to us yesterday be correct, the homestead bill is a violation of the Constitution. But, so far as that point is concerned, I desire to remain uncommitted until I can hear the discussion, until I can hear, particularly, my friend from South Carolina, who is almost the father of strict construction. | |
| 94 | Mr. President, why can we not proceed to discuss this question now? We are in the habit of adjourning over, oftentimes, from Thursday to Monday. This is a very bad practice. It has been introduced by my friend from North Carolina; and such has been the unbounded confidence I have usually reposed in him, that I have very generally followed his example, and voted for all motion to adjourn over. Now, I propose to reform, and to devote Friday and Saturday to business, instead of visiting the Departments; and I must say that the Senators who make that excuse have no business at the Departments at all -Laughter.- Nobody has any business there except the representatives of the new States, and they have more than they can attend to. I know that it is so in regard to myself. I am sure that I have more business there than I can attend to. My friend from North Carolina has usually urged that as a pretext; and I venture the prediction that he does not have business at the Departments once a month. -Laughter.- | |
| 95 | Mr. BADGER. Will my friend allow me to state that I have made the motion for that very reason. I have no business there; and I thought therefore, the motion had better come from me rather than put any of my friends from the new States to the necessity of making an application for their personal convenience. -Laughter.- | |
| 96 | Mr. WELLER. I knew the motion was dictated by some benevolent motive on the part of the Senator, but I did not know that it was out of personal consideration to me. -Renewed laughter.- Now, why can we not proceed at once to the consideration of this question? | |
| 97 | Mr. BRODHEAD. We are considering it. | |
| 98 | Mr. WELLER. The Senator from Pennsylvania says we are considering it. I do not know that we are considering it. We are undoubtedly discussing it, but discussion does not always lead to consideration. Some speak without any consideration. | |
| 99 | Mr. BADGER. We are talking about it. | |
