Edwardsville Spectator

IN THE SENATE.

Friday, March 4.

The Senate convened at their Chamber in the Capitol, agreeably to a written notice from the President of the United States.

At half past 10 o'clock, the Senate was called to order by Mr. Cutts, the Secretary—whereupon,

Mr. Mills rose and said, that the Vice-President of the United States, being now present and ready to take the oath prescribed by the Constitution to be administered to him previous to his entering upon the duties of his office, and there being no President of the Senate pro tempore, he proposed that the Hon. Mr. Jackson, of Tennessee, the oldest Senator present, should now proceed to administer that oath. This was assented to, and the oath was accordingly administered by Gen. Jackson. The Vice-President then took the chair, as President of the Senate. The credentials of the new Senators were received, by the Secretary, and the oath administered to them, by the Vice-President—

From Vermont—Dudley Chase, vice William A. Palmer.

From Pennsylvania—Wm. Marks, vice Walter Lowrie.

From Georgia—John M. Berrien, vice John Elliott.

From Ohio—Wm. Henry Harrison, vice E. A. Brown.

From Indiana—William Hendricks, vice Waller Taylor.

From Illinois—Elias K. Kane, vice John M'Lean.

The following members also, re-elected for six years from this day, took the oath of office, viz: Mr. Barton, of Missouri; Mr. Macon, of North-Carolina; Mr. Gaillard, of South-Carolina; Mr. J. S. Johnston, of Louisiana, and Mr. Lloyd, of Maryland.

After which the Vice-President rose, and addressed the Senate as follows:

Gentlemen of the Senate:

I feel deeply the responsibility of the station, to which, as the presiding officer of this body, I have been called by the voice of my fellow-citizens.

To no other branch of the government has the constitution assigned powers more various or important than to the Senate. Without intending to examine either their extent or character, I may be permitted to remark, that, while the other branches are confined, with few exceptions, to what may be considered their appropriate powers, to this body, only, is granted a participation in all the different powers of the government—Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.

In its Legislative character, it partakes, with the House of Representatives, in all of the powers vested in Congress, excepting that of originating revenue bills: in its Executive, it holds an important control over the powers of office and forming treaties; it constitutes the court before which all officers of the government may be held accountable for an honest discharge of duty; where, from its peculiar character, as the Representative of the States, it is emphatically the guardian of their rights and sovereignty.

It must be apparent that, on a wise and virtuous exercise of these important powers, the success of our free and happy system of government, in no small degree, depends. We, accordingly, find that the framers of our constitution have bestowed the greatest attention on the organization of this body; and with such happy success, that it is admirably adapted to the discharge of each of its various and dissimilar functions, as if any particular one only, instead of all, had been the sole object of its creation. So fortunate, indeed, is its structure, in every respect, that even time, instead of impairing, has had the opposite effect, of remedying what might, at first, be considered the only defect in the body.—At the formation of the government, the members of the Senate were, probably, too few to attract the full confidence of the people, and thereby give to it the weight in the system which the constitution intended. This defect has, however, been happily removed by an extraordinary growth. In the short space of thirty-six years, eleven new states have been added to the Union, and twice that number of Senators to the body; and before the termination of the next four years, the original number of States and Senators will be more than doubled.

I feel, gentlemen, that I owe an apology for touching on subjects which must be familiar to this enlightened body, and also for adding, what must be known to all, that a successful discharge of the duties assigned by the Constitution to the Senate must depend, notwithstanding the skill of its organization, almost wholly on the patriotism and wisdom of its members. These high attributes, I however feel assured, from past and present experience, will never be wanting in the members of this body.

In fulfilling your important functions, something will depend on the skill and impartiality of the presiding officer. In regard to the former, I can promise nothing. I am without experience, which only can give the requisite skill in presiding, and feel that I must often throw myself on your indulgence. I shall, however, endeavor to compensate for the want of skill by the most rigid impartiality. In this office, I regard only the Senate and its duties, and I shall strive with a feeling of pride (in the station, I trust not reprehensible,) to preserve the high character already attained by the Senate for dignity and wisdom, and to elevate it, if possible, still higher in the public esteem.