Mr. FESQENDEN I sincerely hope that gentlemen will not insist upon this. It is a queer idea that we are to pass over again, as an amendment to a mere provision like this, a law now on the statuteboo, by way of admenishing the SecyTreasury as to whathe is to do. You might in that way multiply our statutes indefinitely. As I said before, if the Senators desire to admenish the SecyTreasury let them offer a resolution to that effect, and, if the admenition is deserved and it is thought advisable to give it, the resolution will an doubtedly be passed. But here is a little statute of 2 lines, authorizing the SecyTreasury to appoint certain officers, and on that the Senators propose toingraft by way of amendment that those Officers shall comply with the laws of the land. Why? Because it is necessary? Not at all. Because it is not the law now 7 Not at all; but because they want to remind the Secretary that that is the law, and so to remind him after we have already sent to him for a rert on the subjectand have got that report, in which he avows the fact. He is then already reminded to all intents and purposes. Now, if after being reminded, he c ooses to go on and disobey the law; if his action is disobedienceand to a certain extent it undoubtedly isend he has given his reasons for not fully obeying the law, gentlemen can take other and more efficient measures to remind him of the existence of that statute. But now I put it to the honorable Senfrom Michigan he cannot help laughing at it himselfthat the idea is a perfect absurdity of ingrafting a statute now on the book, passed 2 years ago, by way of a rider upon this little bill for the sake of reminding the Secretary that that is the lawl Who ever heard of such a course of proceeding in a grave legislative body? Now, sir, I ght have acted differently from the course takieliig by the SecyTreasury. He chose to take the responsibility, in the recess of Congress, for what seemed to him to be good reasons; another person might have done otherwise; but nobody can doubt that he felt it to be his duty to take that responsibility under the circumstances. If we think that he was in error, that he had uollght to take it, he has already received notice that we question the propriety of his action, and if that is not enough we can put it in such terms that he cannot mistake our opinion; but for the sake of the stat utebook o not make it look ridiculous for the mere purpose of reminders. That is what I ask of onorable gentlemen. Let the bill pass, and then if they wish to introduce anything by way of bringing it more completely and satisfactorily to the Secretarys mind that he has disobeyed the statute, do it in proor form. The Senatorsthemselves, I up rehen, have that opinion of the Secretary an that respect for him that, even if in their judgment he has committed an error, they will not take what is an offensive com so until they become satisfied that he is determined to persist in his error. It is not treating an officer of the Government, especially one of our own friends, with that rerd which should alwaysbe shown until we believe that there is really a collision between him and us. I have no doubt thstif the Secretary is satisfied that this his course is disap proved, and that Congress will not change the law on the subject, he will conform to that decision, because it will be his duty to conform to it, whatever may be the results upon the revenue. I beg leaveto remind gentlemen that when a man is int at the head of the revenue Dept and iis attention is turned that Way, especially in the existing state of things, it becomes the leading idea. in his mind, and others are apt to be subordinate to it, and he is apt to take responsibilities in certain cases that he would not otherwise take, believing that Congress will sustain him. I acted on that principle several times while I was at the head of that Dept. I was not found out; I have not been found out yet; but I may be, and then I shall cspect to be rerumded by Congress that I took a resonsibillty [hilt I had lic business to take, an I mus! 101“ the consequences.