The House of Commons, in its discretion,
used to grant, and sometimes now grants, supplies to the King.
The American Congress, in its discretion, never grants supplies
to the President under any circumstances whatever. The only
appropriation of the public money to which that term can properly
apply, the provision for the President's compensation, is
by design and of purpose placed wholly out of the power of
Congress. The provision is peremptory that--
"'The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services
a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished
during the period for which he shall have been elected, and
he shall not receive within that period any other emolument
from the United States, or any of them.'
"Alexander Hamilton, in No. 72 of the 'Federalist,' declares
that the very purpose of this enactment is to put it beyond
the power of Congress to compel the President 'to surrender
at discretion his judgment to their inclinations.'"
Almost immediately after I entered the Senate the case came
up of the title of William Pitt Kellogg to a seat in the
Senate from Louisiana.
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