英语法案balance and check.docx

英语法案balance and check.docx

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英语法案balanceandcheck

Balanceandcheck

Marburyv.Madison

TheElectionof1800

DuringtheElectionof1800,therewasanintensegrowthofpartisanpolitics,thepoliticalpartyoftheexecutivebranchofgovernmentchangedforthefirsttime,andtherewasanunprecedentedpeacefultransitionofthepoliticalorientationofthecountry’sleadership.Themainissuesinthiselectionweretaxes,themilitary,peacenegotiationswithFrance,andtheAlienandSeditionActsandVirginiaandKentuckyResolutions.[5]ThecampaignleadinguptothiselectionandtheelectionitselfrevealedsharpdivisionswithintheFederalistParty.AlexanderHamiltonandtheextremeFederalistsattackedAdamsforhispersistenceforpeacewithFrance,hisoppositiontobuildinganarmy,andhisfailuretoenforcetheAlien&SeditionActs.

TheresultsofthiselectionfavoredThomasJeffersonandAaronBurroverJohnAdams,butbothJeffersonandBurrgot73electoralvotes.Presentedwithatie,theHouseofRepresentatives,whichwasdominatedbyFederalistsandledbyAlexanderHamilton,eventuallydecidedtheelectioninfavorofThomasJefferson.Democratic-Republicansalsowoncontrolofthelegislativebranchofgovernmentafterthecongressionalelections.

ThomasJeffersonwasinauguratedMarch4,1801withoutthepresenceofPresidentJohnAdams.Jefferson'sinauguraladdressattemptedtoappeasetheFederalistsbypromisingtomaintainthestrengthofthefederalgovernmentandtopayoffthenationaldebt.[6]Jeffersonspokeofdangerous“entanglingalliances”withforeigncountriesasGeorgeWashingtondid,andmadeapleafornationalunityclaimingthat“weareallrepublicansandweareallfederalists.”Onceelected,JeffersonsetouttorescindtheJudiciaryActof1801andremovenewlyappointedFederalists.

MidnightJudgesAct

TheMidnightJudgesAct（alsoknownastheJudiciaryActof1801;2Stat.89,ortheMidnightAppointments）representedanefforttosolveanissueintheU.S.SupremeCourtduringtheearly19thcentury.Therewasconcern,beginningin1789,aboutthesystemthatrequiredtheJusticesoftheSupremeCourtto“ridecircuit”andreiteratedecisionsmadeintheappellatelevelcourts.TheSupremeCourtJusticeshadoftenvoicedconcernandsuggestedthatthejudgesoftheSupremeandcircuitcourtsbedivided.

Howthestorybegin.

ThiscontroversialcasebeganwithAdams’appointmentofFederalistWilliamMarburyasaJusticeofthePeaceintheDistrictofColumbia.WhenthenewlyappointedSecretaryofStateJamesMadisonrefusedtoprocessMarbury’sselection,Marburyrequestedawritofmandamus,whichwouldforceMadisontomakehisappointmentofficial

U.S.SupremeCourt

MARBURYv.MADISON,5U.S.137（1803）

5U.S.137（Cranch）

WILLIAMMARBURY

v.

JAMESMADISON,SecretaryofStateoftheUnitedStates.

FebruaryTerm,1803

ATtheDecemberterm1801,WilliamMarbury,DennisRamsay,RobertTownsendHooe,andWilliamHarper,bytheircounsel[5U.S.137,138]severallymovedthecourtforaruletoJamesMadison,secretaryofstateoftheUnitedStates,toshowcausewhyamandamusshouldnotissuecommandinghimtocausetobedeliveredtothemrespectivelytheirseveralcommissionsasjusticesofthepeaceinthedistrictofColumbia.

Thismotionwassupportedbyaffidavitsofthefollowingfacts:

thatnoticeofthismotionhadbeengiventoMr.Madison;thatMr.Adams,thelatepresidentoftheUnitedStates,nominatedtheapplicantstothesenatefortheiradviceandconsenttobeappointedjusticesofthepeaceofthedistrictofColumbia;thatthesenateadvisedandconsentedtotheappointments;thatcommissionsindueformweresignedbythesaidpresidentappointingthemjustices,&c.andthatthesealoftheUnitedStateswasindueformaffixedtothesaidcommissionsbythesecretaryofstate;thattheapplicantshaverequestedMr.Madisontodeliverthemtheirsaidcommissions,whohasnotcompliedwiththatrequest;andthattheirsaidcommissionsarewithheldfromthem;thattheapplicantshavemadeapplicationtoMr.MadisonassecretaryofstateoftheUnitedStatesathisoffice,forinformationwhetherthecommissionsweresignedandsealedasaforesaid;thatexplicitandsatisfactoryinformationhasnotbeengiveninanswertothatinquiry,eitherbythesecretaryofstate,oranyofficerinthedepartmentofstate;thatapplicationhasbeenmadetothesecretaryofthesenateforacertificateofthenominationoftheapplicants,andoftheadviceandconsentofthesenate,whohasdeclinedgivingsuchacertificate;whereuponarulewasmadetoshowcauseonthefourthdayofthisterm.Thisrulehavingbeendulyserved--[5U.S.137,139]Mr.JacobWagnerandMr.DanielBrent,whohadbeensummonedtoattendthecourt,andwererequiredtogiveevidence,objectedtobesworn,allegingthattheywereclerksinthedepartmentofstate,andnotboundtodiscloseanyfactsrelatingtothebusinessortransactionsoftheoffice.

Thecourtorderedthewitnessestobesworn,andtheiranswerstakeninwriting;butinformedthemthatwhenthequestionswereaskedtheymightstatetheirobjectionstoansweringeachparticularquestion,iftheyhadany.

Mr.Lincoln,whohadbeentheactingsecretaryofstate,whenthecircumstancesstatedintheaffidavitsoccurred,wascalledupontogivetestimony.Heobjectedtoanswering.Thequestionswereputinwriting.

Thecourtsaidtherewasnothingconfidentialrequiredtobedisclosed.Iftherehadbeen,hewasnotobligedtoanswerit,andifhethoughtanythingwascommunicatedtohimconfidentiallyhewasnotboundtodisclose,norwasheobligedtostateanythingwhichwouldcriminatehimself.

Thequestionsarguedbythecounselfortherelatorswere,1.Whetherthesupremecourtcanawardthewritofmandamusinanycase.2.Whetheritwilllietoasecretaryofstate,inanycasewhatever.3.WhetherinthepresentcasethecourtmayawardamandamustoJamesMadison,secretaryofstate.

[5U.S.137,153]

Mr.ChiefJusticeMARSHALLdeliveredtheopinionofthecourt.

Atthelastterm,ontheaffidavitsthenreadandfiledwiththeclerk,arulewasgrantedinthiscase,requiringthesecretaryofstatetoshowcausewhyamandamus[5U.S.137,154]shouldnotissue,directinghimtodelivertoWilliamMarburyhiscommissionasajusticeofthepeaceforthecountyofWashington,inthedistrictofColumbia.

Nocausehasbeenshown,andthepresentmotionisforamandamus.Thepeculiardelicacyofthiscase,thenoveltyofsomeofitscircumstances,andtherealdifficultyattendingthepointswhichoccurinit,requireacompleteexpositionoftheprinciplesonwhichtheopiniontobegivenbythecourtisfounded.

Theseprincipleshavebeen,onthesideoftheapplicant,veryablyarguedatthebar.Inrenderingtheopinionofthecourt,therewillbesomedepartureinform,thoughnotinsubstance,fromthepointsstatedinthatargument.

Intheorderinwhichthecourthasviewedthissubject,thefollowingquestionshavebeenconsideredanddecided.

1.Hastheapplicantarighttothecommissionhedemands?

2.Ifhehasaright,andthatrighthasbeenviolated,dothelawsofhiscountryaffordhimaremedy?

3.Iftheydoaffordhimaremedy,isitamandamusissuingfromthiscourt?

Thefirstobjectofinquiryis,

1.Hastheapplicantarighttothecommissionhedemands?

HisrightoriginatesinanactofcongresspassedinFebruary1801,concerningthedistrictofColumbia.

Afterdividingthedistrictintotwocounties,theeleventhsectionofthislawenacts,'thatthereshallbeappointedinandforeachofthesaidcounties,suchnumberofdiscreetpersonstobejusticesofthepeaceasthepresidentoftheUnitedStatesshall,fromtimetotime,thinkexpedient,tocontinueinofficeforfiveyears.[5U.S.137,155]Itappearsfromtheaffidavits,thatincompliancewiththislaw,acommissionforWilliamMarburyasajusticeofpeaceforthecountyofWashingtonwassignedbyJohnAdams,thenpresidentoftheUnitedStates;afterwhichthesealoftheUnitedStateswasaffixedtoit;butthecommissionhasneverreachedthepersonforwhomitwasmadeout.

Inordertodeterminewhetherheisentitledtothiscommission,itbecomesnecessarytoinquirewhetherhehasbeenappointedtotheoffice.Forifhehasbeenappointed,thelawcontinueshiminofficeforfiveyears,andheisentitledtothepossessionofthoseevidencesofoffice,which,beingcompleted,becamehisproperty.

Thesecondsectionofthesecondarticleoftheconstitutiondeclares,'thepresidentshallnominate,and,byandwiththeadviceandconsentofthesenate,shallappointambassadors,otherpublicministersandconsuls,andallotherofficersoftheUnitedStates,whoseappointmentsarenototherwiseprovidedfor.'

Thethirdsectiondeclares,that'heshallcommissionalltheofficersoftheUnitedStates.'

AnactofcongressdirectsthesecretaryofstatetokeepthesealoftheUnitedStates,'tomakeoutandrecord,andaffixthesaidsealtoallcivilcommissionstoofficersoftheUnitedStatestobeappointedbythepresident,byandwiththeconsentofthesenate,orbythepresidentalone;providedthatthesaidsealshallnotbeaffixedtoanycommissionbeforethesameshallhavebeensignedbythepresidentoftheUnitedStates.'

ThesearetheclausesoftheconstitutionandlawsoftheUnitedStates,whichaffectthispartofthecase.Theyseemtocontemplatethreedistinctoperations:

1.Thenomination.Thisisthesoleactofthepresident,andiscompletelyvoluntary.

2.Theappointment.Thisisalsotheactofthepresident,andisalsoavoluntaryact,thoughitcanonlybeperformedbyandwiththeadviceandconsentofthesenate.[5U.S.137,