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Show What Will the Senate Do? Washington, January 29. The issue between be-tween the President and the Senate regarding regard-ing the authority of the latter to demand the reasons on file in the Executive Department of the Government for the suspension of certain Federal officers and the appointment of their successors is made up. The Senate Judiciary Committee last Monday adopted a resolution calling upon the Attorney-General for the papers on file in the Department of Justice relative to the suspension of George M. Dustin to be District Attorney for the Southern Distriot of Alabama, Ala-bama, the manner in which the office had been conducted, and touching the appointment ap-pointment of John D. Burnett as his successor suc-cessor Mr. Garland referred the request of the committee to the President, and in accordance ac-cordance with instructions received by him at the Cabinet meeting last Tuesday, prepared pre-pared an article that he had read to the Cabinet. The reply was approved and will be sent to the Senate. The Attorney-General's letter is said to be brief and to the point. He refuses flatly to give the information in-formation desired, inasmuch .as the resolution which asked for information astto the conduct of the office was adopted in the executive session of the Senate. Sen-ate. Mr. Garland contended that the Senate did not intend the inquiry as the basis for any legislative action intended to improve thejudioial system of the country. If the information had been desired forthepur- pose of throwing light upon the administra-; administra-; tion of justice, the committee, in his judg-j judg-j ment, would have moved the adoption of the I resolution in executive session of the Senate. Should such a resolution be adopted in open executive session, it would be open to the I same objection, because there would be no i necessity for any executive inquiry. On the other hand, should such a resolution be adopted in legislative session, the Attorney-General Attorney-General would deoline to give the informal tion requested, on the general ground that there is nothing on the files relating to the case except papers containing the reasons for the suspension, which he had not been directed by the President to send to the Senate. The reply of the Attorney-General forces the issue to a point where the majority in the Senate must either take measures to compel the production of such information regarding removals and appointments ap-pointments as the files of the Executive Department De-partment afford, or retreat from the position they have taken. . . |