Speech #480100300

The invasion of the jurisdiction of one by another can not be accounted less than rank usurpation. Any other interpretation of the Constitution would be derogatory not only to the Constitution itself. but to its farsighted framers. The President is the CommanderinChief of the Army and Navy. but this gives him no authority to invade the power of Congress "to raise money to support the Army and Navy." The President. with the concurrence of tgothirds of the Senate. may make treaties. but under cover of this authority no constitutional treaty can be made "to regulate commerce with foreign nations" or to initiate revenue bills." any more than to establish a "uniform law of bankruptcy " or "of naturalization." and these. together with all other powers which were specially confided to Congress or to the House of Representatives by the Constitution. stand as a flaming sword against all encroachments of the Executive. and forever limit and exclude the reach of its treatymaking power. The House of Representatives has ever been openeyed as to the least apparent Senatorial usurpation of the power to originate revenue bills. and the Senate in all controversies on this point has promptly yielded to the claims of the House. This exclusive power of the House is consecrated in all of our earliest traditions. and will ultimately be found impregnable. whether threatened by the Senate alone or with the aid of the auxiliary forces of the Executive.