JAMES MADISON.
WASHINGTON, _July 6, 1813_.
_To the Senate of the United States_:
I have received from the committee appointed by the resolution of the
Senate of the 14th day of June a copy of that resolution, which
authorizes the committee to confer with the President on the subject of
the nomination made by him of a minister plenipotentiary to Sweden.
Conceiving it to be my duty to decline the proposed conference with the
committee, and it being uncertain when it may be convenient to explain
to the committee, and through them to the Senate, the grounds of my so
doing, I think it proper to address the explanation directly to the
Senate. Without entering into a general review of the relations in which
the Constitution has placed the several departments of the Government to
each other, it will suffice to remark that the Executive and Senate, in
the cases of appointments to office and of treaties, are to be
considered as independent of and coordinate with each other. If they
agree, the appointments or treaties are made; if the Senate disagree,
they fail. If the Senate wish information previous to their final
decision, the practice, keeping in view the constitutional relations of
the Senate and the Executive, has been either to request the Executive
to furnish it or to refer the subject to a committee of their body to
communicate, either formally or informally, with the head of the proper
department.
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