arrangements with the State banks. Soon after, September 23,
a paper signed by the President and purporting to have been read to the
Cabinet was published in the newspapers of the day. Early in the next
session of Congress a resolution passed the Senate inquiring of the
President whether the paper was genuine or not and if it was published
by his authority, and requesting that a copy be laid before that body.
The President replied, avowing the genuineness of the paper and that it
was published by his authority, but declined to furnish a copy to the
Senate on the ground that it was purely executive business, and that the
request of the Senate was an undue interference with the independence of
the Executive, a coordinate branch of the Government. In January, 1837
(26th), he refused the privilege to a committee under a resolution of
the House of Representatives to make a general investigation of the
Executive Departments without specific charges, on the ground, among
others, that the use of the books, papers, etc., of the Departments for
such purpose would interfere with the discharge of the public duties
devolving upon the heads of the different Departments, and necessarily
disarrange and retard the public business.

President Van Buren was absent from the capital during his Presidential
term one hundred and thirty-one days. He discharged executive duties
and performed official and public acts during these absences. Among the
papers signed by President Van Buren during his absence from the seat of
Government are commissions (one of these being for a United States judge
of a district court), pardons, etc.

President Tyler was absent from the capital during his Presidential term
one hundred and sixty-three days, and performed public acts and duties
during such absences, signing public papers and documents to the number
of twenty-eight, in which were included commissions, exequaturs, letters
of credence, pardons, and one proclamation making public the treaty of
1842 between the United States and Ecuador.

President Polk was absent from the capital during his Presidential term
thirty-seven days, and appears to have signed but two official public
papers during such absence.

President Taylor was absent from the capital during the time he served
as President thirty-one days, and while absent signed two commissions,
three "full powers," two exequaturs, and the proclamation of August 11,
1849, relative to a threatened invasion