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power, of property and of character. Hence they are required to be "carefully kept & preserved" by the Secretary. But they cannot be, if taken out of his custody to pass through the different branches of the legislature, through the hands of various committees and of individual members, and possibly of some others, whose interest it would be to alter, mutilate or destroy them. Under such circumstances, they could never be considered safe.

Again, such a construction of the constitution would place it in the power of either House to restrain & control the Executive Department in the exercise of its distinct & independent duties, in a manner, which, it is believed, could not have been contemplated by the framers of the constitution. To the performance of many high & important executive duties, the Register is indispensable. It contains the records of all former appointments, and various matters of great moment to the State and to individuals, a knowledge of which is indispensably necessary to succeeding & successive Governors & Councils, to enable them to act understandingly in reference to what has been done by their predecessors. If therefore the Register is taken away for an indefinite period the business of the Executive department of the Government, is not merely embarrassed, but suspended, and the wheels of government stop. The machinery is deranged; the distribution & balance of power between the Legislative, Executive & Judicial departments, is destroyed; and the Constitution itself being overturned, anarchy succeeds. If the right to take the Records from the place appointed by the Constitution for their preservation, exists in the House, it also exists in the Senate. But both cannot have them at the same time; nor can anyone claim precedence to the other. Yet one House might obtain & keep possession of them; and thus put it out of the power of the other as of the Executive & the people, to obtain an inspection of them. This involves the political paradox of one branch of government constitutionally depriving another of the exercise of a constitutional right. All of these possible evils with many others resulting from