WASHINGTON, _May 23, 1844_.
_To the Senate of the United States_:
Your resolution of the 18th instant, adopted in _executive_ session,
addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury _ad interim_, has been
communicated to me by that officer. While I can not recognize this
call thus made on the head of a Department as consistent with the
constitutional rights of the Senate when acting in its executive
capacity, which in such case can only properly hold correspondence with
the President of the United States, nevertheless, from an anxious desire
to lay before the Senate all such information as may be necessary to
enable it with full understanding to act upon any subject which may be
before it, I herewith transmit communications[128] which have been made
to me by the Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments, in full answer
to the resolution of the Senate.