Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-10

when he had the honor Of being presented 10
him. and those which he received IN the COR
ferences below alluded to, from the MINIS
ter of Foreign Affairs, can leave no oouo'
of the desire his majesty has, faithfully 10 per
form the stipulations entered into win the o,ir
ted States" In the reply Of the Duke, unaer
date the 23d of the same month, after comment.
inc on other parts of Mr.. Livingston's note, ne
expressed the following emphatic assurance:
I" The undersigned will conclude therefore. py
assuring Mr.. Livingston again, most positively,
that at the next session, and on the day after inc
Chamber of Deputies shall have been constitu-
ted ready for business, the Kings Government
will Law before it the proet de ioi relative to the
Convention of 4th July, 1881" In subsequent
note OF the Duke to Mr.. Livingston, under date
of the 23d November, 1888, herepeats: me
undersigned is as anxious as the Minister PIeni-
potentiary of the United States can BE- Tor inc
de6nitive conclusion Of an affair the delays in
which are completely independent OF the Will OF
the Kings Government"
The Committee have thus traced the cores
pondence down to the approach OF that session
of the Chamber OF Deputies, during which inc
bill of appropriation was rejected: Inc ex,
tracts from it might have been enlarged ana
multiplied, but those which have been preserved
account. and the committee think satisfactorily,
for the delay on the part Of the Kings Govern
ment in pressing the bill to a final decision
They demonstrate also. up 10 that PERIOD the
sincere desire with which the King ana ms MIN
lister of Foreign Affairs were animated 10 carry
the treaty faithfully into execution. WHIST the
American Government very properly renon-
strated against the delay it appears nevertheless
10 have been satisfied with the sincerity and
good faith of the Kings Government MIR. Llv-
ingston. an eve witness on the spot declares, as
late as October, 1888. that the assurances recev-
ed by him directly from the King and from the
Duke de Broglie left not doubt on his mind ct
the desire of the King faithfully to perform the
stipulations with the United States.
The committee next felt it incumbent upon
them to examine into the proceedings and dis
cussions in the French Chamber of Deputies, OF
which copy has been communicated ny tne
Executive to the Senate. on the subject oil Inc
hill making an appropriation to carry mo ell
feet the treaty. The right of the Chamber Tree
" TO examine the treaty. and % grant or refuse
the supplies necessary to execute it. appears,
throughout those proceedings and discussions,
tn have been generally conceded, or at least ne.
yer contested. On the presentation at the Dill
in June 1888 the president Of the Chamber re-
marked: The right Of the Chamber is clear
ly established; no treaty OF the sort now pre-
sented to us is perfect, or caR-ba carried into
execution in any of its parts. until the Chamber
has given the Government the means ct execu-
ting it. Nothing can he considered as dehnitlve
which is subject to the vote Of the Chamber u
Accordingly all the documents and papers con-
nected with the negotiation were submitted 10
the committee to which the bill was refer ed, and
was canvassed by them as freely and fully as II
the treaty had never actually been concudPd-
On this right, depending as it does upon just
construction of the provisions of the French
charter, the committee do not feel 1t necessary,
if they were competent, IN express any opinion
Whether the Chambers have the right or not.
tiev clearly possess the power to refuse an ap-
preparation to carry the treaty into effect. The
60 in, hOth ~
only in degree. In either case satisfaction is
withheld for claims Of American citizens which
we believe to he founded in justice, and would
have justified in their origin an appeal to arms;
and these claims are admitted To be just by
treaty.. concluded with the authority OF the
ing, ratified by him, and bearing upon its face
all the testimony Of a complete and perfect ma
tiona compact.
The bill to carry into effect the treaty having
been twice presented at previous sessions ot'he
Chamber Of Deputies, was again submitted TO
It on the 18th January, 1891, by the minister OF
finance Ii was referred 10 a committee. which,
on the 10th of March following, made an elaDo.
rate and able report, concluding ny recon-
mending the adoption of the bill. The debate
nueued upon it on the 2Sth of March. and was
continued until the ist of April; when, bv vote
of one hundred and seventy-slx to one hundred
and sixty-eight, it was rejected. IL is not the
intention of your committee TO eXhlon even
sketch OF the IdCtS anu d suiiieHtS DIouSHt Ioi-
ward either i'm the report or the discussions, in
which several OF the Kings minister's shared
But they do no more than justice in rendering
their humble testimony to the mastery ability
and statesmanke bearing exhibited by the mi
mister of foreign affairs in the Chamber of De-
puties. That minister Immediately resigned his
place, in consequence Of the vote of the Cham
Der.
The Committee has looked into these proceed
ings and discussions to discover, il they could,
the causes of the rejection of the bill. The prn-
cipIe of iHdemnity seems to have been generally !
admitted. The diversity of opinion was chiefly
as to the amount. But besides this, wide spread
and deep rooted prejudices prevailed in the
Chamber. Some of the members appear TO
have thought that France was prey to the ra-
pacity of foreign powers; that the United States
owed her debt of gratitude, growing out of her
assistance in our struggle for independence, that
ought to have restrained them from presenting
any claim, or at least have greatly moderated
their demands; that the DEGREES OF France. out OF
which large part of the claims sprung, were no
more than a just retaliation upon the DeIllgerent
edcts of Great Britain; that the claims were IN
the hands of a few spectators; that upon fresh
the amount of indemnity would