The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-26

when the vote would be taken; and 30 that Others
who desired to visit their homes, could regulate
| their arrangements. But he would ASK, was inc
action Of the Senate 10 be suspended on such
| a contingency as the sickness OF a senator
whose return might be doubtful Ii so, the ques.
on might be laid over ill the close Of the session
The time suggested afforded ample opportunity for
| all who desired yet 10 speak Some Of those who
| had spoken would like 10 say more; bat they would
waive all such desires, from the more influential mo-
| tive that this extraordinary debate-extraordnary
he meant, in ength-shoud be brought to a close
Il was due 20 the country that they should speedily
come to conclusion, after debating the question for
TWO months, and sitting four days in each week. II
was time, in his judgment, that they came TO some
conclusion not under the stringent operation OF an
imperative rule, but by the common sense Of the
Senate; and the intention Of the senator from Ohio
thai such should be spread far and wide, so
that all might be present when the vote WINS taken
Mr.. ALLEN remarked that his friend from lndi-
ana Mr.. HAEGEsAEl had correctly stated his Mr..
A.'s) views and intentions.
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENTS.
The Senate took up for consideration the following
resolution submitted several weeks since by Mr.. j.
| "a. CLAYroE
Rsssirsd That the President OF the United State. be
Iuested TO Communicates TO the senate copies Of any cores
Pondsnce that MAJ have taken place between The sutton
the documents transmitted in relation TO the subject Of
the Oregon territory Of much thereof " com
municsied without detrment to the public interest
Mr.. ALLEN expressed desifs that the resoIu-
lion should lie over for the present
MIR. J. M. CLAYTON said the resolution had
| been the table three or four weeks and having
allowed il TO remain there, he now thought II was
time to take il up. He had no desire to embsrrass
the Executive by offering the resolution and he be-
lieyed It's passage could produce possible injury;
and he therefore proposed it should be adopted.
The Clerk here read the resolution; when
NJ ALLEN a0nin and said / nj moi
aware sir, that that resolution has anything objec.
lionabe in further than this that the constant de-
mands of the Senate made on the Executive on this
| subject, seem to imply something Of dlsTust as "a
| the discretion Of the goyemment-the President Of
the United Staies-which, Il seems TO me, would
have bad effect; because, sir the Senate passed
| no longer than four five days ago, resolution
calling the Executive for the disclosure Of his opn
ions on the fact whether not there existed in the
circumstances OF the country according 10 his
judgment, any necessity for an increase Of the mill
tary defences and, If So what those circumstances
were which led him to his conclusions, In answer
to that resolution, the President has made his com.
municaton TO the Senate; and now, almost immedi.
aiey-the second day after that communication
| is followed by another resolution calling upon the
| President to make further disclosures as TO the
state of this business IN the Executive hands, II
the Senate were distrustful that something YET
behind which the President is unwilling to commu-
nicate. Sir deem IL due to the public interests thai
| we should do nothing here that could weaken the
moral influence which may be supposed to be er'
erted by harmony in our counsels in the arrange
| ment OF this great difficulty. And | think, in thai
point of view, without reference to any other con-
sideraon, IL is due To the public interests that this
matter remain for the present where 1t is. know,
sir that this resolution contains the usual clause
leaving the matter 10 tho judgment and dis
cretion Of the President; but anybody car
| see the effect Of the clause IL 10 force on him d
responsibility, after asking him question, Of de-
| Gliding that question without leaving him TO
| Judge from circumstances Of Its propriety.
think il ought TO be fairly presumed that after the
President in his annual message communicated all
these matters to Congress, giving his reasons for
| recommending additional defences-after all this,
| the Senate should fairly presume that il anything
had transpired between the two governments which
| the President thought proper 10 communicate TO
| Cong ress, he would make the communication him
| self think that il but fair reasoning, and in that
| view move that the resolution lie on the table.
| Mr.. J. NJ. CLAYTON. hope not, sir. There
is nothing coercve in the resolution. II simply calls
upon the President in most respectful terms to com
municate such information as in his judgment the
public interests warrant and no more. IL does not
as the honorable senator from Ohio ntmates follow
upon the heels Of the resolution offered by the hon
orable senator from New Jersey, adopted about
week ago, and inquiring Of the President to the
necessity Of arming the country. That was a sub
ject of a totally different character. Mine pro-
posed about a month ago-a considerable time prior
to The introduction Of the resolution just alluded to-
With that mine has no connexion whatever under
heaven. The information sought for by mine is Of
an entirely different nature from that sought by the
other resolution How then could it possibly be
said that the given to the resolution
perseded the necessity Of giving the information
| sought by the other The President of the United
States has told what in his judgment is necessary
to be done in regard to the national deences underline
existing state of things. do not propose to ask the
| same question again, but simply to put the ques-
ton, whether in his judgment he is possessed Of in
formation which ought to be communicated to US
consistently with the public interests. At this
time there is question Of great magnitude and i'm
portance before Congress. | have myself formed
an opinion upon that question. | have expressed
that opinion. am exceedingly DESTROYS of obtain
ing the votes of others the same subject and that
that vote may be, if possible, unan,mous. | think
it important that in this business the Senate should
speak strongly, and | again express the hope
| that that vote may be uttered unanimously. Well,
f there be anything in The correspondence between
| the British authorities and our own government
that can shed any light on the subject, is not the
Senate at this particular moment fairly entitled to ii
The honorable senator said that this resolution man.
| ifesed dstrust Of the President, beg leave to
tell that honorable senator, that the mover Of the
resolution has not expressed any distrust, and has
felt none in relation to this matter. "Ds,rust the
President Why Does the resolution imply
u
| conhdes everything to him. It trusts the whole
| matter to him. 1t asks for such information as in
| his judgment alone it is deemed proper TO commu
ncate II does not demand anything Of him. Il
does not imply any want of confidence in him. Il
| imposes great confidence in him. Because the res
oluuon comes up in its Order having been offered
month ago, and subsequent to the reception Of tn,
| answer to the resolution Of the senator from New
Jerseya resolution Of an entirely different charac
terdoes it follow that, in these circumstances, the
Senate the United States doubts that the Presi
dent may not have given all the information sough
by the resolution of the senator from New Jersey
Who could entertain such superstition We know
that the President has answered that resolution full
ly. This is resolution relating to different sub
ject. II does not ask information with regard Il
the national defences, but asks whether anything ha
been communicated to the departments, or any cor
respondence taken place between the British author
tiles and our own government which should proper
ly be communicated TO the Senate If there be .nt
such information, we will Of course receive an an
swer in the negatve--if otherwise, it was obvious
that the Senate should be put in possession of tn,
information Resolutions Of this character, let m,
say, have not heretofore been the subject of discus