The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-15
THIRTIETH CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
House OF Representatives.

House OF Representatives.
WARRINGTON, January Is, ls47.
AssIMrLArEs RANK OF SURGEONS, ASSISTANT SURGEONS
AND PURsRRs.
ing sas M ON motion OF Mr.
the resolution reported by Mr. sohsnok from the Com
mittee Naval Affairs, instructing that committee
inquire into the legality Of the order of the Secretary
the Navy giving to surgeons assistant surgeons and
purssrs assmilsted rank directing them to report
BY bill or Otherwise whether the order shall be continu
Nj. soa.sG. who yesterday reported the resolution,
partly right and partly wrong Congress should modify
it. The committee had not the sscretarys annual re-
port before, and no could tell when 1t would be-
the debate was not yet closed the Presidents
sage. After saying that he had occupied times
much Of the attention Of the House he anticipated
Mr.. RHErr commended that the committee had right
to take the subject into without order
Of the House They had no business to bring the in:
himself up The proposition perfectly bald that
there must be somsthing political behind it. The SEQ
rotary gave the rank referred to- 1t IL only
lstion on ship bosrds courtesy extended to these on
GERS.
fore the order Of the Secretary Of the Navy
Mr.. RHxrr-Yes like hogs and chickens. The pur-
sers and surgeons considered wropged they
sued.
A oolloquy took place between Msssrs schenok and
khett and under the operation Of the previous quss-
ton, the resolution was pas ed ayes s. noes 10.
THE PRBsIpENT's MEssAoE-HIs REFUSAL COMPLY
WITH CALL OF THE HOUSE.
Yesterday, the following message WAS received from
the President Of the United States but the seal was not
then opened To-day, however, the document read
to the House as follows
To the House of Rsprtentapeso of the United States
have carefully considered the resolution the House
OF Representatives Of the 4th inst requesting the Pro-
sident to communicate to that House any Instructions
which may have been given to Of the officers of the
army navy Of the United States other persons
regard to the return Of President General Lopez
Santa Anna, any other Mexican, to the republic of
Mexico prior subsequent to the order Of the Presi
dent or Secretary Of War issued in january 1896 for
the stupen dous deserts which intervene to the Rio
Grande; that the date of ell such Instructions orders
and correspondence be set forth together with the In
sructons and orders issued to Mr.. Sde 1T any time
prior or subsequent to his departure for Mexico
republic, and requesting the President also to oommu-
ncate all the orders and the govern
ment In relation to the Of General Psredes to
Mexico"
transmit, herewith, reports from the Secretary of
state the Secretary Of War; and the Secretary of
Navy with tho documents accompanying the same
which contain all the information in the possession of
the executive which 1t is deemed compatible with the
public interests to communicate.
For further information relating the return Of SANTA
Anna to MEXICO refer you to my annual message Of
December Sth, 1916 The facts and considerations
stated In that message induced the Secretary
Of the Navy to the commander of squadron in tho
Gulf OF Mexicoa copy Of which is herewith commuui-
GATED This order issued simultaneously with the
order to blockade the coasts Of Mexico, both bearing
date the 18Th Of Msy is4S the day on which tho exist.
was Issued solely upon the views Of pelcy presented
In that message and without the
person.
General Paroles svadsd the vigilance Of our combined
from the exile into which he had been driven landing
Vera Cruz after that city and the castle Of San Juan
dUnoa were In our military occupation, a. will appear
from the accompanying reports and documents.
The resolution calls for the instructions and orders
issued to Mr. Sdel at any time prior subsequent to
his departure for Mexico Minister Penipoentiary of
the United States to that republic The customary and
usual reservation aimed In calls of either house
Congress upon inform relating to
intercourse In
the resolution before The call of the House is
conditional 1t Is that the information requested be
communicated and thereby be made public whether in
the opinion Of the Executive, who is charged by the
constitution with the duty Of conducting negotiations
with foreign powers such information, wnen disclosed
would be prejudcisl to the public Interests not 1t
has been subject Of serious elaboration with me,
snd OF Il. public and
to be affected BY violate important principle always
do BY oomp.ncs With the REQUEST Of the House
President Washington, in message to tho House Of
comply with request contained in resolution OF that
body, to lay before them copy of the instructions to
treaty with the King Of Great Britain together with
the and other documents relative the
said treaty excepting such Of the said papers any
listing negotiations render improper to be disclosed
In assigning his for declining to comply with
the CALL he declared that 1.-THE nature Of foreign nsgo
tations requires caution their often
depend secrecy and even when brought to q conclu
son full disclosure Of all the measures demands and
eventual which may have been proposed or
might have apernicous influence future negotiations
produce immediate Inconvenience, perhaps danger
and mischief, in relation to other powers The
sity Of such caution and secrecy was cogent
for vetng the power Of making treaties in the Pre-
principle on which that bodywas formed combining It to
small number Of members To admit, then. right In
the House Of Representatives to demand and to have
matter of course, all the papers respecting nego
tation with foreign power, would be to establish q
dangerous precedent In that oase the instructions
and documents called for related to treaty which had
been concluded and ratified by the President Senate
and the negotiations in relation to it had been temina
ted. There express reservation too, except
ing from the call ali such papers as related to any
existing Negotiations" which 1t might be improper to
disclose In that case President Washington deemed it
to be violation Of important principle the estab
shment Of dangerous precedent and to
the public interests to comply with the call of House
Without deeming 1t to be necessary, the present
OCCASION to examine decide upon the other reasons
assigned by him, for his refusal to communicate the in
formation requested by the House, the one which is
herein rected is in my Judgment conclusive In the
Indeed the objections to complying with the request
of the House, in the resolution before are
much stronger than those which existed in case of
the resolution in 1895. This resolution calls for in
strucons and orders to the minister Of the United
have not been Terminated and which may be resumed
The information called for respects negotiations which
datey preceding the commencement of the existing war
The instructions Civ. to the minister of the United
States relate TO the differences between the two coun
tries out OF which the war grew, and the sd
ustment which We were prepared to Offer to Mexico in
our anxiety to prevent the These differences still
remain unsettled and to comply with the call of the
House, would be to make public through that channel
and to communicate to MEXICO, = public enemy
engaged in information which could not fail to pro-
duce serious embarrassment In any future negotiation
between the two countries.
| have heretofore communicated to Congress all the
correspondence Of the minister OF the United States to
Mexico, which, In the existing state Of our relations
with that republic, can in my judgment at this time
communicated without serious Injury to the public In
tereet
Entertaining this conviction and with a sincere de-
sire to furnish any information which may be 10 the nos
session Of the Executive Department and which either
house OF Congress may at any time request regard II
to be my constitutional right and my solemn dutv nm.
der the circumstances Of this case, to decline compl
with the request of the House contained In their
resolution. JAMES X POLK
Washington, Jan. IL, ls4s.
MIR. T SMITH moved to refer tho message to the Com.
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