Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-01-18

1 Mr.. Houston. Do tueH w
e., 49, tho resoln,ion related 10 the treaty submit
led 10 The House, commonly called the Jay llea,y,
ard under which a call had been mace upon 'le
House to provide the means Necessary W S"'y
ont lis provisions, so lar it was as insnae,oIt o.
that which had been directed 10 the Fres'ueh' )"
the present case; but it was referred 10 ,hg us
crelion of General Washington 10 wllAhoiu vi
moi, such papers as any negotiation u''s"' 'enue'
il improper 10 he disclosed A.. co,o-,,
Washington had made the point embraced IN The
eY,ract Copied into the message, aud which COM
,nends i,sei IN The understanding OF every man
,hs, secrecy connected with pending negotiations
sbonld no, % out from the E1ecutive-alter nav
inc made this point, he goes on TO show mat me
H1use of Representatives was bound 10 carry out
ALI treaties made by The President by AID win
The advice and consent OF Inc senate anu Iiiis
,r.s The view comoaltcd in The House. After this
message of President Washington had been dis
cussed Tor long lime in Committee Of the Whole
on the STATE of The Union, the committee report
ed three resolutions, as follows:
IT, Resolved, As the opinion OF this commit
tee that il is expedient 10 pass The laws necessa-
nv for carrying into effect the treaty lately neso
taed between the United States and The King of
Spain.
~. Resolved, As the opinion of this commit
tee. that il is expedient TO pass The laws necessa-
ry for carrying into effect The treaty lately neso'
tated between The United States and certain
Indian tribes northwest OF the Ohio river.
SO Resolved, As the opinion of this commit
tee, lha, is expedent to pass the laws necessary
for carrying into effect the treaty lately negoa-
led between the United States and the Dey and
Regency Of AlgieTs."
The first and second of these resolutions were
adopted and he third ordered 10 lie on The table.
Another resolution was then Immediately i'll.
lroduced, with preamble, which brought up the
whole question ref.rred 10 by the gentleman from
Massachusetts, as follows
"The House having taken into consideration
the treaty. of amity, commerce and navigation be-
tween The United States and Great Britain, com.
municaed by The President in his message on The
LIST day OF March last, are OF opinion that il is in
many respects highly injurious 10 the interests oil
the United Slaes yet, were they possessed oil any
information which could justify the great sacrh.
ces contained in the treaty, their sincere desire TO
cherish harmony and amicable intercourse with
all nations, and their earnest wish TO cooperate
in fastening final adjustment of The differences
subssting between the United States and Great
Britain, might have induced them 10 waive their
objections TO the treaty. But when they conlem.
pIae The conduct OF Great Britain in pursuing
since the treaty was signed, the impressment OF
American seamen and The seizure OF American
vessels (Iaden with provisions) contrary 10 The
clearesl rights of neutral nalions-whelher this
be viewed as the construction mean! 10 be given
10 any articles in the treaty. or as contrary 10, and
an infraciion of, the true meaning and spirit
lhereor-the House cannot but regard il as in
cumbent on them, in fidelity 10 the trust reposed
in them, TO iorbear, under such circumstances,
| taking, at present, any active measures on the
subject-Therefore,
"Resolved That under the circumstances
aforesaid, and with such Information as the
House possesses, it is not e1pedient al this time
to concur in passing the laws necessary 10 carry
the said treaty inlo effect"
This resolution was afterwards referred TO the
Committee OF the Whole on The stale OF the
Union; and the discussion continued for many
DAYS. after which was determined, at last, 10 re.
aon bill TO carry ont the provisions OF the Jay
| treaty: and although the House overTuled the
two resolutions embracing the principles SET forth
By Washington in The aler-parl OF his message,
vet il was not thought expedient 10 lake any no.
lice of the fact that he Withheld The correspond.
ence and documents called for; thus cvncine their
acouiescence in the opinion OF Washing on, that
| the communication OF the Information called Tor
| would prejudice the public good.
Mr.. II. proceeded 10 mark the difference be-
tween these two cases. In the present case, The
House had called for correspondence and iEs!ruc-
lions to our minister charged with settlement OF
The difficulties between the United States and the
| government of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which re-
late 10 difficulties not yet settled and about which
negotiations are sill pending. The case Of the
| call upon President Washington was where the
treaty. had been confirmed, ratified, and submit.
ted 10 the House. and The House had been called
upon to. make appropriations to carry out It's pro-
visions-to carry ont a treaty in which Ourrishls
were compromised; and This the House refused
10 do.
The gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Schenck,)
| with his usual fairness and libeTaliiy, makes an
| appeal 10 The preudiccs OF the House AMI OF the
| country representing the President as saying 10
The House "You are not fit 10 be trusted; have
done thus and So, and vou must vote 10 carry il
| out" The gentleman must have great desire
10 make an assault upon the administration or
he never would have had recourse 10 such re-
sort. Did he moi know the fact, that almost every
| President Of the United States has withheld SINH
| lar communications, which have been called f5
| in a respectful manner2 Mr. II. here referred 10
| and read an ex,rac! from message OF Mr.. Mon
| roe responding 10 A resolution of the House oil
| REPRESENTATIVES calling for correspondence con-
nected with certain charges which had been pre-
lerred against Commodore Stewart which he de-
clined 10 communicate. Mr.. II. further read
from another message OF President Monroe, and
a message from President Jackson, each refusing
10 communicate information, which, il disclosed,
would have been detrimental TO The public ser
vice According, them 10 the argument OF The
gentleman from Ohio, these several PRESIDENTS
have all bcen disposed 10 dis;rust the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES and the people-have been all
fearful of communicating 10 The House considera-
lions which belong TO The Executive alone.
MIR. Barringer here inquired /! all these calls
upon the Executive did not contain The clause, III
no, incompatible with the public ineres'7
MIR. Houston. No, sir. But he desired 10 say
one word more as to The call made on President
| Washington. The resolution originating That
call. was discussed several days; in which ques
tons as 10 the powers oil the House and The propTl
| ety of the resolution were maurely considered
and get after all that, Washington refused The IN
formation, .wi,hstandng The resolution was
| mandatory.
Mr.. Fl. did moi know that he could throw any
further light upon the subject. tic had only 10
saw. that 50 far as the present message was CON-
cerpcd. there was ample authority Tor in The cX-
ampIes of Washington, Monroe and Jackson.
The difficulty between this Government and
Mexico was sill an open question, and mus,
| again be made matter Of negotiation. Everybody
knew that The Authority given TO foreign minis
Ter generally ranged between two given points
He is instructed 10 act within certain limits, and il
he cannot carry The most desirable point, he has
discretion 10 alter his proposition and take lower
point; and he would put II 10 tie good sense OF The
House and the country, whether it would be pru-
dent to make such instructions public before such
negotiations were consummaled2 Gentlemen
talk about sending confidential communication
to the House. He would ask how long il would
be before i, would leak QUIZ Even treaty be-
fore the Senate could not be kept secret-at least
i; had not been done heretofore; and he minated
that such would be the case in The House, unless
they were kept all The time in Executive session.
If such were not The case, il would certainly be
singular occurrence, and entirely without prece-
dent.
MIR. Toomhs would prefer select committee
but not enjoying The advantages of the gentleman
from Alabama Mr. Houston and his friends
the advantage of reading the message before it
came into The House-his attention had not been