The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-04

Mr.. HARRIS, in pursuance of previous notice, intro
duced bill regulating evidence in the circuit and dis
trct courts OF the United States read twice. and referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. BRIDGES, in pursuance OF previous notice. IN,
uoduced JOINT resolution to explain the several acts oil
Congress heretofore passed or the relie oil revolutionary
soldiers read twice, and referred to the Committee on
Revolutionary Pensions
The House proceeded to the consideration of the follow
ing resolution offered by Mr.. GREELEY on the 2lst oil
December ult, vz
Resoved That the Secretary of tho Treasury be. and he
hereby requested communicate to this House, II such
communication be in his judgment Incompatible with
the public interest," the considerations OF equity public
on soolen blankets fanneIs baizes &c and on hempen
cables cordage, and several other descriptions OF imported
than 3ed the principal material from which
they respectively fabricated; and IL the same be not
thereto is deemed by him advisable.
1t having been moved TO lay the resolution on the
table, the yeas and demanded thereupon; and
the motion decided in the negave-yeas 50, nayss7
Mr.. GREELEY novel TO amend the reso luton by
striking Out the words, "lf such communication be not
in his judgment incompatible with the public interest
which amendment was agreed to. ,
Mr. FICKLIN moved to amend the resolution by add
ing thereto the following:
And that the Secretary the Treasury be requested to
inform this House what motives of public interest justified
the establishment OF mnlmums and specifics the tariff
Of 1912, by the joint operation OF which square yad
square yard of the kind of goods that cost twenty
cents, and yard OF SILK worth tiny cents was taxed as
high a yard of silk worth two dollars
Mr. HENLEY moved TO amend the amendment by
adding thereto the folowlng
he also be requested inquire into and COM
muncae The causes .lat si ei tue
On motion of Mr. McLANE the resolution was ald
on the table
to The consideration of business the Speakers table
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE CONCERNING THE MILITARY AND
NAVAL CONTRIBUTIONS LEVIED IN MEXICO.
The SPEAKER laid before the House the following
message from the President of the United States:
To the House of Representatives of tie United Safes
In answer to the resolution OF the 18th of December,
1913, requesting information "under what law or pro-
vision of the constitution, or by what other authority
the Secretary of the Treasury, with the sanction and
APPROVAL of the President, established ga lrili OF duties
in the ports OF the Mexican republic during the war
other authority" the revenue thus derived" appro-
prated to he support OF the army in Mexico" refer
The House my annual message of the 7th of December
ls47 my message to the Senate of the 10th OF Febru
airy, is4s. responding call of that body, copy of
which is herewith communicated and to my message to
the House of Representatives OF the 2lh OF july 1913,
! responding to a call of that House.
The resolution that the Secretary OF the Treasury
established tariff of duties in the ports OF the Mexican
republic" The contributions collected in this mode were
established by the Secretary OF the Treasury but by
military order issued by the President through the War
and Navy Departments For his information the Presi.
dent directed the Secretary Of the treasury prepare and
report to him scale of duties That report made,
and the Presidents military order of the 3st March,
is47, was based upon it The documents communicated
10 Congress win my annual message OF DcCcmDeT,
show the true character of that order.
The authority under which military contributions were
exaced and collected from the enemy and applied 10 the
support of our army during the war with Mexico was
stated in the several messages referred TO.
In the first of these messages informed Congress that
&c on the 3ls of March last | caused order to be is
sued to cur military and naval commanders TO levy and
collect military contribution upon all vessels and
chandise which might enter any of the ports OF Mexico
in our military occupation, and to apply such contribu
tons towards defraying the expenses OF the war
"By virtue OF the right of conquest and the laws
OF war, the conqueror, consulting his safety
or convenience may either exclude foreign commerce
altogether from all such ports, permit IT upon such
terms and conditions as he may prescribe Before
the principal ports of Mexico were blockaded by
navy, the revenue derived from import duties
der the laws of Mexico paid into the Mexican treas
ury. After these ports had fa len into military pos
| session, the blockade was raised, and commerce with
them permitted upon prescribed terms and conditions
They opened to the ra lie OF all nations upon the
payment Of duties moderate in their amount than
those which had been previously levied by Mexico and
treasury directed to be collected by military and
naval officers and applied to the OF army and
navy. Care taken that the officers, soldiers and
sailors OF our army and navy should be exempted from
the operations of the Orders and the merchandise i'm
ported upon which the order operated be consumed
by Mexican citizens, the contributions exacted in
effect the seizure of the public OF Mexico and
the application of them to our own use. In directing
this measure the object to compel the enemy to con
tribute as far practicable, towards the expenses OF the
war"
1t was also stated in that message that measures have
recently been adopted by which the internal well as
the external revenues OF Mexico IN all places in our mil
ary occupation, will be seized and appropriated to the
| use of our army and navy
"The policy Of evyng upon the enemy contributions
in every form consistently with the laws of nations, which
it may be practicable for our military commanders to
adopt, should in my judgment, be rgdly enforced and
orders TO this effect have accordingly been given. By
such policy at the same time that own treasury
will be relieved from heavy DRAIN the Mexican people
will be made to feel the burdens of the and consult
ing their interests, may be induced the readily
| to require their rulers to accede to just peace"
In the same message, informed Congress that the
further prosecution of the war, might be reduced by
whatever amount OF expenditure be saved by mill
ary contributions collected in Mexico;" and that " the
most rigorous for the augmentation OF these
contributions have been directed, and a very csnsidera-
bic expected from that source" The Secretary OF
the Treasury, IN his annual report of that year. making
his estimate OF the amount of loan which will probably
amount which would probably be derived from these
contributions, and Congress authorized the loan upon
this reduced estimate In the message OF the 10th of Feb
ruary, 1885, 10 the Senate it stated that No prnCi-
pie is better established than that nation has the
right of shifting the burden off ITSELF and imposing
the enemy by eXacng military contributions The mode
OF making such exactons must be left to the discretion of
the conqueror, but ii should be exercised in manner
conformable to the rules of civilized warfare. The
successful prosecution of in an enemy's coun.
try; and the practice of nations has been in accord
with this principle. Ii is clearly sary
the right to fight battles, and its exercise is often es-
sentia to the subsistence Of the army Entertaining no
doubt that the military right 10 exclude commerce alto
geher from the ports OF the enemy military
patton included the minor right of admitting il under
HI. IL, a 49,