The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-23

a. Cs, for Freael Spoliions delivered Ia me Senate,
Mond1y, January ~, 1891
Mi. HUNTER said Mr.. President. il is tedious thing
10 speak before any assembly against forezone concla-
s;o and il /, especially dsa reeable upon subject which
- becn 30 often and so fully discussed the
d.r consideration But however dstasteful the task may
be- there are occasions on winch y may DC ones duty TO
execute it, Such conceva 10 be my case IN the present
instance OF the Select Committee raised by the Senate
for the special consideration OF this subject the
only member opposed 70 he hi now before US anu per-
measure represented that occasion that should give
the argument the other side as the chairman of the
commitee-lhe senator IRON COnnectlcut-has already
pssssnsd his views favor the bill Indeed. this
10 be OF the in which is especially appropriate
that senators should rely their committees TO undergo
the labor of investigating the documents, the speeches,
the reports and the of upon which the
merits Of this case depend These fill volumes. and it
canno, be expected that each should examine
them eli for himselt.
Il will be my object. ihen to give resume OF the ar
gumeni, and shall endeavor to make it as brief
can Such presentation Of The case may perhaps be
useful, even 10 those gentlemen who have heretofore
examined this question: 10 refreshing their memories, and
may be OF service to those who have looked
into il at all But not even these considerations would
have induced undertake the vain and fruess task
Of opposing this bill. which fear preestned pass.
il had been for considerations connected with the
financial view OF the que ston
Il is proposed in this bill 70 appropriate five millions OF
dollars upon principles which II Is evident must lead
further and proSably much greater expenditure II
appropriate five millions upon the principle that
this bill proposes TO do. that we will pay only five
millions, and no mole II il is debt, bound TO
pay all that i due u 4 i e Eraiui'y, think can
show only thai ought not to make it, but that
this, OF all mes is the most inappropriate for such an
experiment
nual report, debt amounted to sixty millions Of
dollars Since that time the acceptance by Texas OF the
lerms offered By the Untei States relation to her
boundary has added millions more, making seventy
four millions and this bill il passes, will increase
debt seventy millions The debt is 10 be thus in
creased at time when The Secretary Of the Treasury
proposing spend moe, by nearly nine hundred thou
sand dollars for the next year than he expects TO
from all whatever and at time, too when,
according to his own expectation. we are to be cut on
iron Ill assistance from The public lands for at least hi
Sir il we 20 on with expenditures a, this fearful pace
where il end And especially in such this,
where we making no sort OF provision TO pay
the debt hereafter The Path which nations tread 10
bankruptcy, by which they make approach
70 oen to shake governments and convase society,
il indeed abyss srewn with flowers; and the no
woald atemp, to them the consequences when
in mid should expect hnd himself dischargng
bat thankless Office. Yet. dsasreeabie may be-
10 somebodys duty TO DO II, and perhaps Is nobodys
duty more than mine upon The preseAt occasion
But may be told that all this is to the de-
nsnd for the payment OF DEBT. II !, De Justly due !
can Be certainly ascetained hat we are bound TO pay II
bat it, wish show, such eebt is not due, and thai
The payment OF this money would be mere gr.iay then
condition 10 enabie US 10 make such donations The
"a ssod rests upon the ns,ce of the demand and that
the point which now propose 10 examine
II IL maintained side that the demand is Just,
because when negotiated the convention OF 1900
gave up the indemni,ies 10 which citizens
ntled order to get I'D OF certain valuable psetensons
which the French made against US. arising oa of the old
treaty OF alliance and OF amiiy and commerce made IN
l7s and the consular convention OF ISIS and having
thus converted private property to public uses. having
thus sod oat these claims Tor valuable consideration
bound il said, to remuneate the claimants for
private property which was taken for public use.
On the other hand, maintained that we did not ex
change them for any valuable prcensions the part Of
the Freneh nssmueh some OF the pretensons OF the
French worth much. and the foundation Tor
all OF them was gone in isoo when this oonvenan was
nexotia,edS because the which they pre-
deaied bad Teen abogaied, and justly abtoGated, two
years before: IRON which II follows that there was no
exchange Of The claUs OF citizens for valuable
sdsrafon, because the French had just Preiensons
agans us, and therefore did private prop
ey 10 public TO make ourselves responsible for
H. ltn also maintained that we entered into war, IN
order to reaae the French the aues lha. had been
committed by them commere~ and that, having
entered into this io that puoss and TO procure in
de@ny Tor be past and secuuy Tor the future we were
ahsoved Al the Tune OF the convention OF $500 from the
ooEaon OF further prosecuting those claims and no,
ony - affirmed that had discharged ourselves OF
all obligation 10 our citizens TO prosecute them further,
bal thai the French could rghiinlly plead. in effect
tbey did plead this war IN satisfaction OF the demand
agana them that. after the treaty Of peace ,erni-
mated the var, the indemnIties not valid, either
gnnd the French OF agans, this government In other
words. thai Dir. Murray righ, when he wrote to
me SecreAry OF Stale. alter the hDa rafiacz'lon OF
hat treaty, expressing the hope that the Senate meant
TO express BY ther OF raifyng that treaty tha,
the claims for lndemnltles were nuses.' That ssch
indeed we're the veus which governed the Se nate IN
Their courSe upon this matter IL, think, every
probable, and may be inferred from the history OF the
tunes
Sir, hope 10 make good both Of these propositions
but II succeed ia psovng elih~r shall present full
And lar defence for the United S,aes against toe claims
70 The pay II which s sought to subleo, them
And nrs, the proposition relaon 10 the value OF
those French presensons In order TO ASCERTAIN what
ther value IL. e1 for moment what they are and
What thei. In the FIRST place OF the pre-
tensions which they founded upon those treaties never
could have hesn derived from them by iar eons'rue
bon And with rsspec, TO The others which they sc, up
they Eoae sco because the treaties which
hat some OF their pseienssons had any foundation
N me treaty. ~ very slight examination will show
ens wae that hey had rxh, TO their ships in
ports Ih,s Vas founded the that other nations
we're fosbsa6en IN the treaty 10 arm axan, them IN our
ports, and th<y inferred from ths prohibition TO others
POSITIVE permission TO themselves arm IN our ports
against foreign with whom they were al war To
ssate such proposition y 10 refse IT.
The n<rf pre'ensson which they aised was rha, unAe.
clause in the treaty OF amiy and commerce which al
loved them TO bring przes of duty and carry them
vihersosver they pisaset, they had rixh, 10 brsnS
hem IN aad eel them the United States free OF .uty
Ihss while we co0d lay such duties a. We pseased on
Snees psoducsd by sbsr agriculture manufacturer
W. m regard 10 this matter OF ptixes fohpdden
sneer The treaty levy any duty At all In muss be on
aetss~ary 10 afgue such qaeson.
The next that Their consn.s hAd he rs hi 70 exe-
er~ sdWiral,y jurisdiction shores and IN oar
owns They founded that ysessns;on on . psoylsson
ne eoasutar convention which gave the French consas
r1h, d jurisdiction "wish,s the iasrrsor~ OF shess