The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-03-01
I'm CONGRESS OF THE U. STATES
Thirty Fourth Congress First Session.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1856,
sENATE.
MEMORIALS, PETlTIoRs, ETC.

praying increase Of pension of injuries
ceyed in the war Of 1872 which referred 10 the Com
mttee on Pensions
Mr. PEARCE presented the memorial Of Julius s. Bob
late master 10 the navy complaining of the action Of
the late naval board in consequences Of which he drop
ped and praying relief which ordered to lie the
table.
Mr. BROWN presented joint resolutions of the legisla-
ture of Mississippi in favor of taking steps obtain reliA
BILE information relative TO the interest in Europe
which referred 10 the Committee Commerce and
ordered 10 be printed.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT UNITED
message received from the President of the Uni
ted States by Sidney Webster esq his private secretary
In to resolution of the Senate calling for nfor
nation whether any offer has been made by the govern
ment OF Great Britain to the government Of the United
States to refer TO the arbitration Of some friendly power
otherwise the question in difference between the gov
ernments upon the construction OF the convention of the
4h July 1880 with any correspondence In relation TO sueh
proposed arbitration which read and motion by
Mr. MASON ten thousand copies ordered 10 be print
ed, thousand to be for the of the Department Of
| State. 8
Mr.. SEWARD said that this correspondence placed the
subject OF the controversy with regard to the construction
of the Clay ton Buwer treaty in light somewhat different
from that which it occupied when the debate upon il in
the Senate commenced As the stood when the sub
ject submitted TO the Senate by the President in bis
annual message the communications between the two
ernments consisted Of arguments able and elaborate
both sides maintaining the respective positions of the two
governments the part of the United States demanding
fulhment OF the treaty understand it, and on the
part OF Great Britain positively and he might perhaps
somewhat ohensyely refusing 10 comply with demand
Under those circumstances he had thought it due 10 Con-
and the country to express his decided
with the Executive IN the positions he had assumed. lie
had taken occasion then to that ia his opinion we had
passed the point where could Offer arbitration and that
the question might possibly become question of peace
war; but still he expressed the hope that it might yet be-
come the subject OF communications between the two
powers, with view to the caamites of He
lad said that Great Britain might hereafter offer
bitraton means OF settling these difficulties and
il she should do 50, he would be in favor of lending
listening ear to such proposition He had
opinion to express the subject of arbitration except
that which he had already expressed. He never would
have consented that The United States should offer
such a proposition but if it be consistent with the
dignity and honor of the United States receive PROPOSE
tons for arbitration from the British government and
that government having distinctly made this oferor it
now appeared from the correspondence that the British
government willing and said that they had hereto
fore been willing, to arbrae this quesonhe would for
bear the expression of opinion which might embarrass
Ibis in the consideration of that question. He
thought the Senate would do most wisely leave the mat
the of The department under the able
OF the Secretary Of State and he congratulated the
Senate and the country upon the pleasing prospect OF
amicabe adjustment OF this most important question:
trusting that the peace of the two nations would not be
disturbed while he felt confident that in the hands of this
administration, any administration which might
coed this the great Interests involved 10 the treaty would
| not be sacrificed.
He then proceeded to submit remarks the viola
ton OF the neutrality laws aud sovereign rights OF the
United States 1t had been said that there nothing
In the correspondence in the of apology for the
offence which The British government had committed.
tanning the honor of the country this every other
question: sui he must be allowed express the opinion
that circumstances appeared in the correspondence which
showed that the British government might with pausi
by and perhaps with conscieniousness say that they
bad rendered what regarded by them in the nature of
an apology which broad aud full as it
sisent with the honor of that government TO make He
referred TO letter of Lord Clarendon TO Mr. Marcy, In
which the former expressed the regret of her Majesys
government tho law of the United States had been in
any way inrnged by persons acting with without
authority from that government, and declared that any
such infringement was entirely contrary to the wishes and
positive Instructions OF her Majesty government Per
baps it would appear that the British government had
made all the apology that could be expected Of them.
MI PEAkCE did not concur in the views Just expressed
ling by his silence let them go forth the country
with the implied endorsement sanction of the Senate
He would not say that apology all had been made
but so far he bad been able TO form opinion such
apology had been made this government had right to
expect demand The publication of the correspondence
sent in yesterday disclosed frankness and mauness of
spirit the part government worthy of all honor
and Of which ought TO be proud but be sorry 10
be obliged to say that such spirit exhibited on the
part Of Great Britain lie would not characterize 1t be
thought 1t ought TO be but he would that the aront
upon rights OF territorial sovereignty seemed 10 be
aggravated by the spirit exhibited by the British Sec
rotary for Foreign Affairs. Not only had suitable
apology been made but there language in that
| respondence which amounted TO taunt, and which
was in itself offensive Lord Clarendon said that the
United States government had resorted to some
times resored TO by despouc governments, but which
more liberal governments would have disdaned 10 use
nc suCh Language as lDht was huuluR IN
suit TO injury lie was not advocate of aud hoped
that should maintain peace with Great Britain but be
could never acknowledge that the correspondence laid be-
fore the Senate furnished satisfactory apology for what
had been DONE couched in language which be-
coming government which had been guilty of the incon
testabe delinquency that attached 10 Great Britain in
gard TO this subject First that government had begged
the United States TO observe neutrality by not suffering
prvaeers be fitted in her ports TO sail uuder Rus
sian coors and Immediately afterwards she had herself
in covert and candestine manner endeayored TO evade
those very neutrality laws through her officers aud agents
Mr.. STUART said that be would add but a few remarks
to what had been well said by the from Mary
land Mr. PEARcE IL turned out from the correspondence
which had just been read that proposition VAS even
submitted TO Mr. Buchanan in conversation, Lord CLAIR
endon himself states in his the British minister
here which at all comes to the language used 10y Lord
G. in the House Of Lords He there said that he had pro-
posed that the arbitration Of friendly power should be
nvoked-both parties agreeing to be bound by the de-
cson There nothing 10 the correspondence sub
mtted in relation 10 arrangement of that kind there
no language which up that point The only in
ference that could be drawn from these facts that the
declaration made by Lord Clarendon in the House of
Lords for the purpose OF giving the British public 10
understand that that government bad assumed generous
position which had not been responded by the United
States government No other inference admissible
and yet that impression which seemed thus intended 10 be
conveyed not founded upon true statement Of the
facts Mr. ). concluded by expressing his opinion that in
asmuch Great Britain did intend comply
with the requirements OF the Clayton Bulwer treaty
ought TO abrogate II altogether.
Mr. SEWARD stated that he did not mean to be under
stood as saying that the explanations Of the British gov
eminent satisfactory. The remark had been made
that there nothing 10 the shape Of apology from
an Intentional aront The charge made that England
bad inflicted wound upon national honor which