The Portland daily press., 1863-02-12
FROM WASHINGTON.
Secretary Stewards Answer to the Senate
Respecting the Granting Of Passes.
Denial of the French Proposal for the
Meeting of Commissioners.
WASHINGTON, Feb, H..

| WASHINGTON, FEB. H..
The following communication was transmit
ted TO the Senate to-day:
To the President of the United States:
The Secretary of State, to whom was refer
| red a resolution of the Senate passed on the
9th day of Feb. inst, in these words, viz:
Resoired, That the President OF the United
States be required to communicate to the
Senate, If not incompatible with the public
interests, the character of the suggestions
made by the Secretary OF State TO NJ. Mercier
the representative of the Emperor of the
French, to this government, as narrated i'm his
communication to NJ. Thouvenal, under date
of the 18th of April last, which induced NJ
MERCER to undertake his mission to Richmond
in that month, and what representation, il any,
he was authorized to make from this govern
ment, or from the Secretary of State, to the
Confederate authorities
lie has the honor to submit the following
report: That no suggestions were made to NJ.
MERCER by the Secretary of State that induced
orwere designed or calculated to induce him
to undertake mission to Richmond i'm April
last, or at any other time. He was not then.
nor has he or any other person ever been au-
thorized by this government or by the Secre-
tary Of State to make any representations of
any kind or on any subject to the iDsurrection-
AIRY agent or so called authorities at Richmond,
or 10 hold any communication with them in
of the present disturbances. Until the Spring
of 1862 this department was charged with the
authority OF granting passes or passports
through the Dnes OF the government forces
II early became question whether Foreign
Ministers, residing in United States, should be
denied such passports. 1t was thought sound
and liberal policy to leave them free to visit
any part OF the country TO which they are ac-
credited, so long as there should be no ground
to question their good faith towards this gov
eminent. This has been uniformly avowed as
the course OF the government Accordingly
passport was granted in the month of April,
1861, TO his excellency Rudolph Scbluden,
Minister resident here of the Republic of Bre-
men. like passport was granted in August,
1861, to the French Minister. attended by His
Royal Highness Prince Napoleon Jerome, then
on visit at this Capital, and in April last a
similar passport TO the French Minister. These
passports were granted at the request of those
distinguished persons respectively, and not on
any suggestion Of the Secretary of State
They severally travelled in private and I'M
official capacity. They bore no communca-
ton, whether formal or informal. verbal or
written, from this government or from the Sec
rotary Of State to any of the insurgents, and
they brought none from any such persons to
this government or to the Secretary of State.
Since the 4th of March, 1861, no communca-
ton, direct or indirect, formal or informal, has
been held by this government or by the Secre-
tary OF State with the insurgents, their aiders
or abettors. No passport has been granted to
any Foreign Minister to pass the military lines,
except by the Presidents direction. and each
OF such Ministers who has received such pass
ports has, upon his return, waited upon the
President, as well as the Secretary Of State,
and given them such account, unasked, as he
thought proper Of his journey. OF course
these statements are to be qualified so far as
the facts relating to the communications con-
corning the exchange of prisoners, and other
military matters In charge Of the War Depart
ment may affect them.
Respectfully submitted.
fSigned) WM. ii. SEWARD.
Department Of State, Washington, February
9th, 1868.
There is no foundation for the sensation re-
port that Secretary Seward has rejected the
French proposal for meeting Of Commission
ers from the North and South to arrange terms
of peace, as a French proposition, If such
thing there be, has not yet reached our gov
eminent