The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-12-16

He thousht The House jussi6ed i,...N -.
Psct by laying the resolution on the T.
stevens said be Vas % obtuse that he
nsled 70 50 the least analogy between The
case s.ss' cited b the gsnslsnsn from Mary
n: Jefferson very properly told Genet
that Congress had 20 right to interfere
with treaty sipulations, for treaties bv
the Constitution are the supreme law of
the land. This is the whole extent Of the
precedent. He could not sse that ii had
any bearing on the question before them.
suppose Congress should pass law not
permitting any foreign power to establish
monarchy on the continent of North
Ame.ica. Has not Congress power to
say We win not suffer sovereignty to be
erected within our dominions i've c.n
enforce it, very well. He vas now speak
ing Of the power of Congress. If !, led
to war Congress alone has power to make
the declaration. How then could it in
ierfere with the executive authorityi
When the House proposed joint resolu.
ton that certain line of policy should
be the law Of the land, it is as clear as
the sun at MONDAY unless we are willing
to stultify ourselves. Last session We
passed resolution protesting against in
reference by France in this affair of Mez-
leo. Have gentlemen now become
awake to sense of their error on that oc-
-casion?
One branch Of this Government, the
executive. in rebuking this body, tells
foreign nations We are an Impertinent set
Of meddlers, and the executive pays no
attention to this body. Hs had no GEN.
sure to bestow on this body. Did it not
become Congress to say: Get out of the
way Mexican beretics. and do not inter-
fere with the grand policy Of the Repub-
lies of this continent ? and were they to
pause because foreign Governments found
fault, and because gentlemen say here
these questions mean nothing and the
representatives of The people are nothing;
that their sense of policy means nothing.
aud We need not trouble ourselves about
it, for the Secretary Of State will take care
Of these imperlinent dogs, and they shall
do no harm I? Laughter 1t was the
duty of the House to vindicate the dig
nifty OF the country and TO elevate it from
the low depths to which it has sunk when
an opportunity shall be afforded. He
would endeavor to introduce the resolu.
ton in mod6e form, asserting it is the
duty OF the executive department to re-
specs the policy. He was opposed to
excusing the gentleman from Maryland
from service on the Committee on For
eign Affairs.
Mr. Boutwell, said it was we'll known
that at the last session the House passed
, resolution affirming the Monroe doctrine
which was no. sustained by the Senate,
hence the resolution could not be taken
ss an expression of Congress. Il merely
expressed the voice Of this House and as
aid on the table is peculiar on this point.
l. asserts that Congress, not the House,
has constitutional righ! TO an authoritive
Voice in declaring and preserving the for
sign policy of the Uaited States. as we'll
10 the recognition of new powers as in
other matters. If the resolution had
stopped there no government would have
questioned its propriety. 1t went further
and declared that it is The constitutional
duty of the President 10 odopt that policy,
not less in diplomatic negotiations than in
those of the national forces when sutho-
rlzsd by law. This part of the resolution
conveys the impression that the President
is to obey Congress in the exercise Of CON-
stituted rights.
The discussion on this subject was con.
timed for some time longer by various
members.
Mallory asked leave to offer resolution
the President to communicate
all papers bearing on the arrest and i'm
prisonment of 1t. Gov. Jacobs and Col.
Wolford, (the latter one The Presidential
electors OF Kentucky by whose order ar
rested and where they are imprisoned.
Stevens objected.
On motion of Mr. Blaine. the Commit.
Tee of Ways and Means was instructed to
inquire into the expediency OF exempting
sailing vessels of 500 tons and upwards
from the two per cent. tax imposed in
the Gath section of the Internal Revenue
act Of 1864.
On motion of Mr. Rice, the House took
up and passed the Senate j1int resolution
giving the thanks of Congress to Captain
Winslow and Lieut. Gushing, the one for
destroying the Alabama and the other
FIR dastrovincy the A Albpmarle
Donnely. of Minnesota, introduced
bill to require persons applying for the
benefit of the pre-emption homestead law
to make oath that they had not deserted
from the army or resisted the draft or se
creted themselves to avoid being enrolled
or drafted or have not discouraged enlist
ments, and providing that whenever such
offense could be proved the land claimed
should revert to the government.
The bill was referred 10 the Committee
on Public Lands.
New York, Dec. 15.