Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-22

the opportunity viii again ask r sease Of the House
upon that question II we are mere Dobodies in this mat
ter If ere mischie Makers then let lord and
master in The chair OF State rule aud control and LET
ask pardon OF the world for endesyorng 10 interfere
somewhat in OF the most vital question: which
ever affect this nation.
/ do not think l shall vote TO excuse the gentleman
from Maryland (Mr, DAvIs) chairman of the Commit
tee Foreign Affairs. do not look upon the vote Of
this House any insult to that gentleman do not look
upon that vote any ceasure upon him. We have
thoughessy acted upon the matter, perhaps, without
having taken full opportunity for its consideration aud
the chairman OF committee is to consider himself person
ally offended when the House votes down propositions
which he brings forward for consideration of
would have been out OF employment some TINS ago.
| Laughter Why, sir, when my friend here (Mr.
WAsHBURNE) introduced his proposition to tax the stock
OF Whiskey hand and rode trumphanty through this
House upon the bead of the liquor, while completely
submerged, did not ask to be excused it gentle
duckng from which expected to hoping to
gentleman from Maryland (Mr DAvIs will receive this
in the way, and consider that he still the
country with advantage in the position he occupies
for am that in this House or in the nation
be properly put at the head of that committee
Mr.. BOUTWELL, argued that the vote should not be
considered censure on the chairman OF the Committee
Foreign Affairs He thought the misunderstood
for the Senate did not adopt the resolution reamng the
Monroe doctrine it not the action Of Congress but
only of the House He approved the first branch OF the
resolution, but could not support the amplifcaton
tanned in the secondthat the President had not obeyed
the voice of Congress- He admitted that the manner in
which the Secretary of State had expressed his opinion
to the rights of the House in respect to foreign affairs
not agreeable to him. and he should be glad in some pro
per way, protest against it, but he did not how
they would be justified in arragning the President for the
neglect of the constitutional duty epjoned upon him to
obey the will of Congress in reference to our foreign
policy. He had neglected, we'll his Secretary, to be
guided by the will of the House but he had not dsrsgarded
the consutonay expressed Judgment OF Congress ID re-
4 ference to foreign policy.
| Mr. FARNSWORPH explained that lie had moved to
lay the resolution the table through no dlsrespect to
4 Ms-u apda hnUa ha
| not be excused
Mr.. SPAULDING said he Joined most heartily in the
action of the House the resolution passed during last
session. protesting against foreign interference IN the
affairs of Mexico He wished to stand, live, and die by
that doctrine. lie believed it perfectly legitimate for
the House express its views that subject rrespec
tive OF any Coordinate branch OF the Government When
the proposition up this morning ne was inclined to
for its adoption aud against laying upon the table
but further reflection and examination OF the Iesolu
ton, he fearful of the phraseoogy, as il conveyed
his aid to any such legislation. He believed we have
President who preserves unnpaired all the institutions
Of country and he would not do any thing to impugn
his integrity He trusted the gentleman from Maryland
would withdraw his quest as the House had confidence
in his wisdom and patriotism.
Mr. DAWES OF Massachusetts, trusted it would not be
considered dsrspectu to repeat that from the sublime to
the ridiculous but step manifested in the mat
ter and of the gentleman from Maryland and the
silver tones of the gentleman from Ohlo (Mr COX the
latter having expressed the hope that the gentleman from
MARYLAND would not be excused because tnnt Drng
the House to the necessity OF aso excuslng him, he
tleman from Oho) He Mr.. DAWEs,) after that an
changed his views because he could not excuse
both He thought it better to bear with both little lon
ger because it had been so ordered by their respective
constituencies. The gentleman from Maryland had this
morning thrown himself upon the thick bosses OF the buck
Ter of the House and got Tilted But he could not why
the gentleman should not be permitted to occupy that
place still longer and therefore he (Mr ID shall vote
| against excAsing him.
Mr. COX, in reply said the gentleman from MassachG-
.ets the first to display his magnanmity and refer to
defeated members of Congress the Democratic side
The gentleman might have had better opportunity to dis
play his jndctive feeling question connected
with parliamentary decorum 1t is true (sad Mr. Cox
that the places which know many of US will
know mo forever; and we bow to it, not with
political yet with Christian resignation. We do not
any thing n the Constitution by which we are bound to
quit at the end of year. after being elected for two
On the contrary to be compelled by the choice of
our constituents, consttutonaly made to out the
full term. But the gentleman from Massachusetts, has
done what no other gentleman that side of the House,
venture to say, would have done; and that to
mind here that we beaten; to trample upon
again after we deceased. Laughter That is not
brave You will find only illustration Of it in all his
tory and literature and that old Sir John Fasta who
killed Hotspur after he wa. dead Laughter.
Mr. Cox then proceeded TO speak to the subject before
the House; and remarked in reply to Mr. boutwell,,
that that gentleman could not have remembered the
guage Of the Secretary Of State when he said that the
question OF recognising monarchica Government, i'm
posed neighborng Republic ia purely executive
question, and the decision of consutionay belongs
the House of Representatives to Congresr
but the President the Uniten States thus claiming
exclusive power and Jurisdiction these questions
Ignoring utterly the right Congress to pass them not
withdrawing all the precedents Of history from the be-
ginning Of this Government down to the present time He
ought especially to have remembered those capital prece
dents made by Monroe and Madison, and Clay and John
Quincy Adams, with respect to the Spanish American
States when Congress naugurated the system Of recogns
ing other Republics and passing upon these matters of
foreign relations In spite Of all these precedents the
Secretary lays down the rule that Congress has power
this subject but that it purely executive ques-
tion 1t not question whether the Senate has passed
this Of ours not the Senate has not acted on
it at all 1t is not question whether the resolution has
become law not; it is question between the Execu
tive and Congress to the power Of Congress this
and other matters Of foreign nature IL the gentleman
will only read the learned report Of the chairman OF
the Committee Foreign Affairs, he will find that
from February 9, 1921, when Henry Clay made mo
ton in the House Representatives with reference TO re-
cogusing the Governments Of spanish America, running
all the way through history down to the bill for which
the gentleman from Massachusetts voted himself to
cogose the black Republics Of Hayt aud Liberia Cor
gess has always expressed Itself by bills resolutions and
appropriations upon these questions of international
cernmeut.
Gentlemen say that they would nave voted for this
luton if modified to read the Executive
Department" The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
STEvENs) said that But the word Executive" or
President" includes all these officers and there no
reason for aong the resolution except this that strikes
at the policy Of the Secretary of State the President
for whom he speaks And what is that poicyi policy
which humiiates this country the eyes of the world
policy which placed before France knees, with
mouths in the dust which told the Emperor OF France