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

lie on the table, which wss decided il Il
affrmativc-ayes 90. nays 63.
| Davis, when the result Of the vote Va
announced, ssked to be relieved from se
vice on the Committee on Foreign Re
lations.
| He desired to take ell the responsible
" connected with any service which III
House might put upon him. but when i
the course Of the discharge of his dutie
be found himself to differ from the opin
ion Of the majority he thonght be shout
no longer bold such position.
The House at the last session on hi
motion passed . resolution touching tn
foreign policy in relation to the Rspubli,
OF Mexico, and it was passed unanimous
ly. It Vas sent to the Senate and there i
still lies. 1t bad been passed by tn,
House only vers few days when the Of
6cer charged with the foreign correspond
encs of thi. government directed our Re
presenfatives abroad virtually to apologiz,
to the French government for the resolu
ton passed BY the Representatives of ths
American people, asserting 10 effect tha
this House had gone beyond its iurisdic
tion 10 undertaking to prescribe to III,
President the rule BY which he should b,
guided. His correspondence was made
the subject OF . circular to all the foreign
governments TO let them understand thai
Congress has no right to speak with re
gard to the foreign affairs of this govern
ment, and that nothing was 10 be regard
ed, bat what came within the line Of tn.
executive branch Of the government. The
correspondence Of the Secretary of STATE
sas 10 its tone disrespectful to the dig
eity and character of the House of Re.
presentalives.
The Secretary Of State had in the face
of Europe slapped the House of Repro
seotstives 10 the face 10 this correspon d
ence With the French government, aod
be asked the House whether it would to-
day assert its own dignity.
Mr.. Cox said If the House should ex
cuse the gentleman from Maryland he
himself would ask to be excused from
further service on the Committee on For
eign Affairs.
Mr.. Cox said the country and the con
tipent has been insulted by the French
intervention in the affairs of Mexico. The
House in a moment Of prize ami ma
lidnslty and true dignity asserted its
proper prerogative on this question and
The COMMITTEES on Foreign AEairs carried
out its wishes. He dill not think the
gentleman from Maryland should ask to be
ezcased from serving on the Committee
uuless he holds this House and Congress
in utter and absolute contempt. He
hoped something would be done to vindi-
cate this House from executive or diplo-
matte aggrandzsment. We have had
for three years some of the old questions
which have agitated England for CEN
turies, namely: The contest between
prorogatiose and parliamentary privileges,
with the exception thu. in England the
Parliament is paramount and we in this
country ought to be.
The gentleman from Maryland not only
in this bat 10 other matters had asserted
Congre ssional..right against executive usur-
patton, aud therefore deserved the thanks
of every nationsl man. He appealed to
every gentleman here to vindicate the
dignity Of Congress. There was no dout t
10 his mind that Congress has, Il no, a con-
trolling, large voice in ndirectiog the for
eign relations Of the country. 1t seems,
however, BIZ laying the resolution on the
table the House thought otherwise; bus
the gentleman from Maryland should not
take umbrage at anything this House
could do, as he exposed executive interfe-
renee by the manifesto which he had the
bnldness to vincicate before the people. -
He expressed the hope that the House
would not pass>a vote of censure oa the
committee BY excusing the gentleman
from Maryland from service on it. III the
House would do go it would sinkto the low.
est level and deserve to be placed at the
footstool Of power and kickedby the exec
utive. He would vote against excusin 9
the gentleman. He could testify to hi:
out>p ken frankness and nationality aud
We need Just such man now as hereafter
on the committe.
WI DiaiuS oaiu HhfdHei VI Histof y
was sometimes worth looking at. The
foreign correspondence with France had
brought this question before the House
Three quarters Of century ago We had q
difficulty with this same nation, and thi.
difficulty resulted in giving US prece
dent. The very same objections and ap
peals were made during the administration
of Washington by gentlemen and pressed
on Jefferson, then Secretary of State, and
he called attention to the facts, reading
them FROM the life of jefferson. Gene
aud Jefferson had discussed friendI,
proposition which Genet said he brought
| from his own nation and said it ought no
to be adopted without consulting Con
gress. Genet having got into a NOR,
moderate strain, Jefferson explained
the functions Of our government
saying all these questions belonged L
the executive department, and even i
Congress we're in session they could no
be referred it.
Genet asked if Congress was not sove
reign2
Jefferson said no, and that Congress
vas sovereign only in making laws, ,h
executive 10 executing them. and The ju
dietary in constructing them.
Said Genet, Congress binds us to irea