The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-08
PETITIONS BY FOREIGNERS.


Several days ago, in the Senate, Mr. Conk-
ling asked permission to present the memo
rial of Mr.. Henry Mailer, citizen of
Prussia, which stated, Gin very respectful
and persuasive language, that Mr.. Mailer had
contributed valuably and essentially to the
success Of the French cable as an experiment;
and asked that in any adjustment made In
regard to it, we may take into consideration
his claims and affix such requirements as may
be deemed Just" Mr.. Conkling asked that
this memorial might be referred to the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations. To this just
and courteous proposition, we are ashamed to
say that objection was made upon purely
technical grounds. Messrs Pomeroy and
Trumbull Joined in objecting to the reference
or reception of any petition from q foreigner,
and they were sustained by the Yice-President,
although at first he had grave doubts upon
the subject. Mr.. Pomeroy subsequently
withdrew his objection; Mr.. Trumbull
thought it best mot to change the rule;" and
the Vice President declined to entertain the
motion to receive the petition.
If the Senate had not subsequently re-
trieved its character for the commonest
civility, and the most ordinary comfy, as will
presently be seen, we should have been COM
PEELED to characterize its narrow and churlish
course in the plainest of language. For any
rule or usage preventing the citizens of
foreign countries who may have grievances
to redress which can only be redressed by
Congress, from respectfully approaching that
body and asking for relief, we cannot with
the best exercise of our ingenuity, discover
the smallest excuse. For our relations to
foreign powers have become SO numerous
and so intimate, that it may we'll happen
that injustice to foreigner may be injustice
to our own citizens; while, in equity, there
cannot be the smallest doubt that whenever
we are as a nation deriving general bene-
fit from any project In which foreigners
are interested, we are bound to protect their
interests as we would protect our own. What
Mr.. Mahler's claims are, we do not know.
They may be insignificant, or, however large,
they may be without foundations but if he
has experienced wrong at the hands of the
French Company (Which is not, by any means
the most improbable thing in the world, why
should we not, while we are negotiating, so tC
speak, with that company, consider Mr.. Nah
ler's claim as an important or at least legiti
mate part of the subject matter under con
sideration? And if we may consider it, VIII,
may not Mr.. Mailer, albeit citizen of Prus
sia, ask us to consider it
Mr.. Conkling, having been met and re.
pulsed by the usage of the Senate, sought the
| usual refuge in a resolution. He moved thai
| the Committee on Resolutions be instructed,tC
| inquire into Henry Mahler's claims against tn
managers of the French cable, and whether
they should be regarded or protected by the
Congress of the United States. This time
we are sorry to say that objections were raise
by a Senator usually SO liberal as Mr.. Sum
ner. eff the Senate" said he, ''cannot re
ceive q petition or memorial from foreig
citizen, can the same object be accomplishe
Indirectly" Of course it can. If the Senat
finds itself, by reason of most unreasonabl
precedent, unable to listen directly to sup
plant who asEsfor simple justice Gas, withou
knowing the particulars, we presuppose MI
Mailer to ask, then it is thrice better fo
the Senate to do right indirectly than not t
do right at all Indeed, Mr.. Conkling dis
posed of this objection in SO conclusive an
summary way, that Mr. Sumner appears t
have waived it without further debate, onl
suggesting that perhaps it would be bette
for Mr.. Conkling to write private note abor
the matter to the committee. Mr.. Conklin
at once and properly declined to write privat
notes about anything to any committee; an
his resolution was agreed to. Mr.. Mahlt
may consider himself not only fortuna
but powerful man. He has compelled IL
Senate to swallow great many yards of IL
reddest tame in the world