Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-22
XIX. CONGRESS.
HON. A. n. KEILEYS CASE.
A Lively Debate In the senase-Reseiut'on
Of Sesstor vest-speeches OF Beck and
Others.

| Othtfs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, 1885.
senate.
The Chair laid before the Senate
letter from the Secretary Of War trans
hitting the reports, &C., relating e
bridges in course Of construction which
may interfere with the free navigation
Of the navigable waters Of the United
States.
Mr.. Maxey presented a memorial oil
the Mexican Veterans Association,
praying for the passage Of a bill PEN
sioning the veterans Of the Mexican
war. Referred.
Mr.. Vest offered the following pre-
amble and resolution and moved their
reference to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
Whereas. the correspondence be-
tween the Governments Of the United
States and Austria Hungary, which has
been transmitted 10 the Senate by the
President, shows that Hon. Anthony NJ.
Kelley, of Virginia. was on April %,
1885, appointed Minister to Austria
Hungary that on May Q, 1885, the
Government of the United States was
officially notified by the Government of
Austria-Hungary that " the position OF
a foreign Envoy welded to Jewess by
civil marriage would be untenable and
even impossible in Vienna" that on
August 4, 1885, the Government OF
Austria Hungary declared its determi-
nation not to receive Mr.. Kelley as
Minister from the United States
Resolred by the Senate aud House of
Representatives., That the position as
sumed by this Government, and the
principles affirmed in said correspond
ence by the Secretary Of State, meet
with our unqualified appreciation. The
Constitution Of the United States pro-
vides that "no religion shall ever be re-
quired as qualification to any office
or public trust under the United
States -; and whilst sincerely anxious
to maintain friendly relations with Aus
tria- Hungary and all other Govern
ments, the people of the United States
deny the right of any foreign Govern
ment to assert against any citizen of
this country disqualification for office
by reason Of his religious belief or that
Of his family.
Mr.. Vest, of Missouri, after stating
the facts shown by the correspondence
as causes contributing to the rejection
Of Mr.. Kelley by the Italian and Aus
trian Governments, said the State De-
partment Of this Government had recog-
nized at once the position taken by
the Italian Government. The Govern
ment Of the United States, he said,
would have recognized the right OF
the Austrian Government to object
to Mr.. Kelley on personal grounds
if he had been personally objec-
tionable TO that Government, but
when the Austrian Government
put its objection on the ground that
Mr.. Keilcy's wife entertained certain
religious opinions, this Government was
bound by the provisions Of its ConSti-
tuition and the traditions and opinions
Of its people, to respectfully refuse TO
admit the justice Of such an objection.
The principle Of religious liberty was
too thoroughly interviewer with our
form of government, and too highly
priced by the people Of the United States
to permit them to recognize the justice
of such an objection on the part of any
body. Mr.. Vest delivered a glowing
eulogium on Thomas Jefferson for hS
successful efforts in behalf Of religious
liberty, and expressed his pleasure that
Secretary Bayard had so properly and
energetically expressed the sense of the
American people on the subject.
Mr.. Vest then moved the reference Of
his resolution to the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and expressed the
hope that it would meet with the APP
proval OF both houses Of Congress.
Mr.. Plumb, Of Illinois, thought that
no question Of religious liberty was in
volved in the point. which. in his opin-
ion, was purely social one. These
diplomatic officials had really no duties
to perform except social ones. and Mr..
Plumb. for one, hoped the incident
would serve to call the attention OF the
country to the fact that the diplomatic
service was merely an ornamental
one, if indeed it could be called
even ornamental. SO far as it
concerned the religious prejudices
existing on the other side Of the water,
Mr.. Plumb said it did seem hard that
any should exist. and we here were
generally free from such preiudices,
though he believed there was hotel at
Saratoga whose proprietors were be-
lieved to have prejudice similar to
that referred to in the case under con-
sideration.
Mr.. Plumb criticized the published
statement attributed to Mr.. Kelley and
purporting to have been made after his
resignation of the Italian mission. That
statement was to the effect that he had
only said of the italian Government
what he would say Of the American
GOvernment-that it was gov
eminent founded upon gross and
bloody violation Of public right.
When Mr.. Plumb had read that
statement in the newspapers he
came to the conclusion that the person
uttering such an opinion was unfit to
represent the American Government
anywhere. The whole diplomatic ar
of the present day was, how
ever, in Mr.. Plumb's opinion, anti
9uated and totally unnecessary. and he
hoped the committee would recommend
to the Senate that it be abolished. He
had not observed that the wheels of the
Government had moved with any more
friction since Mr.. Keiley's rejection
than they had moved before.
The resolution was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations.
Mr.. Beck called up the resolution
heretofore offered by him directing the
Committee on Finance to inquire whe-
her the officials of the United States
mad complied with the laws requiring
hat the coin paid for duties on import
ID goods should be set apart as spe-
'ial fund and applied to the payment Of |
interest on United States bonds, etc.
Mr.. Beck spoke at considerable length |
~, hic raooI,,tiop Tho I n NC Of thu Land |