Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-24
THE SPEECH.
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to carry with it its full measure of respon'
sibiity.
desire to call the attention of the Sem
ate to
A DECLARATION MADE BY THE SENATOR FROM
VERMONT
in the report submitted By the Judiciary
Committee in this case, and to another IN
the course of his remarks the other day.
After stating broadly the right OF the Sen
ate to any and all papers which may be
found in the Executive Departments OF the
Government, the report proceeds IN thus
language: -,
"a qualification of this general right
NAV under our Constitution exist IN the
case of calls by the House of Representa-
tives for papers relating to treaties, &C,
under consideration and not yet, disposed
of BY the President and Senate.
In the course of the Senator 9 remarks
he used the language which l shall read
and which may have occasion hereafter
to reresd, in part at least. After speaking
of the Writ case, and of General jackson g
attitude toward it, the Senator from YER
mont stated as follows:
"Ou every other topic President JACK,
son, like all his predecessors and Ike all
his successors until today, felt bound TO
and did give to both Houses of Congress
eyery information that they ever called Tor,
excepting as the report OF the COMMITTEES
and as the views of the minority state the
the iG stance of General Washington, who
while a treaty was pending before the Sen,
ate of the United States between uS and
Great Britain, was called upon BY the
House OF Representatives to send to them
copies Of the papers and information ABOUT
that treaty, which he declined to do upon
an obvious ground, consistently with all
thst have said and which ia stated in the
report of the majority.
THE WORDS OF WASHINGTON.
WHY did the Senator from Vermont state
that this inquiry was addressed to Presl-
dent Washington while q treaty was pend
ing before the Senate of the United States
between us and Great Britain? We all
know the reverence the American heart
has for the great man who led us safely
through the Revolution and fret occupied
the Presidential chair. We all know that
the case in which the American people have
deliberately reversed his judgment has
not occurred We ell know with
what power the fact would strike the Amer
lean mind that President Cleveland stands
flat.footed in the position occupied by his
ilustrious first predecessor. Why would
the Senator from Vermont stand on this
floor aud announce that the treaty between
the United States and Great Britain was
still pending when that inquiry was made ?
Would be shut his eyes to the record that
lay before him2 If be did will take the
liberty OF calling his attention 1T.
On the LIST day of March, 1896, the fol-
lowing message was received from the
President of the United States:
"Gentlemen Of the Senate and Of The
House Of Representatives:
The treaty of amiiy, commerce. and
navigation concluded between the United
States of America AMI His Britannia Ma
ies'y having been duly ratified, and the
notifications having been exchanged 81
London on the 2Sth day of October, l795
have directed the same to be promul
gated; and herewith transmit copy there
of for the information OF Congress
&c WASHINGTON.
United States, March |, l796"
That was the communication by Presl'
dent Washington to the House of Repre-
senGstives Of o consummated treaty be
tween this country and Great Britain-no
pending negotiations, but concluded.
there was no apology for q refusal to fur
nish the House OF Representatives or the
people OF the country with the information
asked for on the ground that it touched
pending negotiations and if there had
been any such difficulty the resolution OF
the House OF Representatives more than
covered it. ! shall read the resolution
passed BY the House OF Representatives.
Mr.. Saulsbury-What is the date?
Mr.. Kenns-March "a, think. | find
it in the proceedings Of the day prior to the
25th, and presume Congress met on that
day. which would make il the 9th.
THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE HOUSE
of Representatives reads as follows:
Resolved. That the President Of the
United States be requested to lay before
this House copy of the instructions TO the
Minister of the United States who nego-
tisted the treaty with the King Of Great
Britain, communicated by his message Of
the lst of March, together with the CORE
spondence and other documents relative to
the said treaty; excepting such of said
papers as any existing negotiation may
render improper TO be disclosed"
The very resolution of the House itself
on its face and it terms excepted from its
demand upon the President any paper
whatever which might touch any unfinished
negotiation between this country and Great
Britain touching that or any other matter.
There was the treaty pending before the
| House of Representatives and awaiting
their action to carry it into effect. There
was matter of practical legislation sub
mi.tel to that House by the fact of that
treaty. There in the Presidential Office
was General Washington, vino, if any NOR
tai man was ever devoid Of partisan prsju.
dice was that map, who il any man on earth
wss ever sctuated solely by patriotic, dis.
interested motive was that man. l Will
take the liberty Of reading an extract or
two from his reply!
ut does not occur that the inspection oil
the papers asked Tor can be relative to any
purpose under the cUguizance of the House
Representatives., except that of impeach,
ment, which the resolution has net ex-
pressed"
SHERMAN ANSWERED.
Permit me TO say in passing that. the
Senator from Ohio recently asked from
his place on this floor what right the Pres-
dent to inquire for what reason we asked
for documents. General Washington
says:
Except that Of an impeachment. which
the resolution has not expressed. | repeat
that have no disposition to withhold any
information which the duty of nv station
will permit, or the public good shall re-
qnire to be disclosed; and in fact, all the
papers affecting the negotiation with Great
Britain were laid before the Senate when
the treaty itself ives communicated TOR