Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-25
The Senate

| nave been surprised at that message, bu
| am not, and am only very highly gratifed a
| the patriotic expressions of the hopes wishes
almost intentions of the President of the United
states IN reference to protection to American
| interests and American rights. But the pecu
liarity ofthe situation las il seems to mel is that
having had a statute providing for selfdefense
| approved by the President of the United States
passed by substantially the unanimous vote OF
| both Houses tif that made any difference to his
duty in faithfully executing the laws) and after
full consideration of all its points and bearings
the extent to which it should go, the objects to
| which it should be limited, and the circum-
i stances under which il should be brought into
| play
| EIGHTEEN MONTHS HAVE SINCE GONE BY
| And we are now informed by the President OF
the United States flor l take it that is what he
means, although no word of that kind is in
the message) that no step of any kind has
| been taken to carry into execution the plain
| provisions of that law. It is true the law did
not require the President should put it into eff
arisen of injustice which should satisfy him
American rights were being unjustly dealt with
II there has been no instance of injustice since
the passage of the Act, the President has been
hight in taking no step in respect to the matter.
II, however, in his opinion-as he now states
it-there have been instances Of denial of lust
rights. why is it the President has not taken
any steps in the exercise of the powers imposed
upon HMM the exercise of the high duty
which the Constitution imposes upon him-of
seeing the laws are faithfully executed?
WHY HAS HE BEEN SILENT
For eighteen months, with the whole power of
the law in his hands? l must express my sur
prise, not as partisan, but as citizen, that he
has failed to take any steps, and now sends
message asking that additional powers be given
him. The Canadian Government has not re-
fused to trans-ship fish on the ground that Ar
ticle XX1X of the treaty of Washington was
not in force. 1t has refused to trans-ship fish on
the ground that that article did not override the
Convention OF 1878, by which an Amer can fish
three mile limit. When the Canadian au-
thorities denied ito American fisher.
fish from Halifax to Boston, or New York, the
President was justified in denying to Canadian
fishermen the transportation of their goods
across our country: That is the fact, and the
President tells us that it has existed now for
two years. Following that fact, which the
Plesident says IS a gross outrage, is the statute
OF the United States which says that if he is
satisfied such fact exists he shall apply the
means OF redress which the statute has placed
in his hands. Why does he not do it? Alas,
Mr. President, think it is an infinite pity that
which has never been tested by the first step,
should remain unexecuted and in
STATE OF "ISNoCUous DEsUETUDE'
Until the President may see whether Congress
will not put more ammunition into his hands.
Senator Hoar said that the Senators on
the Democratic side had fairly lain down
before the demands and threats and pre-.
tensions of the little Dominion of Canada.
They thought they were lying down by the
side of the President to comfort him in his
position. But now, behold the President
has undertaken to get up, and, shaking the
mud from his own coat, to leave them
where they had placed themselves
Morgan said the evidence is clearly
established that the purpose of all the op-
position to the President in respect to these
fisheries had not been to get the Govern
ment into better shape, but to entrap the
executive and put him into a straight
jacket, where he would do the bidding of
the minority Of the people of the United
States represented in this chamber.
They had even threatened the President
with impeachment if he dared to disobey
their commands. He thought the country
would appreciate the fortitude of man
who could stand up sgainst the utterances
of the Senator from Vermont and perform
his duty without tremor. Morgan said
he had discussed the retaliation law as q
law looking to treaty as its result. The
Senator from Vermont discussed it as law
which looked to war as its result. The
Senator from Vermont had drawn the law,
and if he had known of cases recently
occurring that violated the treaty of 1878
he ought TO have put them in and made
them the basis of the legislation.
for the Vice. Presidency is a Director in one
of these Canadian railroad companies
Frye informed Morgan that Morton had
some time ago resigned his position as a
railroad Director.
Morgan intimated that the nominal date
of his resignation might not be the actual
one.
Edmunds resented that implic alton, and
said that Morton played no tricks on the
people of the United States, nor anybody
else.
Hale characterized the Presidents mes
sage as desperate expedient to recover lost
ground, and his confession that the atti-
tude taken by his Administration as to the
treaty was an attitude that had no accent
or force in it. After having failed in the
treaty, the President found fault with the
statute of retaliation, and his Secretary of
tina Treasury had found power enough in
the statute to give to British steamships
and to the Canadian Pacific Railroad per-
mission to transport goods from one Ameri-
can port (San Francisco to another Ameri-
can port, and thence to the terminus of
thst railroad
Sherman thought the Presidents mes
sage was movement to supply lost ground.
If he had based the treaty upon the princi-
pies laid down in his message it would
aofo uccu lduueu Dy uuhDlnOuS YOte. Inc
President comes to Congress and asks for
more power when he has the power to
bring the Canadians to terms in twenty
four hours. The mere declaration of these
two points-that we will not allow fresh
fish to come free into our markets as long
as our fishermen are denied their rights,
and that we will not allow them to dis
criminate against us in the canals and the
great transportation ines-will bring them
to terms. l believe the result of such
mode would be the union of Canada and
the United States. and that would be the
best for all.
George took the floor, and the matter
went over without action.
Adjourned.
The House.
fCopyiah, 1855, by tie California Associated Press.,
WASHINGTON, August Oath. The entire
time of the session of the House to-day
was consumed in flibustering proceedings
over the general deficiency bill to compel
the payment of French spoliation claims.
There was no quorum present.
At the evening session the House passed
forty-five private pension bills, and at 1870
adiOurned