Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-20
A APECULIAR LAW
In Regard TO Gifts to Employees
of the United States.
Congress Must First Consent to
Their Bestowal.


to Several Hundred from Foreign Gov
ernmsnts-Three Hundred and Fifty
Four from the King of sweden.
WASHINGTON, Nov 20.-At the open
ing of the next session congress will be
requested by the president to take action
relative to the disposition of several hun
dred presents that have recently been re-
ceived from foreign governments for
United States naval officers. Upward Of
$50 of these presents are for Captain
Schley and the officers and crew Of the
United States cruiser Baltimore, whose
experiences in Chihan waters have lately
been Of such thrilling character. An
other lot are for the captain officers
and crew of the United States cruiser
Charleston, who, during their services
in that vessel on the Pacific station, have
also had experiences that have been
marked by occurrences above the aver
age of those usually met in time Of
| peace.
OfMore Than Ordinary Interest.
More than ordinary interest centers in
the reception of these presents, partly
on account of facts above stated, but
mainly because in each instance they
commemorate events of international
concern. In this respect they differ
from the average of presents which con-
gress has been asked to sanction the ac-
ceptance of. AS general rule, hereto
fore, the presents have been compli-
mentary to persons, commemorative of
individual acts of bravery, or evidences
nf of NJ ttaI1 ~
rendered. In another respect, however,
this matter viii be Of more than ordi-
nary Importance.
Provisions of the Law.
Congress has evinced an indisposition
to grant permission to United States Of
ficers to accept presents of any kind from
foreign governments. Its disfavor took
shape about ten years ago in law. The
deliberate intention Of that enactment
was to gradually put a stop to the i'll
Creasing practice Of coming to congress
for permission to accept gifts offered by
foreign governments, which, it was con-
tended by congressman, was in violation
of that clause of the constitution which
forbids ''persons holding any Office of
profit Of trust under the United States"
to accept, without the consent of con-
gress, "any present, emolument, office I
title of any kind whatever from any
king. prince or foreign state" The
trainers of the constitution put in that
prohibition lest foreign governments
should in that manner unduly influence
our affairs.
The senate committee on foreign rela-
tions, in the winters of 1SS0-Sl, became
impressed with the belief that congress
had been too freely granting its consent
to the acceptance of presents, 80 1t pro-
posed and congress enacted law au-
thorizing a few persons then named to
accept certain decorations and presents,
and adding the following provisions,
which, in the estimation of most per-
sons, deprives the recipients of all pleas
ure that might have been afforded by
the distinction conferred or the gift be-
slowed:
That no decoration, or other thing, the
acceptance of which is authorized by this
act, and no decoration heretofore ac-
cepted, or which may hereafter be &C.
cepted, by consent of congress, by any
officer of the United States from any for
eign government shall be publicly shown
or exposed upon the person of the officer
so receiving the same.
That hereafter any present, decoration
or other thing, which shall be conferred
or presented by any foreign government
to any officer of the United States, civil,
naval or military, shall be rendered
through the department of state, and not
to the individual in person, but such pres
ent, decoration or other thing shall not be
delivered by the department of state un-
less so authorized by act of congress,
That bill had been long while under
consideration by the committee, and the
subject elicted discussion of a very in
teresting nature. 1t was shown that, in
some instances, the proposed gifts, or
decorations, or things" were quite
trivial and of little value; yet it was
delicate subject to handle, because Of
the danger of giving offense to foreign
governments by seeming to be dis
courteous in declining their well meant
offerings
From the King of Sweden.
For the captain, officers and crew of
the Baltimore there are in all SOD med
ais; one medal in gold to Captain Schley;
thirty-one in silver to the officers, and
1922 in bronze to the crew. They have
been rendered by the King of Sweden
and Norway as presents to the captain,
officers and crew of the United States
snip BalUliuOTe, Oh DOdTu WHICH bHlp bu5
body Of the great Swedish-American.
John Ericsson, was taken back to his
native land. Minister Thomas, in for
warding the box containing the medals,
wrote to Secretary Blaine that "the be-
stowal of these tokens means more than
a gift TO the individuals designated; it
also commentaries a solemn act of in
ternational courtesy, and expressed his
majestys appreciation of friendship and
good will thus shown by America to
Sweden"
The return of Ericssons remains to
the land of his birth, in an American
warship, was, our minister added, an
act of international courtesy,
successfully carried outin every particu-
lar. which left behind only the happiest
results. 1t gave solemn EXPIRE sion to
the cordial and fraternal feeling that
unites us with kindred people, the
parent source of large body of our
most valued citizens, Of whom the late
inventor, Scandinavian by birth and
an American by adoption was the most
llustrious example.
The recent experiences of Captain
5chley and the officers and crew of the
warship Baltimore in Chilian waters are
likely to be discussed in congress when
the joint resolution to grant them
permission TO accept the medals from
Sweden and Norway comes up for ac-
lion.
rgsN.-