The New York Herald Newspaper, January 15, 1869, Page 3

_ WASHINGTON AB to Amend the Tenure of Office Act Introduced in the Senate. The Niagara Ship Canal Pro- ject in the House. Rare Developments Concerning the Alaska Fund. Where the Money is Reputed to Have Gone. WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 1869, General Grants Reply to the Bohemian Organ. Tne fact that General Grant has at length spoken, thronghjthé columns of the newspapers, is one that excites no common interest here among those who know him. It was generally expected that he would have anthorized a statemept of denial thé conversation atleged to have been had with longtime ago, yet, although its publication i him very much, he had no intention of falc na hao last day or two. So far as he ‘was concerned he did not deem it 2 to put forth any contradiction, but he and that as time passed the evidences that it was Gffecting the intetestd of his friends (game more frequently to his notice, and the appear- .0@ Gf another reported interview with him in the paper on the 12th instant, together with an assertion that the statements in question {pad never yet been denied, induced him to move in Matten He accordingly wrote the dental him- and gave it to the representatives of the press publication, es Funding tho Public Debt. The Senate Committee on Finance held a meeting Caren so spent ¢ long time discugsing the SAyisable pian of proceeding towards the com- of @ bill for the funding of the public debt, fetal. bills gre siready lying on the taple in the 0 of Senator Corbett’s, one of Senator 4 se and on¢ of. Senator Edmunds’. The latter lcontains some suggestions which the committee are \Aisposed to accept, and that of Senator Sherman's, 8 it does, the most elaborate scheme ‘that has yet been introduced in reference to the debt, received a large share of consideration; but no action was taken on the question as to what character of bill would be reported to the Senate. ‘The committee will hold no meeting to-morrow,.as |” nearly all of the members are in request at the That Mr. Martin Proposes to Make. 1 stated in one of my despatches a few days ago that Mr. Martin, who professes to know all about the He is here, ang.sf the Cofimittee on Public penditares desire to pump him there is no obsta- cle to the gratification of theirdesire. Martin boasts ‘that he has some very damaging information that he can furnish the committee, and declares that he de- rived his knowledge of the business from a certain being an observing man, capable of put- ting stray facts in juxtaposition and finding results, ‘his suspicions were awakened in relation to the Alaska job, and his curiosity led him toa private investigation. The chain of evidence he thus formed he considers highly satisfactory, and when he had what he considered undoubted evidence of the ‘transactions referred to he called on the Secretary of State and warned him of the conse- quences of an exposure and had his information pqoh-pooned by that illustrious diplomat. Not long alter, however, the gentleman was offered a secret mission to Mexico to ascertain for our government what kind of a government the people of Mexico desired. I give the above and what follows without pretending to state that it is even probably true, but simply as the statement of a man who represents that he knows what he is about, and as something for the investigating committee to work upon. Ac cording to Martin’s statement, which is at least worthy of being sifted, while the Alaska treaty was being negotiated, Seward ex- Pressed to Baron Stoeckl doubts as to the chances of getting the matter through Congress and advised the latter to do something to oil the wheels of legislative machinery. In arranging the price to be paid for the Territory the means were provided wherewith to furnish the oll, Thad Stevens was the man selected to put the matter through, and it is alieged the imperial agent visited the Great Commoner, and in his blandest manner laid the matter open, assuring him that a half mi- lion of dollars would be regarded as a mere baga- telle if his infuence could be secured. The good old ‘man refused any recompense, but put his shoulder to the wheel with a will. A distinguished Eastern mem- ‘der was found to take charge of the matter, and a biil ‘was prepared. At this stage of the game another East- ern member, who has a reputation for smelling good ‘things, scented the game. He had a small claim on the Russian government that he was prosecuting for an Eastern firm who furnished the Russian bear with fire arms amounting to $800,000. He at once saw the first Eastern member and let him know that he was fally posted, Numbers one and two then put their heads together and settled that aumber two should introduce a resolution to make the deduction from the Alaska purchase money in favor of his clients Dut should subside when number one raised a certain point of order. Well, the appropriation was finally made, and the following are represented as some of the items of expenditure:—To an ex-pubiic printer, 5,000; to @ near relative of the Great Commoner, $40,000; to an ex-Commissioner of Pensions, $10,000; to the Washington corespondent of a New York radical morning paper, $5,000; to a Washington correspondent, who is on the list as belonging to the Hera, but who is known to be attached to a Cincinnati paper, $10,000; to a conser- vative morning paper in Baltimore, $20,000; to the Washington special . correspondent of the same paper, $5,000; to a Chicaga democratic Morning paper, $5,000; to & representative of the Jones family, $10,000; to an Eastern Senator who had fnfluence with a prominent journal, $20,000; ana the Eastern member before alluded to as No. 1, $250,000; to Eastern member No. 2, $150,000. The diplomatic chief fell heir to $200,000, and the great king of the New York lobby, who had the general management Of the job, received the modest little sum of $500,000, Martin pretends that there is evidence ready for the committee to show that an acquaintance who ehancéd to call on Baron Stoeckl soon after tho @ppropriation was made saw lying on the Minister's desk # draft tor $5,000,000, which the Baron handed himtolook st. The gentieman asked what it was for, and was told that it was the payment for Alaska, “But this,” said he, “ts only for $5,000,000, I thought the United States were to pay $7,200,000.’ The Baron answered:—‘‘No, sir; that is all we asked for the Territory. You Yankees got ali the rest.” There ia also proof that Mr. Seward received from Boston, about the 4th of October, a letter of which the fol- lowing is a copy:— My Dear that some wie Sin—It appears one conn not wh too strong, asin these matters the least talk the better. I thought, however, to apprise you of the fact, What do you advise? ‘Thia letter bore the glgnature of an Eastern mem- NEW YORE HERALD, FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 1869—TRIPLE SHEET. ing “What does this mean?’ This ia @ mary of what Martin expresses himself to communicate, It seems ap extravagant story throughout, The Russian Mission—Cellector Smythe’s firmation of Collector Smythe for the Russion Mis- sion, was received by Senator Pomeroy to-day. The paper is highly complimentary to Mr. Smyhte, and has changed some votes in his favor. The latest can- vass gives about forty-one votes in his favor. The Niagara Skip Canal. A large portion of the House session to-day was consumed in the discussion of the Niagara ship canal |" Project. This is Van Horn’s pet scheme, which he has nursed carefully until the present time, in the hope that some way or other he would find a chance to slip it through as @ healthy child by means of nice clothes and good feeding. The little infant, how- ever, was made to saueal considerably to-day under the severe treatment of Dr. Humphrey, who pulled off its pretty dressings and submitted it to an exam- ination of the naked truth. Van Horn hads very long and very well constricted treatise all prepared, and he delivered the whole of it, with only two or three attentive listeners, however, including Hum- phrey, of Buffalo, and Judge Churchill, who isa sort of godfather to the scheme, When Van Horn concluded he was congratulated by Churchill and wiped the perspiration from his brow. Humphrey followed. He had no speech prepared, but spoke with an energy and directness that soon commanded the undivided attention of the House. He made quite @ sensation, and woke up all the advocates of the scheme, who vainly tried by interruptions and dilatory questioning to throw him off the track. But he was'too'full of the subject to be em- barrassed by such small trickery; and every inter- ruption only seemed to bring him out more clearly and pointedly. As the subject fs likely to occupy the attention of Congress for a few days, and is of interest to New Yorkers, it 1s well to state what the bill provides for. The principal provisions of the measure are found in the firat section, as follows:— That @ sbip catfal be constructed, as a military work for the use of the government of tho United St around the falls of Niagara, in the State of New York, commencing at some point on the Niagara river, above the falls, and at some convenidnt poink below upon the same stream, or upon the shore of Lake Ontario, which shall not be one hundred and Vad ag fe feet wide on the sur- one ting with vertical sides, with not less than {¢ feet in depth of water, with locks not less than two hundred and seventy-five feet | and forty-six feet wide, or with inc! lanes of dimensions suf- Sicient to safely and ex) vessels of not less than twelve hundred tons burden; and for inited States aiding the State of New York in enlarging the water. way and locks on the Eris ‘Oswego canals to a capacity.sufficient to pass vessels at least thirty feet in width and two hundred nd fifty feet in length from the Hudson river into Lake Erie and Lake On- tario, with such additional new locks, feeders and alterations of the channel of said canals as may be necessary for that purpose. Reconstraction in Mississippi and Georgia. General Gillem’s testimony before the Reconstruc- tion Committee to-day did not develop any new facts concerning the manner in which the Missis- sippi election was conducted nor the present condition of affairs in that State. He had littie else to say but what was contained in his report to General Grant, In answer to ques- tions proposed by the members of the committee he said he had taken every precaution to have the elec- tion conducted fairly and to prevent intimidation upon the part of the white employers towards their black employés, He issued circulars of instruction to the various sheriffs throughout the State, but it is his impression that the sheriff! were hostile to the Reconstruction acts and aid not carry out their in- structions. From all that he was able to learn he thinks there was considerable intimidation used in dierent parts of the State towards the blacks, and that on this account many of them did not vote, General Gillem is to appear again before the committee, when he will be examined touching the disturbances alleged to have occurred in the seven counttes of the State where the enemies of the State constitution were in the majority. The Reconstruc- tion Committee will probably make a report to the House in a week or ten days on the result of this in- vestigation into tne condition of Georgia and Missis- sippi. The committee is by no means agreed among themselves as to what should be done. Some of them, and among the number Mr. Bingham, the chairman, are opposed to a new reconstruction of Georgia, believing that the testimony does not war- rant such @ course and that her State constitution ts thoroughly republican in form and spirit. Those who listen to the stories of the Bullock faction go for a reconstruction. The number of these is be- lieved to be small, because since the investigation was commenced it has become apparent that the object of these men fs to have @ new deal of offices, 80 as to secure good ones for themselves and their friends and to get achance to have revenge upon political enemies. With regard to Mississippi it is thought that the best wav is to throw out the votes of the seven counties where the disturbances {ook place and where, it is alleged, intimidation and threats were used to such an extent as to prevent the negroes from vot- ing. Witn these counties thrown out there would be a clear majority in the State for the constitution submitted to the people by the Convention. The testimony before the committee indicates that a clear Majority of the voters of Mississippi are in favor of this constitution. It isthe opinion of some mem- bers of the committee that if the constitution were approved by Congress and the State government set in motion law and order would be respected and peace and prosperity restored, ‘The Central Pacific Railroad. The President of the United States has accepted the report of the Government Commissioner upon an additional section of twenty miles of the Central Pacific Railroad and telegraph line terminating at the 470th mile post east of Sacramento and has di. rected the bonds to be issued to the company as re- quired by law. The Colered Suffrage Convention. In the Colored National Suffrage Convention to. day Professor Vashon, chairman of the Committee on Credentials, reported the following from Alle- ghany City, Pa.:—Rev. A, Cole, 8. A, Neale, B. F. Pulpuso, Rev. J, W. Devine, Miss Harriet C. Johnson and William Peterson. Fields Cook, of Virginia, ob- Jected to admitting women to @ colored mef’s con- vention. Dr. J. H. Brown was in favor of admitting ‘women in this progressive era, and said the women would yet have avote. Rev. Mr. Garnett insisted that the question should be settled imme- diately, The Chair called him to order, when Dr. Garnett refused to take his seat, and ithe Chair proceeded to announce the committees, but was frequently interrupted. Mr. Mabson, of North Carolipa, insisted that none but men should be admitted, and moved that the report be adopted leaving out the names of the ladies, Dr. Brown, of Maryland, moved to lay the motion on.the table, Mr, —~, of Pennsylvania, agreed with present, and that the council should, of course, be free to express its opinions upon all the affairs and relations of the church. Dr. Boynton said there had been a misapprehension of his position in the sup- wished to insist upon the fullest possible investiga- tion of all matters concerning all the affairs of the charch, By a vote of the council the church and pastor were requested to proceed with such pre- sentation of the case as they deemed proper. The probable that it will continue in session several days. Superintendents of Exports and Drawbacks. ‘The Secretary of the Treasury to-day sent a reply to the House resolution inquiring why he had postponed the time for the discontinuing of the office of Super- intendent of Exports and Drawbacks at the ports of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Raltimore after September, 1868, He says the question of discontinuing these offices was purely practical in ita character, vis., as to whether i¢ would be better to conduct the business for a definite time in its old channel, with experienced officers in charge for the sole purpose of closing it up, or to place the unfinished cases in the hands of the collectors of ex- ports, towhom the business must necessarily be new, and which would, doubtless, require a good portion of their time to organize and become fa- miliar/with ita operations. Under this state of facts and for tis reason he determined to postpone the day for the abolition of this office, and accordingly extended the time. * Meeting of Senate Committees. ‘The Senate Committees on Public Lands anda Con- tingent Expenses meet to-morrow for tive first time, There is a great deal of business before the former committee, and as retrenchment and economy appear to be the order of the day in Congress it is hoped some of these schemes for plundering the public domain will re- ceive a little attention, The Senate Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads had a meeting this morning on the subject of nominations which have been for some time before them. They agreed to re- Port favorably on the nomination of a postmaster named Hamilton, for Memphis, Tenn. Senator Ramsey, the chairman, being sbsent in Minnesota, no other matters received consideration. The River and Harbor Appropriation Bill. The Senate Committee on Commerce had a meet- ing to-day, at which the bill, passed by the House at the last session, making appropriations for the im- provements of rivers and. harbors, was discussed. They decided to amend it by striking out all appro- priations except those recommended by the Secre- tary of War, and to reduce the amount appropriated by the last Congress for the improvement of rivers and harbors $1,500,000. By retaining only the appro- priations recommended by tLe Secretary of War the sum total of the bill will be largely reduced. Protection of the Alaska Fur Interests. There are two bills before the House Committee on Commerce relating to the protection from discrimi- nate destination of the seal fur bearing animals of Alaska. One of them was introduced by Mr. Cole in the Senate, and the other by Mr. Eliot in the House. The committee had a meeting to-day, at which both bills were considered. It is probable that the two bills will be merged in one, which will embody the best features of both, and in this shape will be re- ported to the House, Interview with the President. The delegates to the National Bricklayers’ Union, now in session in this city were introduced to the Pres- ident this afternoon. Hon. Samuel Cary performed the ceremony of introduction in a few pertinent remarks, The President in response expressed himself pleased at the compliment of their visit, and said, without making a sp-ech, he would simply refer to his record for an illustration of his respect for labor and indus- trial interests, ‘The delegates were then individually introduced to Mr. Johnson. ‘The Claim of Miss Murphy, of Alabama, Further discussion of the Sue Murphy case will cease to-morrow anda motion will be adopted re- committing the subject to the Claims Committee, from which it is understood it will be reported for passage, guarded by such provisions as will insure it from beiug made a precedent for payment of the ten thousa id other claims which the Senate is so ap- prehensive might be © ¢ to follow. Reimbaresing «a Army Contractor. ‘The senate Committee on Claims had a meeting this morning and discussed a bill long ago introduced by Senator Foster to reimburse a New Jersey con- tractor for army cloth which he furnished the gov- ernment towards the end of the war, but which happened not to be wanted, and was thrown back on his hands, which necessitated his selling it at a considerable sacrifice. The committee did nothing in the matter. The Busteed Investigation. The Busteed investigation was continued to-day before only one member of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Eldridge. Samuel F. Rice, of Montgomery, Ala., Was examined at length. His cross-examina- tion was conducted by Judge Busteed, and some facts rather damaging to the prosecution were elicited. Nominations Sent to the Senate. ‘The President sent to the Senate to-day the follow- ing nominations:— Perry Fuller to be collector of customs for the dis- trict of New Orleans; E. A. Palfrey to be collector of customs for the di of Sulem and Beverly, Mass. ; agncssot of internal reve- nue for the Second, district of Pennsylvania; yo Military Orders. Brevet Brigadier Weneral J. D. Bingham, chief of the quartermaster's department of the lakes, has been ordered to make an inspection of the affairs of the quartermaster’s department in the Fifth Military district. . Special Committee on Ordnance. ‘The following gentlemen constitute the special committee on ordnance:—Senators Howard, Cam- eron and Drake; Distribution ot Navy Prizes. The prizes Nita and James Battle, captured by the United States steamer De Soto, and the prize Adela, captured by the United States steamers Quaker City and Huntsville, are now in the office of the Fourth Auditor of the Treasury for distribution, and will be Teady for payment in a few days. Foreign Telegraph Cables. The bill prohibiting the landing of telegraph cables along the coast of the United States was also con- sidered by the committee, and it was agreed to refer itto the Attorney General for his opinion on the subject. The Virginia Conference Committee. The Virginia Conference Committee had a pleasant and sadsfactory Jaterview with General Grant and Secretary Schofteld to-day, They algo had an inter. view with some of the leading Senators and Repre- sentatives, Sherman’s Railroad Bill. If the chance itaelf to-morrow Senator Whyte, of Maryiana, will deliver an elaborate argu- ment on the uncgngtitutionality of the Railroad bill introduced by Senator Sherman. The on Stee! and Iron. The Ways and Means Committee con-umed their entire session to-day in discussing the rate of duty to be fixed on irom and steel, but no conclusion was reached. ‘The Funeral of Congressman Finney. ‘The select committee of the House appointed to meet the remams of the late Darwin A. Finney, of Pennsylvania, at New York, ard escort them to his late residence left for New York to-night. Personal. Ex-Governor Buckingham, of Connecticut, suc- ceaaor to Senator Dixon, was on the floor of the Sen- ate for ashort time to-day taking a survey of com- fortable quarters where he will soon be installed. Customs Receipts. ‘The recetpta of customs from January 1 to the oth instant were:— Supreme Court. Inthe Supreme Court to-day the following cases ‘were argued:— No, 42. The steamship Georgia vs. the United States. concluded. No, 43. Pacific Insurance Company vs. Soule, Collector, &¢., @ certificate of division from the Cir- cuit Court of California; an action to recover an excess of income tax paid oe Sonreny sia Lp on a return made in coin, they claiming that it should not be reduced to its equivalent in cur- rency. Argument commenced, THE FORTIETH CONGRESS, Third Session. SENATE. WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 1869, MEMORIALS. AND PETITIONS PRESENTED. Mr, Wizson, (rep.) of Mass., presented the memo- rial of the Equal Rights Association for a constitu- tional amendment giving equal suffrage. Mr. CONKLING, (Tep.) of N. Y., presented the me- morial of Peter Cooper, President of the New York and Newfoundland Telegraph Company, asking to be allowed to land their cable on the shores of the United States. Mr. HARLAN, (rep.) of Iowa, presented the memo- rial of certain capitalists of Prairie du Chien pray- ing for the improvement of the Mississippi river at that point and setting forth the great importance of such improvement. Referred to the Committee on Commerce, ‘ Mr. ANTHONY, (rep.) of R. L., presented the peti- tion of Lucretia Mott, Ernestine L. Rose and other officers of the American Equal Rights Association Ba le eta tte Refe to the Cominittee on the Judiciary. MEM OP COMMODORE MEADE. Mr. Gi oer) of ap: from the Committee on Naval oy ge iver on the memo- rial of Commodore 3 reely ‘W. Meade, asking to be re- it, and moved its indefinite it, which was ordered. ‘THE CASE OF THE SCHOONER SYBIL. _ SUMNER, of Mass., ioe! Hed Cen on Foreign reported & carry effect tae decree of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in the case of the English schooner Sybil and her cargo. IN FOR MRS. LINCOLN. Mr, MorTON, of Ind., mtroduced a bill for the relief of coln, widow of Abraham Lin- ote late it of the United Staves, as fol- We ‘Whereas the late President of the United States, Abraham wage pemriaghecy egg ene ye arg hi! aay that the biank be filled uj < a aens somes. per annum’ bill '. Mar. iKEING aenhat it had better lie over. Mr. SHERMAN, (rep.) of Ohio, moved to refer it to the Committee on ions, and it was so referred. LANDING OF FORKIGN TELEGRAPH CABLES. Mr. DooLITTLE, (dem:) of Wis., offered the follow- Ing joint resolution:— Whereas cable companies zed under the authority of opose to Tand cables on the shores of ‘also cable companies organized wo on States, and the consent of those Powers and the United States is necessary, therefore Resolved, That the President be authorized to consent to the laying of oue or more telegraph cables from the shores of any foreign Power to the shores of the United States,by any com. pany authorized under the authority of any foreign Power; vided sald Power will also consent to the ‘of cables From the United States jo the shores of such Powers on recip- rocal terms; and pi further, tll all such Powers give such, consent the consent of the United States te withheid, ani cal @ muthority of Power is deciared to be uniaw‘ul. srk: ee ag Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. AMENDMENT TO THE TENURE OF OFFICE ACT. Mr. Wi1son introduced a bill to.amend the act of March 2, 1867, regulating the tenure of certain civil officers, which was referred to the Joint Committee on Retrenchment. It provides that all persons holding, or who shall hereafter hold, civil oifices to which they have been appointed by and with the consent of the Senate, except the Secretaries of State, Treasury, War, Navy, and Interior, the Postmaster General an Attorney General and others that hereafter be made Cabinet officers, shall be entitled to hold such offices until a succesgor shall have been.in tike man- ner appointed and daly - means except as other- wise provided for in this bill. * Section two vides that during a recess of the Senate the ident shall have authority to suspend any officer so appointed, except the J of the Supreme Court, and to make an ad interim appointment until the next meeting of the Senate, and until the case shalt be acted upon and determined by that bddy. The suspen- sion must be reported to the Senate within twenty days after the meeting. In case of its concurrence the suspension may be made a removal; but if the Senate do not 80 concur the suspended officer shall resume the functions of his ofice, but sl ceive for the time during which he was sus- ended. The President may, however, at any time fore reporting such suspension to the Senate, re- voke it or reinstate the suspended officer in the per- formance of his duties, Section three repeals the first two sections of the act of March 2, 1867, above referred to. SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD. Mr. KELLoge, ron) of La., introduced a bill to aid in the construction of @ Southwestern ratiroad and telegraph line to the Pacific ocean, with its branches and connections, which was referred to the Com- mittee on Pacific It incorporates a com) Southwestern Pacitic 8. iny under the name of the tiroad Company, with a capital stock of ene to contract and main- tain a railroad ani Lee yo line from Fulton, Ark. cr.ssing the Trinity river between the thirty-second and thirty-third parallels, to El Paso, on the Rio ence through New Mexico and Arizona to 1 and from some point in California to county, Texas, St. Diego. In ald of the e the bill to grant twenty sections per mile on each side of the line, and six per cent thirty bonds of the [oy be the amount = fae. per = - oe lexico and Arizona, ani r mile for rest of the line, to be secured by s setona ENFORCEMENT OF THE FOURTRENTH AMENDMENT. Mr. SuMNER introduced a bill to certain provisions of the fourteenth amendment of the con- stitution of the United States, which, he sad, had ome juence of certain persons in Kentucky, ified by the fourteenth amend- ment, having en to exercise official func- tions. He other in Virginia, disqualified in ® like m the same thing, and trary to his expectation at cont ex! the of the it would not execute itself, but mast So commeed by appro- legislation. THE CANADIAN RECIPROCITY TREATY, On motion of Mr. MORRILL, rep.) of Vt, Sennen, preecenee by him some ieee, o ® since, which was read, as follows :— trade to lat treaty Instead of regulated by the usual a accustomed laws of believing, as I do, the government, contrary to the consiitution and coutrary to the interests of the whole country: SPECIAL TREATIES [MPOLITHO. ‘The exclusive policy so long mainiained by the 3 a ae Sand etna vamene relative to | trends to be filled suddenly with envy and x a com anna aad fe po THE FISHERY QUESPION. eo eeclal tocireoates ta, matuteinad Raving ‘be- | _1t may be said that the treaty of 1854 settled an tm- come almost universal among. civilized nations, | Ray point if wae Aran nulplowsey. ought to Serie et cueal es cones Ge ome bidsh, it is in to this very question of the the arte of diplomacy. Secret Ssheries, and the las adjustment was hardly more Wreaties orbartial Great Britain aaa the provisional treaty of ai J i i i F i i i é z Z 3 ; : i 8 Hi IF it i : i Ly & i 5 i iE fee i and never reciprocal in ‘The confutation of opinions is always unwelcome, and more so when calling for a seeming renuncia- tion of power; andI shall ask of Senators, not that they shall accept of my positions, but that they will calmly examine the questions presented for them- variance with mine, as 18 not unlikely, scious how feeble effort of mine must be to effect achange, and Ishall lament my own deficiencies rather than suspect the strength, of the positions attempted to be maintained. : LEGISLATION NOT TO BE DONE BY TREATY. Specific powers must always be construed to limit general wers- All legislative power, and es- eeny f the power to regulate commerce, having un del to Congress, the treaty-making power is thereby limited and restrained. I think it may be assumed in the outset as @ sound axiom under the constitution of the United States, that subjects pro- per for legislation are not proper for treaties, ufactures, trade and agriculture are constant and fit subjects of legislation and cannot be claimed by the Poe Se cey power. Seance treaties always interi with trade, manufactures and agriculture, and are therefore unwarranted. Such treaties are comparatively novel, and certainly they were un- precedented at the e of the adoption of our con- er peeeelph nthe if ip did not Layee’ ainst the special of Congress or jouse of Represenatatives, not having been nally contemplated, they cannot have author- ized, and what was not authorized must be ouside of the limits of the constitution. chief reciprocity ae wie Pore the aoe fod pp ie § to make such treaties, and, second, ir worth- less character when made. BXSCUTIVE POWER OUGHT NOT TO BE INCREASED. The President of the United States is required mainly to see that such laws as are in force are faithfully executed, not to make laws by himself Sy ee cee tw tho broadest of his operations. He may end archies are royal executive alone. Under treaties being laws when and which they must obey, they are not con- alone to executive Jealousy of was aul mi no treaty was to be dr approved by the National Assem! provided that amneaties should o1 The President of Ere United States it jonarchs, however, are not only great sticklers for their legitimate powers, but rarely fail to struggle both overtly and covertly for the extension of executive prerogatives. It may be a matter of indifference to the Senate per se whether certain matters are to be co! them in a legisiative or an executive session, as in either case their voice will be tial; but as con- servators of a free government, as @ branch of that government protected by the term of ser- vice, it should scrupulously the rights and privileges of the most numerous and popular branch of the government. The Senate can have no inter- est in transferring power from the Houseof Represen- tatives to the hands of the President. The theory ef @repubdlican form of government is that power 1s safe in the hands of many and dangerous in the hands of one. The exclusive power of the House to or: nate revenue bilis 1s one of the most explicit in constitution, and it was int to be so hedged that no plausible pretext could bé ited by which {t could be invaded or supplant This soie’ power confided to the House, it must not be exercised where, nor can it rightfully be sub- verted. It should remain in its entirety. Even to allow any other branch to consider and amend reve- nue bilis was reluctantly conceded by the framers of the constitution. A treaty regulating custom du- ties, the main source of revenue heretofore and des- tuned to be hereafter, trenches upon a cardinal panes le of popular governments—the right of the immediate re] ntatives of the people to control the purse of the natiom. It is obvious that a very limited multiplication of such treaties would soon absorb the whole power to originate revenue bills, so far as they concern the levying of duties upor the importation of foreign goods, and nothing then would be Jeft to Congress except the mere husks of a taritf and excises and direct taxes, PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE. It has been faintly that such reciprocal treaties would atili leave to the House of Representa- tives the privilege of originating revenue bills at its Pieasure; but tuis does not rise to the dignity of a respectable sophism. It does not even wear the ap- pearance of candor. It is a mockery. Whatever prior or subsequent legisiative enactments there may be, a treaty, being: according to Executive in- terpretation always the supreme law of the land, overrides them; and wherever such enactments come in conflict with a treaty are practical nul- lities, as has been proved, and wili be so long as the Executive is the sole arbiter of the question. The House fling its-net for revenue and toil all night, but will caten When the reve- nue Tas been sequestered by force of treaty stipula- tions for the benefit of foreigners the House will find itself in the old attitude of being iorced to make brick without straw. The pretence that such a treaty is not an invasion of the rights of the House, it secms to me, adds to the injury a ong 3 for the inteili- gence and sensibility of body. Mr. Morrill spoke at length on the holding that the — of the House were iniringed upon by treaties of kind. LATITUDE OF THE POWER CLAIMED. such an innovation 8 = ‘an a3 # tg, Es ge lh 2 il : ala if ES red u | Hi few, and, it ors the form government t, wholly su popular PROCITY WITH THE BRITISH ~ re = after — Jeg nr been menate reversed ita position, and the House of es g seleae ie get ty E it il ry S, | i ted. Sg eerer eae ers duties ana burdens? ‘was no left WeSeaent stages wus to be neary equally” bur iat pen meriean statesmen vainly hee ted feel! ing that our neighbors great republic; but tite rebellion touched our pro- | vineial neighbors with the spear ot Ithuriel. Then they assumed their true shape and boldly hoisted their true colors, an! at once ail these prope wd coming glories vanished ast usretrbstn try Of Malden’ dreams, Our recetit ore 1782, and reaitirmed ciel. ton.west tn ta tema of 1783, all the rights we demanded and all that ever Could be of practical utiuty. ‘The language was most Ver people of the United States shall continue to see 2 is I A ; fil i i i i i ; 2 tf esis ge i a F; : i hi i 4 i Bs Hee : fy g B) : a 3 i if 6 5 i aeees Gecesran it and in- ught no more to have admitted destructibie, and o1 : are se nero ae a question, once acknowledged, tii nden: or our boundaries. War could not disturb or war, He the title to our own soil, they were un- Seale or inl Pers the zee Ce. we peace te treaty of July 3, 1815, and all su! embraced the of 163, me essiocd must have ue quo ante bellum. It never has been pretended by Great Britain that any other article in the treaty of 1783 was abro- ted by the war of 1812 save that relating to the beries, Somewhat after the British style of dowmg things at Copenhagen, a vessel-of-war suddenly ordered 1 in 1815, retire tw representatives of the irty-dive years, could have yielded to such an unfounded, not to say im- pudent, claim. It should be noticed that when Nova Scotia was ceded jto Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht the French subjects were thereafter ex- ciuded from fishing within thirty leagues of the coast, and this exclusion was renewed in the treaty of Pans, 1763, by which Spain was also wholly excluded ded from fishin;, -ights in the netghborhood of New- foundiand. So it would appear that these exclusive poe have in te centur; hot Lawn m thirty leagues to three ine niles from coast. But we did not ree in 1818—let us say it in sackcloth and ashes—to limit the- of our fishing nds and acknowledge some exclusive:rights of the Hudsow Bay Company; and we did agree to renounce for/ ever, “hook and line, bob and sinker”—on our own motion t—any iil heretofore enjoyed to take, dry fish within marine miles of "i Da ya, creeks - hatbors of his “arusante Maas dominions in America. a rule the exclusion of fo1 ermen within three miles from the shores country is per- haps, to be compiamed of; but froin these i ENE | ry 4 os : 4 3. 4 & Fy & & 2 a rif] aly Ha | months of the year, badi It is true that most of these drawbacks wo Gieap if the British provinces were cunsolidated The United States, For the present, however, the Mpeg ee Leen and a e rates all of its jus Cay . uF \100 en! upon the prairies of the Wes and the savannas of the South, It might not be wise to weaken our strength by diffusion over a broader surface than at present 80 greatly tempts our national enterprise. neigh- . boring provincea, wedded to aristocratic tities, though unsupported by estates, choose to cling toa style of ent whose chie! strength discloses ‘at every alarm the fact of dependency, and so lag behind and retard their fora cen- tury, why, in an economical view, the United States can afford to wait. When these provinces seek that aggrandizement which naturally flows over all the parts of a free, independent and pros i$ nation by a union of interests and honors, by @ fraternal welding together of all their material forces and po- litical aspirations, by an unreserved and uncaica- lating assumption of privileges and duties, it will be tume enough to consider -what measures will best advance their§ general welfare. Until then it isa study exclusively their own, about which it will be unbecoming for us to waste diplomacy. as T think, in the statement with ‘There is no error, a8 ink, in the st jent Wi which I started— , that our history farnishes but one actual itv treaty accepted—and tuat was itself made contingent upon the action of Con- ind one, the Zollverein, negotiated and re- ted by the Senate. As tar as precedents go the action of the government has been ad- verse to them, and the character of that accepted even British subjects do not now pretend to have been other than very profitable to them, and most un- profitabie to the United States. Our House of Repre- ome moe g was an yg rigs pK British House of Commons, whose privil with ial jealousy and not raise any dubious cOnflict with the other branch yrem it never be um for the House to ask of us, or of the Executive, to allow and JURATION BALL. |. H., entered 2 motion to re- i i a e policy advocated by the ponents of this bill Was most nnjust aad unite, dtd CINTOGISD ON THVT CAT