“8. The terms and conditions on which the Dominican Government may desire to be annexed to and become part of the United States as one of the Territories thereof.
“9. Such other information with respect to the said Government or its territories as to the said commissioners shall seem desirable or important with reference to the future incorporation of the said Dominican Republic into the United States as one of its Territories.
“Sec. 2. And be it further resolved, That the said commissioners shall, as soon as conveniently may be, report to the President of the United States, who shall lay their report before Congress.
“Sec. 3. And be it further resolved, That the said commissioners shall serve without compensation, (except the payment of expenses,) and the compensation of the secretary shall be determined by the Secretary of State, with the approval of the President.”
December 21st, the latter resolution, to which the precedence had been given, being under consideration in the Senate, Mr. Sumner spoke as follows:—
SPEECH.
MR. PRESIDENT,—The resolution before the Senate commits Congress to a dance of blood. It is a new step in a measure of violence. Already several steps have been taken, and Congress is now summoned to another.
Before I proceed with the merits of this question, so far as such language can be used with reference to it, and as I see the Senator from Ohio [Mr. Sherman] in his seat, I wish to answer an argument of his yesterday. He said that the resolution was simply one of inquiry, and that therefore there could be no objection to it. I was astonished when I heard one of his experience in this Chamber and his familiarity with legislation characterize the pending proposition simply as a resolution of inquiry. The Senator is mistaken. It is a joint resolution creating three offices under the Constitution of the United States, offices contemplated in the Constitution itself, and specially mentioned by name in the Act of 1856 to regulate the diplomatic and consular systems of the United States.[259] I read the first section of that Act, as follows:—