I am indeed fully sensible that the operation of the bill I have proposed, should it meet the sanction of Congress, will not be retrospective—that to what has passed no remedy which can now be provided will apply—but we may prevent in future occurrences of a like character, and much more dangerous consequence. We may prevent the spreading of an evil which threatens the dearest interests of the nation; we may prevent even the repetition of insults and injuries, which, but for the want of the regulations now proposed, in all probability never would have been offered. In my own opinion, the necessity for some legislative provision upon this subject will force itself upon this Government with additional pressure, from year to year, until it can no longer be resisted. If foreign Ministers are to possess in the United States an unbounded independence of all the tribunals of justice, while the United States on their part are to be deprived of the ordinary means of self-defence, enjoyed and exercised by all other Sovereigns, to check the abuse of those formidable privileges, the course of events will, in my belief, at no very distant day, bring us into that unhappy dilemma which will leave no other alternative than to infringe the laws of nations or to sacrifice our constitution—to commit violent outrage upon the rights of others, or to make a dastardly surrender of our own.
The amendment was adopted, and the bill ordered to a third reading.
Friday, March 7.
Privileges of Foreign Ministers.
The Senate resumed the third reading of the bill to prevent the abuse of the privileges and immunities enjoyed by foreign Ministers within the United States.
A motion was made to strike out the first, second, and third sections of the bill. Whereupon, a division of the question was called for; and on the question to strike out the first section, it was determined in the affirmative—yeas 23, nays 7, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Adair, Anderson, Baldwin, Bayard, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Gilman, Hillhouse, Howland, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Pickering, Smith of Maryland, Smith of Ohio, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Stone, Sumter, Thruston, and White.
Nays.—Messrs. Adams, Mitchill, Plumer, Smith of New York, Tracy, Turner, and Worthington.
And on the question to strike out the second section of the bill, it was determined in the affirmative—yeas 21, nays 9, as follows:
Yeas.—Messrs. Anderson, Baldwin, Bayard, Bradley, Condit, Gaillard, Gilman, Hillhouse, Howland, Kitchel, Logan, Maclay, Moore, Pickering, Smith of Maryland, Smith of Ohio, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Vermont, Stone, Sumter, and Thruston.