CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



169 



Savage, Baylor. Scales, Schleichor, Shcakley, Single- 

 A ill i "mi K. Smith, Southard, Spurku, Strait, 

 . si.-vutiHon, Stono, Teeso, Terry, Thompson, 

 Throekmorton, Washington 'fown*t'nd,TuekerTufts, 

 Turuey, John L. Vunoe, Koburt B. Vunoe, Waddoll, 

 Charles C. B. Walk.-r, Walling, Walsh, Ward, War- 

 r-M, \Vike, Willard, Alpheus is. Williams, Jume* I). 

 Williiinis, .Irivmiali N. Williams, Willis, James Wil- 

 son. Woodburn, Yoates, and Young 160. 



NAYS Messrs. John H. Baker, Bluino, Bradley, 

 IL>ratio C. Burchard, Conger, Dennison, Dunnell, 

 Egbert, Evans, Farwell, Foster, Hoar, Hubbell, Ily- 

 man, Lapham, Lawrence, Lynch, Magoon, MacDou- 

 edl, McOrary, Monroe, Nash, Norton, Oliver, Packer, 

 Pago, Planted, Platt, Purman, Robinson, Rusk, 

 Seelye. Sinnickson. Smalls, Thornburgh, Van Vor- 

 hes, Alexander S. Wallace, John W. Wallace, White, 

 Andrew Williams, Alan Wood, Jr., and Wood- 

 worth 12. 



NOT VOTING Messrs. Ad ims, Bagby. George A. 

 Barley. William II. Baker, Ballou, Banks, Barnum, 

 Bell, Blair, Bliss, Bradford, William R. Brown. Sam- 

 uel D. Burchard, Burleigh, Candler, Caawell, Chapin, 

 Chittendcn, Collins, Crapo, Crounse, Culberson, Dan- 

 ford, Darrall, Davis, Doobins, Durham, Eames, Ely, 

 Freeman, Frost, Frye, Garfleld, Gause, Gibson, Gun- 

 ter, Hulo, Ilaralson, John T. Harris, Harrison, Hatch- 

 er. Hathorn, Haytnond, Hays, Henderson, Hereford, 

 Abram R. Hewitt, Hoge, Iloskins, Hunter, Hurlbut, 

 Frank Jones, Joyce, Kasson, Ketchum, Kimball, 

 King, Lamar, Lane, Edmund W. M. Mackey, McMa- 

 hon, Metcalfe. Miller, Mills, Money, Morey, Mutch- 

 ler, O'Neill, Powell, Pratt, Rainev, Sobieski Ross, 

 Sohumaker, Slemons, A. Horr Smith, Springer, Stow- 

 ell, S\vann, Tarbox, Thomas, Martin I. Townsend, 

 WuMron, Gilbert C. "Walker, Walls, Erastus Wells, 

 G. Wiley Wells, Wheeler, Whicehouse, Whiting, 

 Whitthorne, Wigginton, Charles G. Williams, James 

 Williams, William B. Williams, Wilshire, Benjamin 

 Wilson, and Fernando Wood 97. 



So the resolutions were adopted on a suspen- 

 sion of the rules (two-thirds having voted in 

 favor thereof). 



In the House, on April 3d, Mr. Blackburn, 

 of Kentucky, moved that the rules be sus- 

 pended, so that the following resolution might 

 be adopted by the House : 



Resolved, That the President of the United States 

 bs requested to inform this House, if, in his opinion, 

 it is not incompatible with the public interest, 

 whether, since the 4th day of Marcn, 1869, any ex- 

 ecutive offices, acts, or duties, and, if any, what, 

 have been performed at a distance from the seat of 

 Government established by law, and for how long a 

 period at any one time, and in what part of the 

 United States ; also, whether any public necessity 

 existed for such performance, and, if so, of what 

 character, and how far the performance of such ex- 

 ecutive offices, acts, or duties, at such distance from 

 the seat of Government established by law, was in 

 c >miiliance with the act of Congress of the 16th day 

 of July, 1790. 



The rules were suspended (two-thirds voting 

 in favor thereof), and the resolution was 

 adopted. 



On May 4th President Grant sent the fol- 

 l-.ving message to the House in reply to the 

 resolution : 

 To the House of Rspresentativet : 



[ have given very attentive consideration to a 

 resolution of the House of Representatives, passed 

 ->n the 8d day of April, requesting the President of 

 the United States to inform the House whether any 

 executive offices, acts, or duties, and, if nny, what, 

 have within a specified period been performed at a 



distance from the seat of Government established 

 by law, etc. 



I have never hesitated, and shall not hesitate, to 

 communicate to Congress, and to either bnmcli 

 thereof; all the information which tho Constitution 

 makes it the duty of the President to give, or which 

 my judgment may suggest to me, or a request from 

 either House may indicate t<> me. will be useful in 

 tin- discharge of the appropriate duties confided to 

 them. I fail, however, to find in the Constitution 

 of the United States tiie authority given to the House 

 of Representatives (one branch of the Congress in 

 which is vested the legislative power of the Govern- 

 ment) to require of the Executive, an independent 

 branch of the Government coordinate with the 

 Senate and House of Representatives an account 

 of his discharge of his appropriate and purely ex- 

 ecutive offices, acts, and duties, either as to when, 

 where, or how performed. 



What the House of Representatives may require 

 as a right in its demand upon the Executive for in- 

 formation is limited to what is necessary for the 

 proper discharge of its powers of legislation or of 

 impeachment. 



The inquiry in the resolution of the House as to 

 where executive acts have within the last seven 

 years been performed, and at what distance from 

 any particular spot, or for how long a period at any 

 one time, etc., does not necessarily belong to the 

 province of legislation. It does not profess to be 

 asked for that object. 



If this information be sought through an inquiry 

 of the President as to his executive acts in view or 

 in aid of the power of impeachment vested in the 

 House, it is asked in derogation of an inherent nat- 

 ural right, recognized in this country by a constitu- 

 tional guarantee which protects every citizen, the 

 President as well as the humblest in the land, from 

 being made a witness against himself. 



During the time that I have had the honor to 

 occupy the position of President of this Govern- 

 ment, it has been, and, while I continue to occupy 

 that position, it will continue to be. my earnest en- 

 deavor to recognize and to respect tne several trusts 

 and duties and powers of the coordinate branches 

 of the Government, not encroaching upon them, nor 

 allowing encroachments upon the proper powers of 

 the office which the people of the Imited States have 

 confided to me, but aiming to preserve in their 

 proper relations the several powers and functions 

 of each of the coordinate branches of the Govern- 

 ment, agreeably to the Constitution, and in accord- 

 ance with the solemn oath which I have taken to 

 "preserve, protect, and defend" that instrument. 



In maintenance of the rights secured by the Con- 

 stitution to the executive branch of the Government. 

 I am compelled to decline any specific or detailed 

 answer to the request of the House for information 

 as to " any executive offices, acts, or duties, and, if 

 any, what, have been performed at a distance from 

 the seat of Government established by law, and for 

 how long a period at any one time, and in what part 

 of the United States." 



If, however, the House of Representatives desires 

 to know whether, during the period of upward of 

 seven years during which 1 have held the office of 

 President of the United States, I have been absent 

 from the seat of Government, and whether during 

 that period I have performed, or have neglected to 

 perform, the duties of my office, I freely inform the 

 House that from the time of my entrance upon my 

 office I have been in the habit, as were all of my 

 predecessors (with the exception of one who lived 

 only one month after assuming the duties of his 

 office, and one whose continued presence in Wash- 

 ington was necessary from the existence at the time 

 of a powerful rebellion), of absenting myself at 

 times from the seat of Government ; and that during 

 such absences I did not neglect or forego the obliga- 

 tions or the duties of my office, but continued to 



