Opis: Speech of Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa - Harlan James

Excerpt from Speech of Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa: In the Senate of the United States, February 14 and 15, 1872

"At the close of the war of the rebellion this Department found itself in possession of large quantities of cannon, small arms, and other ordnance stores no longer required, and which it was to the interest of the United States to dispose of, because either of their perishable character, the constant expense of their care and preservation, or their obsolete patterns."

Here is the origin of these sales:

"At first sales were made by auction, but subsequently (July 20, 1868) Congress passed a law giving the Secretary of War authority to cause to be sold, at public or private sale, after due public notice, the old cannon, arms, and other ordnance stores which are damaged or otherwise unsuitable for the United States military service, or for the militia of the United States, and to cause the net proceeds of such sales, after paying all proper expenses of sale and transportation to the place of sale, to be deposited in the Treasury of the United States."

Now, Mr. President, these sales were made under the direction of Congress, In the first instance the sales were made at public outcry to the highest bidder; but Congress, in its wisdom, on the 20th of July, 1868, directed that these sales might be made either publicly or privately, placing the discretion in that respect within the official discretion of the Secretary of War. The report proceeds to say:

"And since the passage of this act ordnance and ordnance stores have been disposed of to individuals at 'private sale,' as provided by the law, except in a few instances when sales at auction were deemed preferable and to the interest of the Government."

Again:

"It has been the practice to entertain any and all applications to buy from individuals unless some reason for declining was known to this Department. For example: about half an hour before the time fixed for opening the bids for the purchase of Springfield and Enfield muskets, in October, 1870, I was shown a dispatch from a member of the house of E. Remington & Sons, stating that they were agents of the French Government, and authorized to purchase arms for it. I postponed opening the bids, and immediately showed the dispatch to you" -

The Secretary of War -

"and you promptly directed me to suspend the sale, and not to entertain any bids from E. Remington & Sons for arms," &c.

Now, Mr. President, an impartial observer, I apprehend, would be surprised if told that that statement is in the very document from which the honorable Senator from Massachusetts read, charging this Government with the sale of arms to the French Government, or to the known agent of the French Government. We have here the official statement of a sworn officer of the Government, the chief of the ordnance department, that no such sale did take place, that the department sold indifferently to private parties who offered the best and an acceptable bid without inquiry, unless they had reason to believe that the bidder or bidders were the agents of a belligerent Power at war with another at peace with the United States. Whenever they had reason to believe that, the sale was suspended.

The Citizens Right to Buy and Sell.

I know it may be said that everybody must have known, from public events notorious to the whole reading public, that these arms would go largely into the hands of one Or the other of these belligerents; but will it be pretended that the United States has not the right to sell its surplus arms to anybody because two great nations are at war Must we retain this vast armament in our armories and arsenals until they rust and become worthless because other nations at peace with us are at war with each other It will not be pretended by any reader of international law that private citizens did not have the perfect right to sell arms to either France or Pru

Szczegóły: Speech of Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa - Harlan James

Nazwa: Speech of Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa In the Senate of the United States, February 14 and 15, 1872 (Classic Reprint)
Autor: Harlan James
Wydawnictwo: FB &c Ltd
Kod paskowy: 9781332192762
Języki: angielski
Ilość stron: 22
Format: 15.2x22.9cm
Oprawa: Miękka

Recenzje: Speech of Hon. James Harlan, of Iowa - Harlan James