WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1826
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or of respect towards the Executive, or any other branch of the Government, Mr. H. said he should vote that communication be full and entire, of a!l matters relating to the subjects coming before the House, on which they would be required to act. He should, therefore, vote for the call of all the information on the subject at present under discussion, believing as he did that no evil consequences could result to the country, from an entire communication of all the facts and documents, even to the nature of the instructions, should Ministers be sent to Panama. 1 Gales and Seaton, Registtr of Debates in Congress, Part 1, Vol. II, PP• 1254-1262. 2 0n December 16, 1825, James Hamilton, Jr., Representative from South Carolina, offered the following resolution for consideration: Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to transmit to this House copies of all such documents, or parts of correspondence (not incompatible with the public interests) relating to an invitation which has been extended to the government of this country "by the Republics of Colum- bia, of Mexico, and of Central America, to join in the deliberations of a Congress to be held at the Isthmus of Panama," and which has induced him to signify to this House that "Ministers on the part of the United States, will be commissioned to join in those deliberations." Various amendments were offered by McDuffie of South Carolina, Mallory of Vermont, and several other representatives when Daniel Webster of Massachusetts offered the following amendment: Resolved, That the President be requested to cause to be laid before this House so much of the correspondence between the Government of the United States and the new States of America, or their Ministers, respecting the proposed Congress, or meeting of Diplomatic Agents at Panama, and such information respecting the general character of that expected Congress as may be in his possession, and as may, in his opinion, be communicated with- out prejudice to the public interests; and also to inform the House, so far as in his opinion, the public interest may allow, in regard to what objects the Agents of the United States are expected to take part, in the deliberations of that Congress. It was on this resolution that Houston rose to make his speech. See Gales and Seaton, Rigister of Debates in Congress, II, Part 1, 818-827. SPEECH ON MILITIA CLAIMS OF THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS 1 [March 25, 1826] The House being in Committee of the Whole, Ivir. Buchanan in the chair, on the Bill for compensating the State of Massachusetts for the services of her militia in the last war, and Messrs. Ham- ilton2 and Davisa having addressed the Committee- M1·. Houston of Tennessee, next took the floor, in opposition to the bill. He said his intention in rising on the present occasion,
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