Mr. SUMNER. Before the Senate vote on the resolution I will make a brief explanation. The preamble sets forth certain facts, to wit, that there is an official correspondence showing that the authorities of Basleland, in Swit zerland, have recently undertaken to pardon person convicted of murder on the conditio that he would emigrate to America, meaning thereby the U.S. That official correspondence has been printed and is now on your tables. There is also a further corre spondence, which I have in my hand, which has been communicated to me by the Dept of State since this resolution was reported from h the committee, showing, I am sorry to say, that such acts have taken place under the Government of GreatBritain; that especially has it been the habit in the island of Newfound land to pardon (persons convicted of infamou offenses on condition that they wtmld come the U.S.; and there are several very recent instances of pardons in the kingdom of Hanover in Germany. For instance, I have here a copy of 2 seraiis from a German news paper. One is from the uneburg Advertiser of September 10, 1865, Luneburg being a town of the kingdom of Hanover: “Within the last few months our chief justice has pardoned 3 of the greatesteriminals in the king omon condition the emigrateto the U.S. Henry Gieskeforthe J. Sanderfor arson and John Winter for robber. be 2 former are already on their way to NewTork from Hamburg." Then there is another scrap from the same newspaperof the date of november 12, 1865: "The culprit Camman, who was condemned to punishment death for higchowmamyirtotablbteoryBEaHndIHmLUuOrdBetor, Ahmaserica."his Besides this, within a few days, since this JtResolution was reported, 1 have seen a gentleman who narrated to me an incident that occurred to him in one of the prisons of Baden Baden during the last year. Visiting that prison he heard himself the jailor or an officer of the prison make a proposition to a criminal to the effect that he should be pardoned on the condition that he would emigrate to the U.S. The ComForRel had this subjeet under consideration, and they gave some attention to the point whether we could adopt any legislation to counteract this. If Senators will reflect on that they will find great difficulty in meeting it by legislation. For in stance, suppose we shon d undertake to require passports or a system of surveillance of all persons who arrive from Europe, there you impose upon the innocent as well as the guilty a root cal of trouble. A system of passports has not been in use with us except during a very brief period of our recent war. It was thought that the case, perhaps, would hardly justify that. Another proceeding, perhaps, mightbe to sub: ject vessels to certain penalties, provided they should import such persons, if 011could bring home to the master of the vessel any knowledge of the character of the persons. But there, again, Senators will see the difficulty of bringing home that knowled e. For the present, the committee thought that they would content themselves with the JtResolution which I have reported, which will put on record the sentiments of Congre on this subject, and will reenforce the action of the Executive. Ipnder stand that our representatives in different parts of the world have, wherever they have known of these offensive incidents, earnestly entered their protest; but I desire, for one, that in entering that protest hereafter they should feel that they are supported by the solemn judgment of Congress on fliisquestion.