Mr. BANKS. I am opposed to the amendment of the Gentfrom Iowa. If the ComAppropriat do not wish to make an appropriation for the minister at Rome I would not resist the action they propose perhaps; but I do object to the House acting on the information which has been Presented here. We have been notified by the SecyState that the Government has no official information from our minister at Rome upon the subject Presented to the House. The letter read at the Clerk's desk relates to the positions of Englishmen at Rome, not to that of American citizens; and we are under no obligations to take up their complaints and right their wrongs. If we propose to sever our diplomatic relations with Rome altogether, we ought to have some facts to justify our action. If there are any such complaints of American citizens, and the committee proposes for that, I make no objection., But I submit to gentlemen that we ought to have something from our officers more substantial than these newspaper reports before we by legislative act deprive American citizens and the American Government of a rePresentative at the Court of Rome. The suggestion, which is a very natural one perhaps, one which may weigh with gentlemen, made in the paper which has been read here, that the Roman States are weak, is undoubt edly very true; but, sir, the Italian Government, which is ultimately to control those States in all secular matters, does not find in this weakness a sufficient reason for withdrawing her diplomatic rePresentatives. It still maintains its diplomatic relations with the Roman Government. That Rome has no minister in the U.S. is true, but that is an omission to which we ought not to object. In the diplomatic relations existing between independent nations, originated chiefly in Catholic countries, they concede to the minister of the Roman Government precedence in all matters. If, therefore, Rome should send a minister here, he would be entitled to prece dence over other ministers rePresenting all other Governments. Our people would certainly object to it, and therefore we have no reason to complain if Rome does not send a minister to us.