WASHINGTON, _July 20, 1867_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I have received a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives
on the 8th instant, inquiring "whether the publication which appeared
in the National Intelligencer and other public prints on the 21st of
June last, and which contained a statement of the proceedings of the
President and Cabinet in respect to an interpretation of the acts of
Congress commonly known as the reconstruction acts, was made by the
authority of the President or with his knowledge and consent," and
"whether the full and complete record or minute of all the proceedings,
conclusions, and determinations of the President and Cabinet relating to
said acts of Congress and their interpretation is embraced or given in
said publication," and also requesting that "a true copy of the full
and complete record or minute of such proceedings, conclusions, and
determinations in regard to the interpretation of said reconstruction
acts" be furnished to the House.
In compliance with the request of the House of Representatives, I have
to state that the publication to which the resolution refers was made
by proper authority, and that it comprises the proceedings in Cabinet
relating to the acts of Congress mentioned in the inquiry, upon which,
after taking the opinions of the heads of the several Executive
Departments of the Government, I had announced my own conclusions. Other
questions arising from these acts have been under consideration, upon
which, however, no final conclusion has been reached. No publication in
reference to them has, therefore, been authorized by me; but should it
at any time be deemed proper and advantageous to the interests of the
country to make public those or any other proceedings of the Cabinet,
authority for their promulgation will be given by the President.
A correct copy of the record of the proceedings, published in the
National Intelligencer and other newspapers on the 21st ultimo, is
herewith transmitted, together with a copy of the instructions based
upon the conclusions of the President and Cabinet and sent to the
commanders of the several military districts created by act of Congress
of March 2, 1867.