Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-07
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
Congressman Hit on the Mexican Treat
Senator PaImer's Maiden Speech.


WASHINGTON. Feb. 6.-"The Mexican
treaty bill,' said Congressman Hit, men,
Der OF the House Foreign Affairs Commit
tee, "wOuld, 1 think, be passed by the
House if it could be reached. The fact
that the Senate has refused to ratlfy
the Nicaraguan convention and has not
yet acted upon the Spanish treaty oper-
ates unfavorably, however, as a precedent
upon the House. The greatest objection,
in fact, to the Mexican treaty is that there
is too little in it. 1t does not do this, and
it does not do that are the
chief arguments advanced against it.
Its provisions are really not fully under
stood. 1t certainly costs more to the MeXi-
can revenues by its free admissions than to
the American import duties. By the terms
of the treaty about twelve articles now duti-
able Will be admitted by us from Mexico free,
and this reduction in duties upon goods i'm
ported into the United States last year would
have amounted to only about $500 600, and
over nlne-tenths of this amount, or $4S0, O0l,
is upon one article-Sisal grass-Which we do
not raise and cannot raise. In fact, nearly
all the articles admitted free from Mexico
under the treaty are already on the free
list. They. were enumerated in the con-
Ventlon, because treaty Is more
stable law than an ordinary act of Congress.
1t would be good thing if The treaty also
included breadstuffs and cotton and wooden
goes farther IN the way of advantages TO us
than TO them"
THE ADVANTAGES OF TIRE TREATY.
to Mexico?"
Il think the treaty would give great adj
vanSages to this country, more than to Mexico.
OF the seventy-three articles admitted free
from the United States into Mexico nearly
every one now pay heavy duties, in some
cases as much as 200 per cent. The treaty
would IA
Mexico that we could control nearly or quite
the entire trade in the articles admitted
under the treaty, as the contiguity
Of American territory and the rail
road facilities which we enjoy give us
great advantages, and commercial houses can
engage In trade with more confidence if
assured that the duties upon the cOmmodlt S
in which they trade are not to be changed
upon the shifting policy of. the dominant
political party. The articles we might, under
| this treaty, send untaXed into Mexico are,
many of them, Of universal use, such as car
rlages and other vehicles, agricultural imple-
ments, petroleum, sewing machines, stoves,
| tools, and machinery. They are now sub
/ jected to very heavy import taxes by Mexico,
| yet we sold there last year over $1,000, 900
! worth of such articles. If freed from duty
| and lowered in price the demand would null
| tipy among the 100000 of Mexican people,
and we would soon sell three; yes, ten times
| as much. 1t would give us fulness and rapid
| ity OF communication which no other country
| enjoys
LITTLE HOPE OF PASSAGE.
Do you think there is any prospect of the
passage of the bill to put the treaty into eff
| fect?"
I'm the present state of business in the
| House not much hope remains, but there is
| still chance"
Prom your reading of the Spanish conven-
| ton DO you understand that If President
| Cleveland should indicate his desire for its
| ratification it could be ratified in COngress?''
| II think that there would be no difficulty in
| 10 mi wi tHr6i ah "a
| ratified. The Spanish Government is anxious
| to have 1t approved, and an indication from
| the President of the United States would GER
| tainly lead to any necessary extension of time
| say till the Senate, in called session, could
pass upon it again"
Have any of the recently negotiated
| treaties been discussed in the House Commit
| tee on Foreign Affairs?"
| mo; very little occasion had arisen for the
| discussion of any of them by the committee. -
DO you think the Nicaraguan treaty will
Hardly. 1t is possible that in the extra
! session OF the Senate II may go through if the
| incoming President indicates his desire for It's
| ratification, otherwise | think mott
SENATOR PALAIER'S MAIDEN SPEECH.
Senator Palmer, of Michigan. made his
| maiden speech IN the Senate Today. He
| called up the resolution reported from the
| Woman Suffrage Committee, proposing a
| woman suffrage amendment to the constitu-
| ton. lie mad sympathetic audience. There
| are in the Senate between % and IS Senators
favorable to the proposed amendment. Nearly
| all of them and other Senators were attentive
and interested listeners to-day, and then there
| was in the galleries a gOodly array of ladies'
| who were delighted to be present to hear the
| first speech he ever made in Congress in favor
| of woman suffrage. Among those who
! were specially delighted were Mrs. Stanton
| Miss Anthony and Mrs. SpOffOrd. Senator
| Palmer's speech was very strong and skill
| full presentation of the subject. " hen he hat
concluded it, he was surrounded by a gr0ut
Of Senators who shOwered upon him compli.
ments for the notable argument he had made
He was subsequently waited upon by Mrs
stanton, Miss Anthony. and % or more othel
ladies, who thanked HIM enthusiastically
Miss Anthony said to her friends that she re-
garded senator Palmer's speech as the mos
able and eloquent argument that has ever beer
made IN support of woman suffrage. The y
ecutive Committee appointed by the recen
Woman's Convention have already ORDERED
5000 copies for distribution.
SENATOR JONES NOT TO MARRY.
The report published this evening tina
Senator Jones, of Florida, is about to marry
Miss Pend eton, eldest daughter of the Sena
tor from Ohio, is denied emphatically b,
both Senator Jones and Senator Pendleton.