Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-25

l
rejection of the treaty He would have had
a long negotiation with Great Britain and
would have declared to her that the results
were perfectly satisfactory, and then the mo-
ment the treaty TO which she had consented,
was ratified and accepted, would have been
prepared TO turn round upon her with this hos
tile measure of retaliation.
Hoar said the facts had been in the pos
session of the Secretary of the Treasury
several years. The message, he said, WAS
repetition of the policy pursued in regard to
the purchase of bonds. This administra-
wanted TO pile up great surplus in the
Treasury, IN order that it might be used us
an argument for attack on our protective
system, and accordingly it effected to have
grave doubts whether the law gave power to
expend that surplus for bonds for the United
States, and after the mischief was already
done, and the surplus was piled up, and dis
tributed among the National banks without
interest, the President sent in communica-
ton saying ne thought he ought TO have
authority to expend it in buying bonds.
When both branches of Congress passed a
resolution stating that the President had
that right, he said "Well guess have"
and proceeded to make purchases. Here
were two unquestionable acts, (the Treas
ury, } affirming power to suspend this busi-
ness as the administration sees fit to impose
such terms, regulations and conditions as
| they may see tit, and yet with that power,
the President allows it to slumber during all
these years, when as he tells us these
outrages on the part of Canada were going on,
and now comes in and asks the Senate to
grant him power which he knows perfectly
well he has the right to exercise. If the pa
triotic spirit of the majority of the Senate
had not rejected the treaty the American
people would never have heard from the
Executive lisp of desire to affirm, defend
and establish their rights in relation to the
system of transportation.
| Morgan said the message which came in
yesterday and had been read this forenoon
seemed to have produced great shock up
on the Senators on the republican side. Its
| first effect was to cause the Senator from
| Vermont to interrupt the Senator from Iowa
and ask him to give HIM some of his time.
| Edmunds. May interrupt the Senator
by saying that he is entirely mistaken.
| MOrgan.-Then | am mistaken in what
my eyes have seen.
Edmunds.-I suggested, as the Senate
chamber was empty and knowing nothing of
| the paper of which we are now speaking, to
my friend from Iowa that he had better let
| us adjourn and he said he would when he
had reached paragraph, and he did.
MOrgan-"Ihereupon being very greatly
| surprised that the President of the United
should be treated with discourtesy. | inter
rnpted the Senator from Vermont to say
that the message had been brought into this
| body which related to the fishery treaty, aud
thereupon the Senator from Vermont in
| formed the Senate that the reading of the
| message could wait.
| Edmunds-That is true.
| Hoar here asked leave to add one remark
| to his speech, saying for himself, and he had
no doubt for the republican Senate, that the
Senate was in favor of giving the President
any authority in regard to this matter, if on
examination it should be found needed.
Morgan introduced bill identical with
that introduced in the House yesterday by
Representative McMillen to give effect TO
the Presidents message on the treaty.
During Morgan's speech he yielded to Hoar
to offer the following resolution which was
laid over for the present
| Resolved, That the President of the Uni
ted States be requested, if not in his judg
ment incompatible with public interest, TO
communicate to the Senate copies of all
communications, if any, addressed by his
direction to the government of Great Britain
demonstrating with that government against
the wrongs and unfair treatment of our cit-
zens by the action of the Canadian govern
ment in refunding to vesaels and canals
nearly the entire tolls if they are destined
| for Canadian ports, while those bound for
American ports were not allowed such an
advantage, and the breach of engagement
contained in the treaty of 1871, whereby
Great Britain promised the United States
| equality in the matter of such canal trans
portation also copies of any demand made
by his direction upon Great Britain for re-
dress of such wrongs, and the replies of
Great Britain to such communication and
demand.
Morgan charged Edmunds and the repub-
lican side with fllibustering and discour-
teousness to the President yesterday, in not
considering his message, which Edmunds
disclaimed as there were six other bills laid
before the Senate the day before.
Morgan said that the Senate did not know
what these messages related to. Therefore
there was nothing less than determined
effort on the part of that senator to say to
the President that he still entertained a very
sovereign contempt for him. He believed
that the President and the democratic party
both could stand that without The slightest
tremor. He said that more careful and
precise arraignmeDt had never been made
than by the foreign relations committee of
Great Britain. charging in it's report actual,
wilful and intentional violation of the treaty
of 1918. Nobody could draw a clearer accu-
sation on paper. That report was made on
the 18th day of January, 1887, and upon it
was based the act of March 3D., 1887
which the senator from Vermont
now instanced as mandatory the law requir-
the President to enter upon retaliation and
abandon the resort to his constitutional
right to get through with these troubles with
Canada, in the exercise of treaty making
power. The House had passed law very
similar in its tone to that of the Senate, but
containing the stipulation that the President
should have the right by proclamation to ex-
clude railways and trade from coming into
the United States, and thereby shut out COM
pletely intercourse between the people, not
merely commercial but social. The provis-
ion on the subject in the report of the con-
ference committee read by the Senator from
Vermont, had no relation to the passage of
goods in bond back and forth
! between these countries. The Senate con-
ferees objected to comforting this enormous
power on the President, and the objection
! was based on the ground that it was too near
an approach to actual hostility. If any sena-
tor thought it was the Presidents duty to
proceed to retaliate on Canadian commerce
for injnries and wrongs done the United
} States previous to that time, let him avow
it.
Edmunds said he would state that he was
very far from avowiDg that the Presiden,
under the law was to proceed to obtain re.
dress for what occurred before the passage
/ of the law.
; Hale criticised the Presidents message al
: desperate expedient to recover lost ground
, and the confessed attitude taken by him anc
l his administration as to the treaty, was the
attii ude that had no accent or force in it.
, George took the floor for speech on tht
message, on Monday, and the matter wen
J over.
: The conference report on the bill for