New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-29
THE TREATY CANNOT PASS
paT1FICATIoN OF THE BRITISH EAlNA'
nrTIoN TREATY ALMOST INdP0SSlBLA.
ATTITUDE OF THE sENATE-pEFEcrs -
MEASURE POINTED oUT-GRouNps
ON nRIFCTInN.
lpr TELEGRAPH TO TnE rRIBuNEI

OF OBJECTION.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNHi
washington, Jan. 28.-Under an as1o nc TITO
come time ago, the Senate VIII ioi UNI, r,xtradston
ssac,.va session TO consider the British
yrs.ty II Is almost certain to tal Oh -.
lie opponents even doubt whether ~ A. ,rs. ~
hare majority of Senators in its iaV0r !. A. ton
10 he ratified requires two-thlrd me- .hs roatv
all practical purposes mmaterial Tbo onnos,,ion
,rtu rct majority Of votes or ny. 80 ssno, ..
WIN s.s ,rs, ctbeued IN various ways sahoe IL
- a.. 'rnder discussion. Numerous pos'"o"s n"'o
soor r.ce,ved from different quarters u 'D' -
all protesting against JUS sod n ,ts rrov,s,ons
II a. asserted By those oppo'so :" D ~ .S,s-'
.Sor.s o,oss defects which can Dc iuny appre-
.,ss.a Nv comparing It with the eAtrau"on treaties
so.,.,sa nv Hamilton Fish aqd "llnai'l w. wars
tn most fragrant OF these oe'e0's arc 'o' u'.'Ao
Ano nnoT n does not provide that the person
other tfe~ ,.. q demanded must have been within
Wnoso ...,s,,ctjon when the crime was committed
hrinsn "a, s,,yreuder IS demanded. This omission,
,'l s,s,n,od would enable England to reassert her
-, 81 ounish American citizens for acts done ana
49, 49,. IA IN the United States 1t is well known
W., o.Ident Grant compelled Great Britain to aban-
49, thar claim in the weliknown case OF stephen ).
s,aan IN 1868 Quite aside from this, the treaty Is
claimed 10 DO directly opposed TO the published deciar
ona nractce Of both political parties as enunci
TOD n
~, n,atform of 1868, and by the Democratic party IN
,ts nlatform Of 1884, which latter said:
American citizen only responsible to his own Gov
cnt for an act done In his country, or under his
flag and only be tried therefor on her own SOIL
and according to her laws and power exists in this
Government to expatrise American citizen to be tred
I'm any foreign land for any such act
second the safeguards provided by the treaty are
considered by many people to be delusive 1t Is
ninted out for instance that Article provides that
q no fugitive criminal shah be surrendered II the crime
for which his surrender is demanded be one OF political
character or II he prove to the competent authority
that the demand for bis surrender has been made TO
try or pknsh him for crime of political Character
Who It Is asked, or where is the competent authority
referred to in the above article? Under the laws OF
be United States no such authority power is vested
In any United States court or Official The Supreme
Court has repeatedly decided that in exradion cases
commissioner or judge can act only a committing
magistrate 10 remand the accused person for trial
In England, and that neither State Court nor United
States Court can writ of habeas corpus, or I'm
tefere in any way with the decision of the committing
magistrate. 1t Is asserted by many senators that II
will require another treaty TO define the meaning OF
the terra competent authority
Third 1t would be possible, under this treaty, 1t is
thought for England to demand the surrender OF Amer
lean citizens who have never been in England or
Ireland for alleged political offences.
posed though they rather negative than positive
In character Ii is urged that the treaty does not
far enough in It's enumeration OF eXtraditabe crimes
1t fails take notice. for instance Of counterfeers
OF persons guilty Of infamous crimes against women
and children of persons guilty Of breaking and entering
the offices Of the Government, falsifying the official
acts OF the Government or OF persons guilty OF bblng
public officials to violate their oaths. or of the officials
accepting such brides.
In the petition addressed TO the Senate. P. McCahey,
of Philadelphia praying for the rejection Of the treaty
says:
This treaty is nsdious attempt to make the United
States responsible for the internal safety Of the British
Empire It is therefore, political treaty designed by
England make the United States assist In perpeuang
English misgovernment in Ireland India, Northwest
Canada and other oppressed countries and treaty
designed merely for the prevention and punishment Of
ordinary crimes against society. As such should be
rejected and treaty negotiated which viii regard
and other crimes against women and children
less gravity than the larceny OF fifty dollars and which
cannot be used by the Tory Government threaten
iniure American citizens for extending assistance the
oppressed people OF any part Of the British Empire.