The morning call., 1891-02-08
EXTRA SESSION
OF THE SENATE.
A Report That It Will Be Called
Early in March.
Business Of More Than Ordinary Importance
to Be Considered.
Reciprocity Treaties Likely 10 Be the PrinGi-
pal Subject Brought Up for
Discussion.
Special to THE MORNING CALI.

NEW ORhs rep. I.-Ine Sun mas tno
following editorial this morning: We are
not speaking from mere probabilities when
we inform the public that proclamation
from the President may be expected, prob
ably before tile Goth or 25th Of this month,
calling an extra session Of the Senate to
meet in Washington on the 4th of March, OF
Immediately afterward. 1t may also be
presumed that the business to be brought
before this called session will be Of more
than ordinary Importance.
WASHINGTON, Feb. THE rerort that
the President will call an extra session of
the Senate is variously received here.
Senator Chandler saw the President to-
day and nothing was said about it.
Senator Frye of the Foreign Affairs Com
mittee says he has not heard Of it.
Still there was considerable talk among
the Senators yesterday about the rumor, and
it was more in the nature Of feeling the
pulse of the Senate in regard to it,
A very erroneous opinion exists that the
recent proclamation about Brazil was a
treaty or an agreement. 1t is not. 1t is
simply proclamation, under the Mckinley
bill, that Brazil has consented to allow our
agricultural products to enter free of duty,
aud the President thus informs the nation.
A Senator said to your correspondent to-
day: "This proclamation and others to fol
low do not need any legislation or action by
the Senate. But 1 will say that the reci-
procity treaties which are now being con-
sidered by our Government and South
Am ri will rpnuira oatinn hu
the Senate. These will be treaties. If these
negotiations have proceeded so far as to be
ready for the Senate, then, no doubt. an ex-
ira session will be called to indorse them
but the Senate now has nothing to do with
the proclamation just issued"
This carries out a hint given by promi-
nent American Minister to foreign court,
that the Mckinley bill does not give the
power for treaty, but that Congress would
give it when MIR. Blaine had the treaties
ready.
Secretary Blaine was in the Senate For
rign Affairs Committee room all the morn
ing in consultation with members of thai
committee and the Republican leaders in
general. The subject of discussion wa!
| whether reciprocity should be proceeded
I with by presidential proclamation o
| treaties. If by the former, no extra session
| Of the Senate will be necessary, but if by
the latter an extra session would have to bt
had. 1t is the belief of Republican Sena
tors that Secretary Blaine will carry to the
President the views he secured in the con-
ference, and the proposition for an extra
session to consider treaties will be deter
mined by the President next week. Mean
while all announcements that au extra ses-
sion is certain are necessarily speculation.
member of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations tOl0 the California Asso-
ciated Press representative to-day that if an
extra session M OF the Senate was called it
would be for the purpose of ratifying the
Reciprocity Treaty with Canada or a treaty
with the province regarding the Behring
Sea or the North Atlantic fisheries. 1t
seems probable that the State Department
is now engaged in negotiations of some kind
or other with Canada, and that there will
be an extra session of the Senate.
In speaking of the prospects of an extra
session of the Senate Morrow said tonight
it would not surprise him if there would
soon be five or six treaties which would have
to be ratified. 81 am of the opinion" said
he, that our diplomatic negotiations this
summer will be regarded among the splendid
achievements of this Administration. If we
can advance our commercial interests
abroad by treaty stipuiations, lass the
Shipping Bill, Nicaragua Canal Bill and
Trans-Pacihc Cable Bill the Admin stration
has ever seen. and will be well-nigh invinci-
BILE before the people at cur next Presiden-
tial election"
Secretary Blaine proposes to carry out his
policy of reciprocity with all American ma
tions to the fullest possible extent before
Congress adjourns. The Senate will prob
ably have an opportunity Of ratifying seven
treaties before many days. One of these,
that with Brazil, has been made public, and
the other SIX are promised without delay.
1t is announced authoritativsly tonight that
three of the new treaties are with Mexico,
Venezuela and Spain, and the three others
are supposed to be with Chile, Peru and the
Argentine Republic. Hawaiian affairs are TO
be considered in both Houses of Congress,
and the Mckinley bill will be amended so
that the treaty with those islands will not be
abrogated. Mr.. Mckinley, from the Com
mittee on Rules, will report a rule in the
House permitting the matter to betaken up,
and Senator Sherman will louk after the
subject in the Senate.