St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-20
Senators Break the Record
for Speedy Action on
Treaty Ratification.
Behring Sea Modus Vivendi
Referred, Reported and
Ratified in Rapid Style.
Text Of the New Articles in
Relation to Damages for
the Injured Party.
Significant Vote on a Senate
Amendment to a Fund
ing Act.

WASHINGTON, April BIN his mes
sage transmitting the Behripg sea modus
yivendi convention TO the senate yester-
day the president says: AS the value
and effectiveness Of this agreement de-
pend largely upon its being put in force
az once, respectfully reques. prompt
consideration Of the subject by the SEN
ate.
The senate acceded to this reques
with the greatest expedition. The
treaty was received yesterday afternoon
and referred to the committee on foreign
relations. which acted upon II this
morning and reported 1t 20 the senate
fayorabiy this Afternoon. The treaty
was discussed less than two hours and
then it was ratified with substantial
unanllnity.
AS heretofore explained, the modus
took the form Of convention Of treaty,
because 1t differed from last years
agreement in the inclusion OF clauses
relating to damages. The preamble is
Identical with that Of the Behring sea
arbitration treaty. The convention
itself comprises seven articles, the first
four OF which are precisely similar in
language with the modus viyendi OF
last year, with the exception OF Il change
in Article l, of the words until May
next" to during the tendency of the
arbitration" which governs the life OF
the modus yiyendi.
Briefly stated these articles prohibit
Great Britain and the United States
hi Is.i1 Go md
the seal islands Save 1900 seals TO be
taken on the islands by the United
States for the subsistence of the natiYes)
during the arbitration; provide for the
seizure OF offending vessels and permit
the residence of British agents ON the
Islands during the sealing season. Ar
tlcles ) and & are new and as follows:
The New Articles.
Articles. If the results of the arbi-
tration be to affirm the right OF British
sealers To take seals in Behrlng sea
within the bounds claimed by the
United States under its purchase from
Russia. then compensation shall be
made by the United States to Great
Britain TOR the use of her SUBJECTS for
abstaining from the exercise OF that
right during the tendency OF the arbl-
tration upon the basis OF such regu
lated and limited catch or catches as III
tie opinIon Of the arbltratOrs might
have been taken without an undue
diminution OF the seal herds; and, on
the other hand. il the result OF the
arbitration shall be to deny the
right of British sealers TO take
seals within the said waters, then com
pensation shall be made by Great Brit
ain TO the United States for itself, its
citizens and lessees) for this agreement
to limit the island catch to 1900 sea
son upon the basis OF the difference be
tween this number and sueh larger
catch as, in the opinion OF the arbltra-
tors. might have been taken without an
undue diminution of the seal herd. The
amount awarded, If any, i'll either cases,
shall he such as under all the circum-
stances is Just and equitable. and shall
be promptly paid.
Article g. This convention may be
denounced by either of the high con-
tracing parties at any time after the
3lst day of October, 1898, on giving to
the other party two months notice OF
its termination; and at the expiration
of such notice the convention shall
cease to be in force.
The seventh and last article simply
provide for the exchange of notifications
as early as possible. The treaty is
, signed by Secretary Blaine and Sir
Julian Pauncef0te, and is dated yester-
day, so that today the senate has prob
ably broken the record of speedy action
upon treaties.
silver Wen Pleased.
The vote on the Kyle amendment was
not anticipated by many senators, and
the result was freely discussed OH the
floor OF the house and senate. Many OF
the gold men insist that the vote was
not a square test of the sentiment of the
senators OH the silver question. but the
silver men claim decided victory.
Probably The truth is to be found in the
mean-which is that the senate stands
recorded as opposed to auy reactinary
legislation fayoring gold at the expense
OF silver.
The senators who opposed the Kyle
amendment hold that they were voting
TO allow the territory TO manage IT'S own
| affairs. The silver senators assert that
they lost several votes because OF that
| belief and that they are really stronger
than appeared from the vote. as shown
by the fact that Messrs. Palmer and
Paddock disclaimed any understanding
that the silver question was involved.
But tie feature of the vote was the dis
closure of the attitude OF Mr.. Hill, and
the silver men were mu-h pleased to
see him recorded on their side, eSpe-
clally as he had refrained from respond
ing on a previous vote when there was
no quorum. Mr.. German, who was
present without an announced Dalr, dld