The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-10
Comments of the British En-.
baSsador Are Classed as
Intrusive Arrogance"
DAMAGES PLACED TOO HIGH
Many of Those Who Seek Awards
for Seizures Are United States
Citizens.

a member of the Bering Sea Paris tribunal,
in support of his resolution offered on De-
cember g. referring to the Committee on
Foreign Relations the Presidents special
message of February Is, 1895, and his re-
cent annual message relating to the pay
ment by the United States of the claims
of Great Britain arising out of the Boring
Sea controversy, with instructions to ex-
anime into the question of liability on the
part of the United States and of liability
on the part of Great Britain or Canada.
Morgan, who read his speech from
printed slips, was very severe on the
British ambassador, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, characterizing as offensive" the
ambassadors comments upon the action
of Congress in refusing an appropriation
to pay the indemnity for losses of British
subjects owing to the seizure of 'sealers,"
and asserting that as to many of those
'sealers' they were the actual property in
whole or in part of American citizens, who
had no such claim upon their own Govern
ment.
The British ambassador, Morgan stated
with emphasis had no right to question
members of Congress for words spoken in
debate; and his doing SO in diplomatic
papers which he had handed over to the
American press for publication was an act
of Intrusive arrogance" At one point of
the speech he INDUCED in touch of sar-
casm at the expense of Sir Julian Paunce
tote, who had, he said, buried him under
his ponderous logic" and of the Earl of
Salisbury, who had "exhumed him for
such use as he might be found most con-
venient."
He asserted that the question whether a
negotiation respecting the liability of the
United States to Great Britain for the
seizure of sealing vessels in the Boring Sea
under the orders Of Cleveland's first ad-
ministration should take place under the
treaty of February 30, 1892, was still an
open question and had not been closed by
the award of the tribunal of arbitration.
On the contrary, as he proceeded to demon
strate by copious extracts from the treaty
and the award, the tribunal expressly re-
fused to make any decision of such liabil-
ity or to declare that the seizure OF the
vessels under Cleveland order was illegal.
These questions, he said, were distinctly
remanded by that tribunal to the further
negotiations of the treaty powers as origi-
nal questions. Great Britain, however con-
tended that the tribunal of arbitration con-
sidered and decided this question of liza
bility.
eff the President" said Morgan in his
most impressive manner, chad sent to the
Senate the diplomatic agreement made by
him with Great Britain in which COM
initial to the British contention is sought
to be apparently avoided by compro-
mise, but is. in fact, admitted without re-
serve or qualification, the vote of this body
would have settled the attitude of the
country by accepting or rejecting that
agreement.
'If Congress had thereafter paid the
coveted lump sum- to satisfy the British
demand, we would at least have been free
from the acceptance of the humiliating
attitude of accepting and indorsing
falsehood as the decision of the tribunal of
arbitration, and of paying citizens of the
United States for criminal wrongs done to
their country. The reassertion by the
President of the justice and rightfulness
of the demand of the British Government,
made with The insulting arrogance of an
ultimatum, requires of Congress that its
refusal at its last session to vote the lump
sum- of $425,000 to satisfy this demand
should be defended upon the principles
and facts that justified that VOTE
Morgan said that the statement sent by
the late Secretary Gresham to the House
of Representatives, December 20, 1894 in
regard to the seizure of British sealing
vessels in Boring Sea, was seriously in
correct and misleading, and referred to Sir
Julian Pauncefote's statement that the
Senate in the last Congress had refused
him leave to print detailed analysis of the
claims, presented as ''paltry fling" the
fact being that one Senator (Gray of
Delaware) for some reason objected, and
he had not time in the closing hours OF the
session to ask vote of the Senate on that
request.
Having now plenty of time" said Nor
gan, 81 will now read the document" and
he proceeded to do so. 1t showed the
actual amount due, excluding the claims
of American citizens, to be only S96, lO2.
instead of S425, 1000, as proposed by Mr..
Gresham. He renewed his contention
that the further negotiations in regard to
this, as provided by the treaty, could only
be entered upon by and with the consent
of the Senate. and gravely suggested that
the Senate should not be deprived of it's
constitutional power because it may suit
the present views of the President. He
closed by asking vote on his resolution
Morgan occupied two hours in the de-
livery of his speech, and then the resolu-
ton was agreed to.
The two first bills of this Congress were
passed to-day-one of them to allow the
Superior Court of Pennsylvania the use of
the United States courthouses at Scranton
and Williamsport, and the other making
an appropriation of 100000 for survey
and plans of improvement atthe entrance
of Biscaine Bay, Fla.
Senators Hill of New York and Caffery
of Louisiana made their first appearance
at this session to-day in the Senate cham
Der, and the latter took the oath of office
under his election for the full term, begin
ming March a. 1895.
A joint resolution granting to the State
OF Pennsylvania permission to use for five
years the United States courthouses at
Scranton, Pa, and Williamsport. Pa, was
reported from the JUDICIARY Committee,
and was passed. This is the first bill passed
at the present session.
'Cullom (R.) of Illinois gave notice that