Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-18
TIE ARBITRATION TREATY Will Be Reported FavorabIy to
 Ls the Senate. ANs PUSHED FOR ACTION Is nd Gone Over Carefully by the Foreign Z Relations Committee and Objection 7 able Features Eliminated.
PUSHED FOR ACTION

s Washington, March 17.-The senate committee spent two hours this morning in the consideration of the general treaty of arbitration with Great Britain, and then ordered a favorable report to be made to the senate tomorrow, with amendments in line with those indicated in these dispatches heretofore.
 The amendments are administrative only in character. The scope of the treaty has not been touched. Much of the pub lie criticism against the action of the committee during the last session was due ito the alleged fact that the com mitee had emascuiated the convention and made 1t practically mere shell.
 The amendment to the first article that no question rela tive to the foreign or do- mestic policy of either party should be included, which was previously glven such prominence, has disappeared entire ly. The same result is reached, however, in a very different manner The desig- nation of King Oscar of Sweden and NOT way, as the umpire, has been stricken out as has been all reference to the JUS tices of ;he supreme court of the United States as members of the tribunal es- tablished under the treaty. In place of this designation it is stipulated that "jurists of repute' shah be named by the president to act as such arbiters.
 The chief amendment to the conven- tion however, is found in the clause which reserves to the United States the sanction of the whole treaty making power in deciding what questions shall be submitted to arbitration. This plo- vision will make it necessary for the president to submit to the senate for f;s approval all questions intended to be sub mitted to the arbitral court
 The committee have acted in the belief that it was only reserved to this govern ho i6antnq1 reserved 10 Great Britain, which, under the treaty, decides through is premier what ques- tions shall be arbitrated. Under the British form of government one man alone the premier, acting for the crown, determines all matters of this sort and is the sole creaty making power of the na- tion. This is,under this general treaty, no deviation from the universal rule of the British government; and, reasoning thus, the senate committee sees no reason why there should be any change in the -practices-based upon the adaptations of the written constitution-that have govefend such questions with us since the foundation of our government. In other words, both powers are made equal and the subsequent proceedings under the treaty, after 1t shall have been rati- fled, will proceed according to the laws of the respective governments or che contracting parties.
 It is needless to point out that under the treaty as thus amended no argumsn's can consistently be advanced that the senate is relnquishing any of the pferog- atives given it by the constitution It will. by ratifying this treaty, indorse and subscribe to the doctrine of universal arbitration. to which the United States stands pledged, and then leave all qres- tions as to details connected with the submission of specific subjects to the con- stituted authorities of both countries.
 Acting Chairman Duvis will urge as speedy action in the senate as possible. It is quite likely that much of the time during the next two weeks will be spent in executive session. Pending the ar rival of the tariff bin in the senate the treaty will be discussed, together with the considera ton of the presidential nom nations, and it is the confident expecta- tion of the committee that it will bs able to have this convention out of the way by the 1st of April.