The herald., 1897-01-21

pean side of the case, the secretary
pointed out that after all the harm that
could come to the United States would
| be small financial loss, as the king is
| to name the umpire only in cases involv-
! ing the pecuniary claims and other mat
| ters not involving any important prin-
ciple and even in such cases either power
could insist upon a substitute for King
| Oscar in any particular case.
| Olney declared the treaty had been
negotiated with great care for the pro-
| lection of American interests and ex-
pressed the opinion that if ratified 1t
would be found satisfactory safeguard.
He contended for its approval as an ad-
vance in diplomacy in accordance with
the tendency of the times. Olney was
made to understand that the committe
wanted the fullest possible information,
| and having this, would be disposed to
act upon the treaty upon its merits.
| The third topic discussed by Mr.. Oh
ney and the members of the committee
was the possible effect of the treaty on
the Nicaraguan canal. Mr.. Olney ad-
mitted that any dispute arising over the
canal would be subject to arbitrament
under the terms of the agreement, but he
contended that the advantages secured
were more than sufficient to counteract
this defect.
Again referring to the designation of
he was in nowise welded to the selection,
but that it had appeared better to pro-
vide an umpire than to leave the work
of agreement on disputed points to the
arbitrators. and that the Swedish SOW
ereign had been accepted as fairly dis
posed man.
The committee expressed a desire after
Mr. Olney left to take up the subject
at its next meeting with a view to dis
posing of it at as early date as pos
sible. 1t is considered probable that
final action can be reached at one more
sitting, but the members of the COM
mttee assert that there is now no dis
position to postpone the report until
the next session of congress, as for a
time seemed TO be the case.
1t is generally agreed that the docu-
ment will be amended in some particu-
lars and this will necessitate more or
less delay. While Mr. Olney was before
the committee he was asked whether the
Venezuelan commission had ever made
a report to the state department, and he
replied that it had not.
The ways and means committee of the
house gave hearing today to a delega-
tion of tea importers. representing the
importers of all the large cities. Thomas
A. Phelan, Samuel Lee and w. p.
Roome of New York constituted the
delegation. They asked that the law be
so amended as to give the inspectors and
arbitrators standards to guide them. so
they will admit and reject goods uni
formly. They would have permanent
board of merchants or experts TO deter
mine the lowest grade of tea fit for use
before the season begins and furnish i'm
porters samples to forward to their COR
respondents. Importers might appeal
to this board when their goods were eX-
cluded. They also proposed to confine
ports of entry to leading cities.
The delegation represented that the
law passed ten years ago providing for
tea inspectors at every port had been a
failure because the inspectors had no
guide as to what constituted tea unfit
for use and were obliged to decide ac-
cordng to their impressions of the mo-
ment. which resulted in shutting out
grade of tea one day and admitting it
the next. They claimed teas excluded
at one port were shipped to Canada and
entered at others where inspectors were
known to be lenient.