The herald., 1897-01-31
IN COMMITTEE
Favorable Report on Arbitration With
Some Amendments

WASHINGTON. Jan. 30-The senate
committee on foreign relations today re-
sumed consideration of the arbitration
treaty between the United States and
Great Britain with the determination to
finish before adjourning.
The committee was in session three
hours and 1t was agreed by an almost
unanimous vote to recommend ratifica-
tion of the treaty with amendments. All
but two of these amendments are mere
ly verbal, one or two of which are es-
sential strike-outs of the clause pro-
viding for the selection of King Oscar
as umpire leaving it to the two powers
to select an umpire when one is consid-
cred necessary The other important
amendment is the addition to article one
of the treaty as follows:
mo question which effects the for
eign or domestic policy of either of the
contracting parties or relations either
with any other state or power by treaty
or otherwise shall be subject to arbi-
tration under this treaty, except by spe-
cial agreement.
The amendment eliminating the UNI
pire clause was agreed to by vote of
to /. The negative vote is understood to
have been cast by Senator Gray of DelG-
ware.
Inc vote on the motion to report the
treaty favorably as amended was to a.
The six members who voted in the
affirmative were Sherman Frye, Davis,
Cullom. Lodge and Gray. Those who
voted in the negative We're Morgan, Dan
iel, Cameron and Mills The vote was on
financial rather than political lines
Only one Democratic senator voted for
the ratification and one Republican
agaisnt it. All votes for the treaty We're
cast by the men who opposed silver in
the senate and in the last campaign.
while those in opposition. with possibly
the exception of Mills. We're cast by free
silver men. 1t is understood silver men
hold that the ratification of the treaty
would have a tendency to render the
United States subserVient to Great Brit
ain.
An amendment declaring in explicit
terms the Alaskan boundary question
should not be included in the agreement
for arbitration, was voted down as un-
necessary. The chairman was instructed
to ask the senate to give the treaty con-
sideration at as early day as possiblV
RAILROAD DEBTS
The house committee on Pacific roads
today considered the Harrison plan for
a commission. but We're unable to agree
and adjourned until Wednesday.
POSTAL REFORM
The senate committee on postof1ces
and post roads today concluded the
hearing in the Loud bill, repeating GER
tain provisions of the existing law re-
garding second-class mail matter. Gov
Cleaves of Maine appeared in opposi-
ton. saying if it became a law it would
injuriously affect many people. lie
held that to exclude sample copies of
newspapers without giving at least a
years grace would be to invalidate
many advertising contracts made on
the strength of the assurance of cheap
postage contained in the present lay.
Mr.. Wheeler of Houghton, Mifflin &
Co., Boston. contended that most cheap
books distributed as second-class mat
ter under the present law We're of a high
character. Wheeler contended that
nine-tenths of the abuses were due to the
enforcement of the present law. Two
wise courses were open to the authori-
ties. The first was to depend upon the
postmaster-general to reverse the pres
ent rulings. Second, to amend the law
SO as to exclude Objectionable matter.
DO you think" asked Senator Chand-
Ter, you could find a Mckinley post
master-general with nerve enough to do
that"
II do" replied Wheeler. "Wilson has
indicated that he might undertake it !"
Perhaps, then" replied Chandler, cit
would be a good idea for Mckinley 10
keep Wilson and let him do it,
Il wish he would said Wheeler.
Herman j. Coleman, ex-secretary of
agriculture, antagonized the bill as oD-
posed to the interests of the farmers, es-
pecially the people of the west, who
would, he said, have to stand the cost in
the end. He contended especially for
the retention of the sample copy privi-
lege. He characterized the bill as a
monopolistic bill, designed to promote
the interests of trusts.
Patrick Farreliy of the American News
company defended his company against
the charges of being a monopoly. and
argued that discrimination in favor of
serial publications was not new. having
begun with the law of 1879 If deprived
of this favor E'oW, it would be for the first
time.
The hearing continued from 10 o'clock
until after in the afternoon anG large
number OF persons We're allowed to ex-
press their views, many of them cover
ing ground which had already been COW
cred. Among others who spoke was Mr.
W. c. Bryant, secretary of the Ameri-
can News Publishing association, rep
resenting 1853 papers which at a meet