The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-10
SECRET SESSIONS A FARCE
AUG UST SENATOR'S STAR CHAMBER
D0INGS MADE PUBLIC.

Leak-Executive Debate on the Arbitra-
offered-No Action VIII be Taken by the
Senate This Session.
half of the four and a half hours the
senate was in secret session to-day, the
press reports of yesterdays session
were the subjects Of discussion.
The senators were indignant that after
ed the facts as they occurred in the
chamber should be permitted to reach
the public. The discussion was pre-
cipitated by Mr.. Vest asking if the ar
bitration treaty was to be considered
in executive session and adding that if
1t was it would be we'll for the senate
to ascertain if it really was in secret
session. Mr.. Vest commented rather
sarcastically upon the light that had
been thrown upon the proceedings, but
admitted the accuracy of the press re-
ports. The discussion waXed warm and
was participated in by Senators Hill,
Pugh, Hoar Gallinger, Hale, Teller,
Stewart and others.
There was an intimation that officers
of the senate had been guilty of viola
ton of the rules by giving away execu-
tive secrets, but this was combatted
notably by Mr. Hill, who said that
everybody knew executive matters
were told by senators and no one else
There was talk of appointing a COM
mlttee to investigate the subject after
the fashion of the investigation several
years ago, which resulted in the dismis-
sal of an executive clerk, charged with
having told newspaper men executive
secrets, but against whom no evidence
had been secured.
some senators took the ground that
such proceedings would have no result
and the debate calmed down after some
OF the older senate had scolded their
Junior brethren for the supposed Of
fence OF talking about things which
We're forbidden.
Inc men who made the fight yester-
DAY FOR an open session urged the SEN
ate TO reconsider the subject, but this
was not done
Mr. Teller declared his opposition to
the secret performance in which the
senate engaged. If there were good
reasons, he said, why the treaty should
pe ratlhed the people were entitled to
Know them and if senators had reasons
lor Young against the treaty the public
ought 10 be permitted to know. The
attempt at secrecy was a mockerv
After TINS discussion had ceased sew
eral amendments were offered and
without being read went over TO he
printed '>'
senator Martin and Senator Stewart
sent handful to the desk. There will
De lnnumerable amendments offered be-
iore the discussion is over. Conserva
tive senators said it was apparent this
debate was to be kept up for some
time and the chances were that no
acton could be had until after March
4. From March a until the extra ses-
sion is convened the senate will be in
session considering nominations. and
II the treaty has not been disposed of
by that time it will probably be dis
cussed every day. 1t will not be with
drawn by Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Sher-
man as secretary of state will be as
jealous in securing it's ratification as
he is now as senator in charge of the
convention
1t was late in the afternoon when
the discussion was turned to the treaty
proper Mr.. Stewart made a speech
against the instrument. He believed it
would be a good thing to reject the
ft11 1tNrtN Data
He was suspicious of that country, and
believed her intentions We're not what
they purported to be.
Senator Morgan consumed the re-
mainder of the afternoon in a contin-
uation of his speech began yesterday.
The indications are that he will not
conclude for several days. He read
freely from reports of the state depart
ment, the report of the senate commit
tee or the Nicaraguan canal and the
Clayton-B -Bulwer treaty and quoted CO.
piously from the state department cor
respondence with our ministers abroad
on the same subject.
Mr.. Morgan said it would be neces-
sary for this government before bind
ing itself in a general treaty of arbi-
tration to settle the question of the vi
tality of the Clayton -Bulwer treaty and
ascertain in which light Great Britain
viewed that ancient convention. which
Mr. Morgan contended ought never to
have been negotiated.
He then offered an amendment pro-
yiding for the abrogation of the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty, and advocated it at
some length He said that the condi-
tions that appeared to make the treaty
necessary when agreed to no longer eX-
listed. Whenever congress had discuss
ed the proposed construction of the
Nicaraguan canal that treaty had been
used as a club to stop the United
States. There could be no doubt that
Great Britain would make this general
treaty of arbitration serve her ends, as
she had the Clayton-Bulwer treaty
MIR. Morgan called attention to the ag-
gressions of Great Britain in the Mos
quito country, at Belize, etc, to show
that she had time and again violated
the provisions of and practically nulli-
fed the Clayton-Bulwer treaty. The
occasion, he said. had now presented
itself when the United States could
properly announce TO Great Britain
that the Clayton-Bulwe treaty was no
longer considered by US to be in exist
ence.
Mr.. Morgan also contended that the