The San Francisco call., 1897-02-10
sending out a punitive expedition, even at
the risk of creating another Mapa incident.
LEAKY EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
Despite the Injunction of Secrecy Imposed
Upon Senators Their Proceedings
Appeur in Print

Appear IN PH7a
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 9.-For at
least half of the four and half hours the
Senate was in secret session to-day the
press reports of yesterdays session were
the subject of discussion. Senators were
indignant that, after they had voted so
overwhel lmingly that the doors should be
closed, the facts as they occurred in the
chamber should be permitted 10 reach the
public.
The discussion was precipitated imme-
diately after the consideration OF few
nominations by Vest asking ii the treaty
was to be considered in executive session.
stating that If it was it would be well for
the Senate to ascertain If it really was in
secret session.
Vest continued to comment rather sar-
casticaIy upon the light that had been
thrown upon ihe proceedings, but admit
ted the accuracy of the press reports.
The discussion waXed warm and was
participated in by Senators Hill. Pugb,
Hoar, Gallinger, Hale, Teller, Stewart and
others.
There was an intimation that officers of
the Senate had been guilty OF violation OF
the rules by giving away executive Sc
crets, but this was com bated by Mr.. Hill,
who said that everybody knew executive
matters were told by Senators and nc one
else. The discussion disclosed the fact
that Senators recognized the accuracy of
the newspaper reports and had made up
their minds to stop the leak if possible.
There was some talk of appointing
committee OF investigation on the subject,
alter the fashion OF the committee ap-
pointed several years ago, which resulted
in the dismissal 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 a proceeding would have no beRe-
fetal result, and the de bate finally Gained
down after some of the older Senators had
scored their junior brethren for the sup
posed offense of talking about things
! which were forbidden.
The men who had made the fight yester-
day for an open session found in the sub
jecI under discussion additional reasons
why their motion should prevail. and
urged the Senate 10 reconsider the sub
ject, but this was not done.
Teller declared his opposition to the
Z
was engaging The country, he said, was
interested in the arbitration treaty. The
text OF that treaty and the amendments
had been MADE public and the people
were talking about it. They had been
petitioning Congress to ratify the treaty.
Ii there were good reasons why The treaty
should be ratified they were entitled to
know them, and if Senators had reasons
for voting against the treaty the public
ought to be permitted to know why Sem
ators took such action. The attempt at
secrecy was a mockery, and Teller said he
did not believe the Senate could main
tain it.
After this discussion had ceased several
amendments were offered, and without
being read went over TO be printed. Sem
ator Morgan had several and Senator
Stewart of Nevada sent handful to the
CLERKS desk. There will be innumera BILE
amendments before the discussion is over.
Conservative Senators to-day said it was
apparent this de bate was to be kept up for
some time and the chances were that no
action could be had until after the 4th of
March. From the 4th of March until the
extra session is convened The Senate will
be in session considering nominations ana
if the treaty has not been disposed of by
that time it will probably be discussed
every dav. 1t will not be Withdrawn by
Mckinley and Sherman, as Secretary of
State, will be as Jealous il securing its
ratification as he now is as Senator in
charge OF the convention.
1t was late in the afternoon when the
discussion was turned to the treaty
proper. Stewart made a short speech
against the instrument and repeated some
some of the arguments he advanced yes
terday when discussing the motion to
open the doors. In brief Stewart believes
it would be a good thing to reject the
treaty because Great Britain wants it. He
is suspicious of that country and believes
that her intentions are not what they
purport to be.
Morgan consumed the remainder of the
afternoon in continuation of his speech
begun yesterday. The indications are that
he will not conclude for several days. He
read freely this afternoon from the re-
ports Of the State Department and of the
Senate Committee on the Nicaraguan
Canal and the Clayton Bu!wer treaty, and
quoted copiously from the State Depart.
ment correspondence with our Ministers
abroad on the same subject He said it
would be necessary for this Government,
before binding itself in general treaty of
arbitration, to settle the question of the
vitality of the Clayton Bulwer treaty and
ascertain in what light Great Britain views
that ancient and m uch discussed conven-
ton, which, he contended, ought never to
have been negotiated, but once negotiated
ought never to have been ratified by the
Senate.
He then offered an amendment provid-
ing for the abrogation of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty and advocated it at some
length. Morgan has always been opposed
to that treaty, and to-day he said that the
conditions that appeared to make it neces-
sary when negotiated no longer existed.
The treaty was obsolete, and so far as we
are concerned unnecessary. although
Great Britain would Sc re every opportun-
ity 10 make it answer her purposes.
He called attention to the fact that
whenever Congress had discussed the pro-
posed construction of the Nlcaraguan
canal this treaty had been used as a club
to stop the United States. Tnere could be
no doubt, Morgan said, that Great Britain
would make this general treaty of arbitra-
ton serve her ends, as she had the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty.
In the further course of his speech
Morgan called attention to the aggres-
siveness of Great Britain in the MOSQUITO
country TO show that she had fima apd