The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-05-07
The ARBITRATION TREATY
FAILS OF RATIFICATION BY THE
SENATE.
Proposition to Ratify Receives Four Votes
Less Than the Requisite Two-Thirds Ma
jOrity Senator Mills Telling Speech
Against the ~Treaty-yisible Effect on
Senators of His Argument-England's
Attitude Toward Greece and Armenia
Has It's Effect.

Against the T~reaty-Visible Effect on
Senators of His Argument-England's
Attitude Toward Greece and Armenia
Has Its Effect.
Washington, May 5.-The senate to-
day, by the vote of AZ to 26, refused to
ratify the general arbitration treaty
between the United States and Great
Britain negotiated by Secretary Olney
and Sir Julian Pauncefote. The rules
of the senate require a majority Of two
thirds for the ratification of treaties.
Hence four more affirmative votes
would have been required to secure a
favorable result. The vote in detail
was as follows:
Yeas-Senators Allison, Bacon, Bur-
rows, Caffrey, Clay, Cullom, Davis, De-
Doe, Fairbanks. Faulkner, Foraker,
Frye, Gallinger, Gear, Gray, Hale,
Hanna, Hawfey, Hoar, Lindsay, Lodge,
Mcbride, McEnery. Mcmillan. Mitch
ell, Morrill,, Nelson, Pasco, Perkins,
Platt of Connecticut. Plat of New
York, Pritchard, Proctor, Smith, Spoon
er, Thurston, Turpie, Vest Walthdll,
NcllillSI Ou, " GtIIlOI6, Will
SON.; total 43.
Nays-Senators Baker, Bate, Carter,
Butler, Cockrell, Daniel, Hansburg,
Harris Of Kansas, Harris of Tennessee,
Heitfeld, Jones of Arkansas. Jones of
Nevada, Kyle, Martin, Mason, Mills,
Morgan, Penrose, Pettigrew, Pettus,
Quay, Rawlings, Roach, Shoup, Stew
art, White; total 26.
A total Of sixty-nine votes was cast,
! O Vim nofoo
respond. The pairs so far as obtain
able were as follows. two affirmative
senators being paired with one mega
tive senator in most instances: Chand-
Ter and Clark for, with Teller against;
T1llman and Turner for. with Chiffon
against; Sewell and Earle for. with
Mantle against. Senator George was
paired for the treaty and Senator Ber-
ry against it. Pairs were not announc-
ed for the following: Aldrich, Cannon,
Elkins, German, Murphy, Wolcott.
kenney, and Allen.
The vote was preceded by a short.
spirited debate, introduced by Senator
Mills, Of Texas, who made a strong ap-
peal to the senate against ratifying
the agreement. He asserted that as
amended the document was most OBJ
jectiOnable, not to say contradictory in
terms. He pointed out especially the
provisions for the settlement Of contro-
versies i'll regard to territorial claims
and asserted that, whereas the amend
ment adopted by the senate to the first
article of the reaty declared against
their inclusion. the sixth and eighth
articles made provision for them. He
held that as long as these artic,es re-
manned unchanged England justly
could claim that questions Of territorial
rights were still included within the
scope Of the treaty. Under such cir
cumstances, he asked, what was to pre-
vent England from purchasing the is
land of Cuba or any other American
territory and. in case Of objection on
the part of the United States, insisting
upon the reference of the dispute to ar
bitration? He spoke of the conduct Of
England in connection with the Graeco-
Turkish war and implored the senate
to protect the United States against the
proposed alliance. The speech made
a visible impression and the opinion
was general that the treaty should be
amended so as to repair the in%consist-
ency explained.
Senator Tillman asked that time be
given for such an amendment. Owing,
however, to the fact that the senate
was under agreement to vote a 4 o'clock
there could be no postponement except
by unanimous consent.
senator Carter, who has from the
first been one of the most active and
effective opponents Of the treaty. in
terposed objection. He said he would
put no obstacle in the way Of the post
ponement Of the vote until another day,
but II the vote was to be taken today
he would insist upon it at the specified
time. He made very pungent speech
in opposition. He said there could be
no doubt Of the Partially Of the gov
eminent n the people of the United
States towards the settlement of dis
putes by arbitration and that for this
reason here never would be any difficult
ty in securing an agreement for arbi-
tration of any specific dispute with any
nation, but it was not necessary for
our people to tie themselves in an
agreement of uncertain scope and pur-
port, especially with a country which
had shown itself so completely out of
sympathy with the feelings of the peo-
pie Of the United States by the position
England had taken in European af-
fairs
Senator Hoar replied briefly, going
over the general argument in favor of
the treaty and ~cOntending especially
that the objection of inconsistency in
regard to territorial claims was not
we'll founded.
1t was evident before the ballot was
>oHAA SioI liz ~ IdlI1y
would be beaten. Toe absence of some
senators impaired, who were consider
ed favorable to arbitration, was accept
ed IS an %unfavoI a bic indication. The
covert opposition to ratification was
made very manifest alter the vote was
announced. Some senators who We're
recorded among the yeas spoke quite
openly Of Objectionable features, con-
Tossing that they had cast their votes
in the affirmative in difference to pub
lie opinion. Among those who waited
in the senate corridors to receive the
news was Mr.. Michael Davitt, who ap-
peared much pleased at the result.
Senator Davis, chairman Of the COM
m-ttee on foreisn relations. declined to
express an opir:on for publication, but
talked freely with his friends. To them
he attributed the defeat to the feeling
of dissa tisfaction at England's course
ir the struggle of the Greeks to liber-
ate the island CT Crete from Ottoman
dominion and in the Armenian massa-
ores and with the evident" designs Of
Great Britain pom the T~ransvaal.
At the concl11SiOp Of tho procaodipcS