The herald., 1897-06-13
the Lindsay amendment, the senate ad-
journed.
IN CAUCUS
Two Hours Given to the Hawaiian
i Treaty

KS Treaty
WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE Repub
lican senators were in caucus for tw
hours today and devoted the entire tim
to an effort to- agree upon a course of &C
tion to be pursued with regard to tn
Hawaiian reciprocity treaty in connec
ton with the sugar schedule of the tarif
bill. The meeting of the senate at
o'clock forced an adjournment befor
there was time to reach a conclusions an,
the caucus dispersed to meet again a
A:30 in the afternoon.
There were half a dozen different prop
oSitions submitted to the caucus, thu
principal of which were the following:
Ee BY Senator Frye, to leave'it absolutely
to the president to say what shall be donx
with the treaty, and providing agains'
any interference with the provisions OF
the treaty pending amy action he may
take
BY Senator Allison, a propositions very
much the same as Senator Frye's
but intimating more clearly to the presi-
dent the opinion OF congress that the
treaty should be modified.
BY Senator Perkins, a provision CIV
Ing notice that unless some thing is dome
within a year to continue the treaty in
force 1t shall be abrogated
Senator Nelson of Minnesota led the
fight in favor of the abrogation Of the
treaty. In support of his proposition he
presented many figures, showing that
the imports from Hawaii to this country
were much greater than the exports to
Hawaii, and he claimed that the recip-
rocity was in favor of the Hawaiians
He took the last report OF the minister of
finance for the year ending December 81,
1896, and said that the business of Amer
lean vessels with Hawaii was about one
third as much as that done at the port of
Duluth, in Minnesota. Mr.. Nelson de-
clared that the whole treaty was very
one,sided bargain for the United States.
This was contradicted by the fact that
the senator from Maine (Frye), the most
earnest advocate of the retention, off the
treaty in a previous caucus, had moved
that the differential in favor of the re-
fined sugar be made one-quarter of a
cent, the highest differential advocated
by any one
Senator Frye said that the house pro-
vision was ample on the HawaiianQues-
ton to meet the demands of equity with
an additional provision authorizing the
president to open negotiations for mod
ification of the treaty. He stated that
President Mckinley was prepared to en-
ter upon such a negotiation, and added
that the Hawaiians were willing tomeet
him half way in the work. He made
vigorous defense of the treaty and of the
policy of maintaining the closest sort of
relations with Hawaii, which had been,
settled and civilized by Americans.
Senator Perkins spoke at some length
in support of his proposition, which as
originally presented provided for CIV
ing Hawaiians a remission of one-third
OF the duty on their importa tions.
At Senator Thurston's suggestion lie
modified the proposition so as to make
the rate in the future conform to the re.
quirements of whatever treaty might be
negotiated in the future.
Senator Thurston announced himself
as decidedly in favor of abrogation, al
though he was, he said, believer in the
wisdom of annexing the Hawaiian ISL
ands to the United States. he said that
If the present arrangement, which gives
the Hawaiian sugar trust an annual
gratuity of 100000 was to be contin-
ned ip connection with the gratuity yes
terday voted to the American trus-,
which amounted to not less than $5,000,-
600 year, it would be utterly impossible
to defend the course of the Republican
party.
There were frequent references to the
probability of a new treaty for the an
nexation of Hawaii, and it seemed to be
quite generally understood that such a
treaty was included among the possibil-
tiles for the near future.
The caucus, after considering the Ha-
waiian reciprocity provision for an hour
at its second session, decided to refer the
matter, together with various PROPOSE
tions which had been submitted to the
members of the committee
on finance, to formulate a proposition
which shall be submitted to a future
caucus if not satisfactory to ALL
The principal feature of the afternoon
caucus was proposition made by Sen
ator Spooner for the purpose of coun-
teracting the effect of the large importa-
tions of sugar which have been made
during the past few months in view of
the prospect of increase provided for in
the tariff bill now under consideration
This proposition, as outlined by
Spooner contemplates continuing in
specific form the equivalent of the pres
ent ad valorem duty on refined sugar
until the 1st of January next, while al
lowing the higher rate on raw sugars to
go into effect 1t is calculated this would
have the effect of saving the government
loss and of compelling consumption Of
the supply on hand.
The suggestion was received with ap-
parent favor, and it was intimated that
the provision might be made applica bl:
to other articles. The proposition Will
be perfected between this time and next
night, when another caucus will
be held for its consideration.
A number of brief speeches were made
on the various propositions relating to
the Hawaiian treaty and a proposition
was submitted by Senator Thurston as
follows: Nothing herein contained
shall be construed as to abrogate or in
any manner impair or affect the provi-
Eions of the treaty of commercial recip-
rocity concluded between the United
States and the king of the Hawaiian ISL |
ands on the Goth day of June, 1875, or the
provisions of any action congress has
heretofore passed for the execution of
the same, so long as the said treaty re-
mains in force and effect The president
of the United States is hereby author
lied in his discretion to give due notice
as provided In said treaty, of the desire
and election of the United States to ter