The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-06
MAKING OF A TREATY
rHE FIVE STAGES IN THE INTERNA.
} TIONAL TRANSACTION.

Mow the United States Makes = Conven.
\ tion With Foreign Observation-Disclosures
Compact Ii the First Ratification b,
Our Senate and British Privy Council.
There appears to be general misun.
derstanding as to the steps necessary tt
make a treaty entered into by the repre-
lsentatives OF two governments fully
binding and effective upon the people OF
the countries concerned. That such i,
the case has been demonstrated by the
wide divergence of views expressed il
the recent general discussion in newspa-
Ipers, in public gatherings and even il
the senate Of the United States Of the
Anglo-American treaty Of arbitration
recently signed in Washington. 1t il
generally understood, of course, thai
| jthis convention, although signed by the
a,properly accredited representatives Of
nGreat Britain and the United States, il
oistin subject to the ratification Of tht
superior powers Of each government
lbut the subsequent course Of procedure
of the respective governments necessary
to make it an accomplished fact is by
mo means so well known
In conversation with several oficiali
Of the state department Star reporter
obtained some interesting data on thii
point. According to the constitution
and the laws of the United States,
treaty Of this kind is not operative until
It has gone through five formal stages
These in their order are, first, signing by
the representative Of the president; sec.
ond, ratification advised by the senate
third, ratification by the president
fourth, exchange of ratiications, and,
fifth, proclamation Of the treaty. As il
well known, the arbitration treaty hal
as yet passed through only the first
stage and is in the throes Of its second
stage. Inasmuch as it has already Sc
cured the full Endorsement Of the presi
dent, as evidenced by the signature OF
his representative, there is no room foI
doubt as to the nature Of the action that
would follow in the last three stages,
provided the senate should advise ant
consent to its ratification.
In the case Of the British government
the modus operandi is somewhat simi
lar, with the most important exception
that the entire proceedings are practi
cally within the discretion and control
of the queen. All that remains to bt
done by the British government to make
the treaty operative in British domin
ions is for its ratification by the queer
ON the recommendation Of the ''mos
honorable privy council" and its subse
Quent proclamation. Although treaties
are not subject to the ratification Of the
British parliament, it is customary t(
lay synopses Of them before the legisla
tive branch for its information, coinci.
dent with their ratification by the queer
sin council" The members Of the privy
council are appointed by the prime min
lister, with the approval of the queen
Consequently the dominant political
party is in control, and its action il
practically controlled by the premier Of
the administration, at present Lord Sal
isbury, who, having entered into the
arbitration treaty with the United
States, may be safely counted on to Sc,
cure its approval at home. The presen'
privy council numbers about 20 persons
and includes nearly all the leading Off
cials of the United Kingdom. Its mem
bership embraces the Prince of Vale.
and all the male members of the royal
family, the lord high chancellor and al
the cabinet officers, the lord president
and the leading members of parliament,
the archbishop of Canterbury and many
prominent churchmen and members OF
the British diplomatic corps, including
Sir Julian Pauncefote. The opposition
is represented by large but powerless
delegation.
One of the officials of the state de.
partment described the mOdus operandi
of treaty for the benefit of the reporter
in the following terse form:
Great Britain and the United States
conclude treaty or convention for o
specific purpose. 1t is signed in dupli.
cate. These copies are the original
treaties. In the British copy the British
representative signs first, and in the
United States copy the American repre-
sentative signs first The British origi.
nal copy is then sent to Great Britain
and laid before che privy council, which
passes upon it. If such action is favora.
BILE, the queen ratifies the original copy.
An exchange copy is then made and
bears the queens ratification. The ex'
change copy is a copy of the original
treaty bearing the queens ratification.
"This copy is delivered to the repre-.
sentative of the government of the Unit
ed States by the British representative
lin exchange for a similar copy of the
loriginal convention in the possession OF
the United States. This exchange copy
lis ratified by the president Of the United
States A protocol of exchange il signed
Iby the respective representatives when
the delivery Of these exchange copies
takes place After this has been accom-.
plished the president of the United
States, and likewise the queen OF the