The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-02
The Spanlards Want Free Access to the
West Indies for Five Years.
TREATIES ARE CITED AS PRECEDEN1S
The Proposition and Arguments Strongly
Stated to the Commissioners.
THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL Be PROLONGED
spain wfI Not Cedc United states
CoaIinR Stnffons or Grant ite-
ligious Freedom.

| Paris, December l.--Anxious as both are
| TO conclude their work, the United States
and Spanish peace commissioners did not
hold joint session today. Their next
meeting viii be held al O'Clock tomorrow.
This delay arose from the fact that tho
Spanish commissioners at yesterdays ses-
sion offered several urgent propositions
which called for special elaboration upon
the part of the Americans.
Spain asked the United States to grant
for term Of five years 10 Spanish ships
carrying Spanish goods or products 70 Porte
Rico and Cuba the same privilege as Ameri-
can vessels engaged in the same trade may
nave, and she qualities this request by a
proyiso that trude privileges be extended
to Cuba 80 long as the United States gov
ornament dominates over the island,
in support Of this request the Spanish
| commissioners assert that Spain Gun not
without yAai HARM abantion or cut the
| business relations so long maiutalned be-
tween The mother country and the West
Indian territories. 1ncy declare that fam
lily tics aud social relations added 10 affairs
OF trade ,nainUa5ned through centtriss re
quire gradual dissolution. They invoke tho
terms OF the treaty oil 1873 by which the
UNITED states took over Florida from Span
| ~ tho fiHeeuth article OF wblcn granted
spain for dwsslve years abe rignt to send
her goois ana products 10 f'toriia In Spin-
ASH ships on the same terms as che chips
oaWyfag thather goods and products OF the
United States.
The Spanish commissioners cite further
the Fact that tho treaty OF 1903 With France
Tor the cession OF Louisiana granted French
{ - "A IN
I terms as Americans Ia New Orleans and
other ports In the ceded territory.
| Finally sipain points to the American pro-
| rosel open door policy in THE Philippines
| and asked a guarantee of the same advan-
uages In her West indian coionies untl
I trade RELATIONS can by degrees accustom
themselves TO the change OF sovereignty.
This proposition and the arguments by
which Ill WAS supported are strongly stated
and the American commissioners desired
| dine for dellbcration. Thus, though busy
,pltil Searly . o'clock this afternoon, tneV
were not fully prepared and Juage bay sent
| message to Senior Montero Rios requesting
the joint session be postponed until tomor-
4 row
NIe@nwhile the Spanish commissioners
! had been preparing list of subjects for
| negotiations, supplemented by suggestions
| counter TO and umendatory of tine subjects
the Americans submitted yesterday. This
came ito the Aneridaa commissioners today
in Spanish, rendering it even more dcsir-
able TO postpone the Joint session In order
TO give time FOR translation and considera-
ton. The translation VIII be made this
evening and be laid before the Americans
tomorrow morning
Now that the first gust OF grief and cha
grin has passed The SpaniNrds are meeting
the Americana In frank spirit mat Is
helpful to an early completion OF the me-
/ gotatsons
Midnight -p'rom Information which the
correspondent of the Assoclatel Press has
from q we'll authenticated source late this
! evening II seems unlikely that the commits
sinners will finish their work aa soon ns had
been expected. ut is probable the negotia-
tions Will last considerably longer
| AIadrld has INSTRUCTED dhe Spanish COM
| miss.0ners on three points TO which the
| Americans attach much Importance. These
are the cessfon oz an island In the Caro-
| lines. the grsntlug of religious freedom
over the whole OF the Caroline islands and
| the cesslon of cable and coallng station
at Ce,pta The Spanish government has in
! str,cted Senior Montero Rios 10 grant none
| OF these, and while Spain may ultimately
Weld 10 them all, IL is admitted that tho
| American commissioners have no power 10
enforce their demands ON points mol covered
! by the pr0toco,
| before Spain does Yield the negotiations
are lakely to be prolonged and the United
1 States may have TO give a Substantial quid
pro quo.
! Yesterday from LoWdon, leaving hrs wife
| ,nnvalesccnt there. was 10 consultation
| with the Afnencan commission all this
n,ornbny relative 4, the condaplons and nee
essary massures IN the philippines.
4 General Merritt expects 20 sail for New
York on Decemhar 10, and hopes 10 resume
his duties In California or New York until
his retyrement eighteen months hence
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