The Portland daily press., 1899-01-26
WILL VOTE ON TREATY.
Monday February Sixth the Day
Selected.
INSTRUMENT WILL STAND OR
FALL AT THAT TINE.

senator Davis Addresses senate fm Ex-
ecutive Session and Presents . His
tory Of the Paris Conference-Praise
for spanish Commissioners.
Washington. January 25.-In executive
session today the Senate agreed unani-
mously to take q vote on the peace treaty
on February sixth at 8 p. m.
AS soon as the doors were closed and the
public excluded, Senator Davis took the
floor and announced that he was author
lied by the committee on foreign rela-
tions to accept the proposition made In
executive session by Senator German yes
terday to vote on the Treaty with in ten
days He therefore asked for unanimous
consent that the vote should be taken at
three o'clock on Monday, February 9.
saying that exactly ten legislative days
would intervene between this time and
that. He intimated that II there were
any objections to this date he would like
to hear them, but no one was heard and
the hour and the dny were unanimously
agreed to.
There was also an agreement that the
Senate should go into executive session
each day between this time and February
9, for the discussion Of the treaty.
In accordance with the terms of the
agreement the Senate resumed Its work
in executive session at two O'Clock and
the entire time of this session was con-
sumed by Senator Davis in making pre-
sentation Of the history OF the Paris CON-
ference. This presentatio consisted large
ly In the ie1ital of tho various proposi-
tions made on each side of the controver-
sy at Paris and while the speech was thus
rendered somewhat formal, It received
the closest and most attention. A map
OF the Philippines on large scale
adorned the rear wall OF the Senate cham
Der and while IL was often consulted by
Senators, Mr.. Davis made but one refer
enne to IL as such. Speaking outside OF
the published record, Senator Davis
eulogized the Spanish commissioners In
high terms as men of exceptional shrewd.
ness and ability. saying that the Ameri-
cans had found them armed at all points,
jealous of Spain's honor and interest and
prepared ut all times to defend her cause
as long as there was anything to defend.
lie said the Americans OF the commission
had been in constant communication
with the President while negotiating the
convention: that he was mace acquainted
with all the commissions movements
and while he admitted that there had
been apparently some division of opinion
among publicists in the United States
AS to the policy of including the Philip.
pines In the agreement there had been
practically no other honorable way out OF
the difficulty.
As for himself. Mr.. Davis was willing
from the start to extend our borders 80
as to include these islands because he be-
lieved their acquisition most important
stride in the advancement of the Ameri
can nation, commercially and otherwise.
He. with others, was looking forward to
the prospective partition of the vast Chi
nese empire among the European nations
and he foresaw that II the United States
did not secure footing In the Orient
such as they now have an opportunity
through the terms Of the treaty, they
would be most effectually and forever
shut out from this vast market On this
account there was every reason in the