The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-05
BRIEY SESSION or SENATE.
Peace Treaty Referred to Committee
on Foreign Relations.

Peace treaty KeIerre0 to Committee
on Foreign Relations.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-The first session
of the Senate after the holiday recess oc-
cupied only fourteen minutes, although in
that brief time two open. sessions and an
executive session were held. The galleries
were filed with spectators before the Senate
convened the general expectation being that
the peace treaty would he presented. The
senatorial members of the peace commission
appeared on the floor and were given
hearty greeting by their colleagues In the
absence of Vice President Hobart, Mr. Frye,
the president pro tempore, called the SEN
ate to order.
The chaplain in his invocation said I'VE
come together under a sense Of bereave-
ment by the absence of the senior senator
from Vermont. whose wise counsel and low
ing presence shall no more enrich the pro-
ceedings in this chamber. We bless Thee,
o Lord, for his noble life, for his example
to all men, and we pray that his spirit may
ever abide within these walls
Scarcely had the clerk begun to read the
journal of the last session of the Senate
when Mr.. Davis moved that the further
reading be dispensed with. The motion pre-
vailed. Mr.. Frye, who was in the chair,
Immediately recognized Major Pruden, as
sistant secretary to the President, who pre-
sented a message from the President of the
United States. The message contained the
treaty of Paris On motion of Mr.. Davis
the Senate then went into executive session,
in order that the treaty might be referred
to the committee on foreign relations in
a few minutes the Senate reconvened in
open session, and Mr. Allison announced the
death of Senator Morrill,. The usual resolu-
tions were adopted, and as mark of re-
spect the Senate adjourned at 1915 until to-
morrow.
The peace treaty was not read in execu-
tive session, but the Presidents message
accompanying it was This was a simple
letter of transmittal without any word of
recommendation or suggestion, and was only
a few lines in length. On motion OF Senator
Davis, the treaty was referred 10 the COM
mittee on foreign relations and ordered
printed for the use of the Senate. No order
was made looking to making the treaty pub
lie, but it is understood that this will be
done after the treaty is passed upon by the
committee. Senator Davis entered mo-
ton to make the treaty and the proceedings
of the committee public, but on the sug-
gestion of Senator Allison he withdrew that
motion for the purpose of allowing the COM
mttee to act upon it. A meeting of the
committee on foreign relations has been
called for Friday, but it is probable that
the committee will then bring in resou-
tion for the publication of both the treaty
and the proceedings.
The presentation of the peace treaty
aroused considerable discussion among SEN
ators as to its probable ratification and the
impression to be gained from what senators
say is that the treaty will no doubt be rati-
fed. Senator Gray, a member OF the COM
mission, has been discussing the subject
with Democratic senators who were averse
to acquisition of the Philippines and OPP
posed some other features of the treaty. He
told them that amendments to the treaty
would seriously complicate matters, and
that there was nothing now to do but to
accept the treaty as it stood. Senator Gray
will no doubt make a speech from the
standpoint of a man who was IN the first
instance opposed to acquiring territory far
from the United States hut showing that
the war left the country in a condition
where the responsibilities were not to be
avoided. 1t is understood that Senator
Hoar and Senator Caffery will make ex-
tended speeches in opposition to the treaty.