The age-herald., 1900-02-02
THE TREATY WITH
 SULTAN OF SULU Payments Provided for by Rev. enues from Philippines. THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY General Bates in His Report Says That the Sulus Are Very Jeal-
 ous ofTheir Institutions
 of Slavery
THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY

Washington. February 1.-In compliance with a resolution of inquiry the president today sent to the senate copy of the re- port and accompanying papers of Brfga- dier General J. c. Bates in relation to tho negotiation of a treaty or agreement made by him with the sultan of Sulu last Au- gust.
 In reply to the request, the president says: The payments of money provided for by the agreement will be made from the revenues of the Philippine islands unless congress shall otherwise direct"
 General Otis, in transmitting the treaty August 27 says:
 "The attitude of these people has been the subject of apprehension for several months and by this agreement I believe that the apprehended pending differences are happily adjusted"
 Secretary Root, in a reply, dated Oeto- Der P, tells General Otis that the agree nent is confirmed and approved by the president. subject to the action of congress and with the understanding and reserva- tion, which should be dstincty communi- cated to the sultan of Sulu that this agree ment is not to be deemed in any way to authorize or give the consent of the United States to the existence of slavery in the Sulu archipelago. At the same time when you communicate to the sultan the above mentioned understanding the president de- sires that you should make inquiry as to the number of persons held in slavery in the archipelago and what arrangement it may be practicable to make for their eman. cipation."
 
 In his instructions to General Bates un- der this direction General Otis says: 'lt is believed that the market price of slaves in the archipelago is insignificant ranging from $30 to $S0, Mexican, and that in some instances owners will be pleased to grant freedom to their slaves if they can escape the burden of supporting them.'
 Character of slavery Different
 General Otis continues to the effect that the character of the domestic slavery ex- isting in the archipelago differs greatly from the former slavery institutions of the United States, the slaves becoming mem bers of the owners family
 General Bates in his report says that when he first asked to see the sultan the latter sent his greetings, saying he could not come to see the general because he had
 
 coat, but that he would recognize the pro- lection Of the United States, requesting as a favor that he might hoist his own flag alongside that of the United States The suitan's brother went to Jolo to meet Gen. eral Bates, and the sultan afterwards join ed him. General Bates states in this con- nection that the Sulus are very jailous of their institutions of slavery.
 In his original instructions to General Bates, General Otis instructed him to push to the front the question of sovereignty, and told him he could promise for the United States not to interfere with but to protect the Moros in tos free exercise of their religion and customs, social and do- nestle, and to respect the rights and digni- ties of the sultan and his admirers. In re- turn they must acknowledge the sovereign ty of the United States.
 He also instructed General Bates that it was important that the United States should occupy he principal distributing centers of trade, and that Siassl, the capital should be occupied by our troops at no distant day.