The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-07
kept lis DOORS CLOSED
HOWEVER, THE PROCEEDINGS IN
THE SENATE LEAKED
OUT
THE HAY-PAUNCEFoTE TREATY
Was the Theme Under Discussion,
and Senator, Morgan Did
Most of the
Talking.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.-The senate
was IN executive session for more than
four hours today, the entire time being
devoted to the discussion by Senator Nor
gan of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty for the
abrogation of the portion of the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty which relates to the
Nicaragua canal
The senator made livery plain in the
course Of his remarks that while he
was not opposed to the pending treaty in
almost any form his principal, if not
his only concern in that connection, is for
the passage of the canal bill and he al
lowed it to be very broadly unders o. d
that he had engaged in the treaty discus
sion because of his conviction that there
were a majority of the senators who
would insist upon action upon the treaty
as condition precedent to the passage
of the canal bill. For this reason he said
he was willing to discuss the treaty.
He intimated privately to other senators,
however, that he would not consent to
fixing of a time for a vote upon the
treaty until there could be fixed a time
for like action upon the Nicaraguan
canal bill
In the course OF his speech he said that
he dill not in reality consider that the
treaty need have any especial bearing
upon the bill, and that he believed it was
competent for the United States to pro-
ceed with the building of the canal re-
gaFdIess of the treaty or of Great Brit
aims wishes in the matter, but to sat
isfy other senators, and also to meet the
wishes of the secretary of state, for
whom he incidentally expressed the high
est esteem, he would consent to action
upon the treaty and do all he could for it.
He would vote for the agreement
whether it should be amended or not,
though he would prefer that there should
be no amendment
Discussing the question of the fortifica-
tion OF the canal, Senator Morgan argued
StrenuCuSiy against 1t, both as mex
pedient and unnecessary. He contended
that Great Britain was not the only
power whose interests would be affected
by provision for ,fortifca ton, and said
that Nicaragua and Costa Rica had a
right to be considered in that connec-
ton. Furthermore, in case of war
everybody knew that the canal would
be protected to the fullest extent, so
that any provision whatever bearing
upon this point was needless.
NEUTRALITY OF THE CANAL
He admitted, however, that he had no
doubt that if the United States should
proceed with the construction Of the
canal without first taking steps to secure
the neutrality of the canal, Great Britain
would be grievously offended, and that
he thought it not impossible that the Of
fense would be considered sufficiently
grave to lead to hostilities between the
two countries.
do you mean, asked Senator Bev-
eridge, that, notwithstanding the pres
ent friendly relations between the coun-
tries, England might declare war if we
Should construct the canal with our own
means and in our own way?"
Senator Morgan replied that he consid-
cred that result among the probab l!t;es.
But" he continued, 81 should not be
deferred by that circumstance What
England would 90, he said Of course
was a mere matter of speculation, and
added that he had only referred to this
possibility in order to emphasize his
opinion that the canal should be con
structed in any contingency. The Ameri-
can people, he said, had mapped out
that canal and they were not going to
allow any obstacle, no matter how seri-
Gus, to stand in the way He believed
that the administration that would un-
dertake to build the canal, knowing that
to do so meant war, would be indorSed
by the people at large by a bigger ma
jority than that which Mckinley had re-
ceived over Bryan in the last election.
Senator Morgan was pied with many
questions by Senators Mason. Beveridge.
Tillman and others. Mr.. Mason asked
whether it was true that if the Hay
Pauncefote negotiation prevented the
use of the canal by England in the time
of war, the converse proposition that it
prohibited such use by the United States
was not also true. To this Mr. Morgan
did not make direct reply, saying that he
would take up that point later in his dis
cussion. In discussing the points of the
treaty with Senator Teller, the Alabama
senator, expressed the view that the
Clayton -Bulwer treaty is unconstituSss057;ff-
al, and for this reason, if for no other,
said itsshould be disregarded.
Senator Hanna, chairman of the Re
publican national committee, this after
noon offered to John Joy Edison, of this