The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-21
SENATOR FORAKER MAKES AN ARGU-
MENT FOR ITS RATIFICATION.
THE QUESTION OF FORTIFICATION
Him-He Argues Against Necessity
Such Fortihcations - Treaties of
Minor Importance Ratihed-Senator
Tillman's Resolution for Information
as to Correspondence on the Canal
Question.
SENATE.

Nohs ~
day the senate had under discussion
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty in executive
session. No business of consequence
was transacted in open session.
Senator Tillman. Of South Carolina.
Tad ead the following resolution:
Resolved, That the president be and
is hereby requested. if M in his judg-
ment Incompatible with public inter
est, to furnish the senate all iniorma-
ton and copies of all corresp ,ndence
between this government and the gov
eminent of Colombia, showing what
steps, if any, have been taken by This
government to secure a treaty between
the two governments or a modih cation
by Colombia of existing treaties OF
concessions with the view of securing
to the United States III right to con
struct a canal over the territory of Co.
lombia, between the Atlantic and Pa
cific oceans.
At 1890 the senate went into execu-
tive session.
The senate then ratified five treaties
Of comparatively little consequence.
These included an agreement supple
mentary to the Hay-Paunoefote treaty
itself and extending the time within
which it may be ratified. Under the
terms of the original treaty the time
for ratification expired five months
ago. The agreement favorably passed
upon today extends the time until the
4th of March.
The other treaties ratified were as
follows: Extending for n year the
time within which the commercial
treaty with Argentina may be ratified
and the same extension for the treaty
with Great Britain for reciprocity with
treaties with Bolivia and Chill.
The resolution offered earlier III the
day by Senator Tillman was then
agreed to, after being amended at the
instance of Senator Morgan so as also
to call for all the correspondence with
the Panama Canal Company, in :luding
all offers On the part of that u,pa
the Panama canal.
The friends of the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty occupied most of the time in the
consideration of that treaty, Senator's
Foraker and Morgan being the speak
ers.
Senator Bard, of California, gave no
tice of an amendment he will offer to
the treaty providing that the United
States shall have the right to "discrim-
mate in favor Of American goods ship
ped through the canal in Am .ricaT
vessels engaged in the coastwise
trade
Senator Foraker's speech was a de-
Tense of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty,
and he took occasion to praise in high
terms Secretary Hay, whom, he said,
In falling into the policy of neutrality
mad only followed historic precedents.
Every administration. he said, since
1901 mad given some recognition to the
Clayton-BulWer treaty. He commended
that there is an implied reservation in
the treaty as 1t came to the senate to
protect the canal from enemies. The
treaty guarantees it's neutrality in time
OF peace, he said, but we reserve the
right to do with it as we see fit in
time of war, except that we cannot
fortify it; but. he went on. there is nc
prohibition aginst our closing it in war
time. He ound great significance in
the difference between the Language
used in the Constantinople treaty re-
latlng to the Suez canal, and the Ian
guage employed in relation to tbs
Nicaraguan canal, and dwelt upon
the fact that the Suez treaty contain:
a provision that in time of hostilities
that canal shall be open to the ships Of
belligerents although the Ottoman en-
pire, through whose dominion the cana
was to be constructed. should be one Of
the belligerents. That provision had
been omitted from the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty, and he argued that the omls.
sion could be interrupted in no way ex.
cept as a concession of difference il
| intent.
He also commended for the safety Of
the canal even though it should not bs
fortified, for it as absurd. he said, e
suppose that any enemy would attemp'
to sail it's ships through a canal II!
miles long and owned, controlled ani
policed by this country when actua
| hnCtIlitIQS Uaro in nrnOracC
Senator Morgan traversed much o.
the ground he had already covered. H,
said that the ratification Of h Hay
Pauncefote treaty is a debt we owe t.
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA. Thes'
countries, if they should see fit, Nigh
rise up and refuse to allow US to d.
anything; hence. we could not afford t.
do anything that would offend them.
At 3:15 o'clock p. m. the senate ad
journed.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The house devoted the day to Dis
i trict of Columbia business. The who'll,
time was occupied in the consideration
of a bill to change the terminal facili
ties of the Pennsylvania railroad il
this city and to provide for the eleva
ton of its tracks across h Mall soutl
1 OF Pennsylvania venue The opposi
tin was persistent, but. after much fill
clustering, the friends of the bill sue
ceeded in securing a recess until 1
o'clock tomorrow to continue consider
alton Of the bill.