The age-herald., 1900-03-10
.BOER RESOLUTION
 WAS DISCUSSED
Some Senators Oppose a Public
 Debate.
QUESTION LEFT UNDECIDED
Mason Insists That There is No Cause for Concealment, and That the
 Resolution Should be
 Discussed Openly

Washington, March 9.-In the secret ses- | sion of the senate today the discussion was | mainly on the question as to whether dis cussion of the Mason motion should be in l open or in secret session. Chairman Davis | of the foreign relations committee said | that the public discussion of the subject in the senate might result in disturbing exist ing relations between the United States and a friendly power. He thought. there fore, that anything of the kind would be much better avoided.
 Mr. Mason said there was no reason why his motion should not be discussed openly unless someone wanted to conceal some thing. The resolutions of sympathy for the Armenians and the Cubans had been discussed day after day in open session, and no one then feared that existing friend ly relations would be disturbed MT. Ma son quoted from a speech of Senator Frye on the Armenian resolution, in which the Maire senator took occasion te criticise Great Britain very severely. This, he said, did not disturb relations with that country.
 Senator Lodge, speaking for the commit tee on foreign relations, said that it was an unheard of matter to take the resolution out of the hands of the committee, some- thing that had never been done, and that it was a discourtesy which should not be done committee of the senate.
 Spooner Opposed Public Discu ,sIon
 Senator Spooner opposed discussing the question in public
 MT. Hoar said he was in favor of passing a resolution asking the president to offer his good offices in an attempt at mediation, nd ba of thxy should be passed 1t would prevent the pass , age of such resolution and stop the presi- dent the tender of his own account. MT Tillman then offered substitute for the Mason resolution requesting the presi- dent to tender his friendly offices for med iation.
 MT. Lodge made the point of order that a subs bstitute resolution could not be offered to. the resolution in committee, and the point was sustained.
 MT Hale made a speech in favor of the Beers similar to the one he delivered in open session some time ago. He added that he was in favor of the Mason resolution, but that 1t was useless to try to get an ex- pression of sympathy from the senate.
 The subject of an alleged secret alliance came up. MT. Mason said We were told every day that there is no secret alliance. If there ds not, said he, leE us carry out our usual habit in such cases. We always 01aVe passed resolutions of sympathy with struggling republics, continued Mir. Mason, and we should do so now.
 MT. Spooner responded that England had been our friend in the Spanish war, and we should do nothing to interrupt those friendly relations.
 This brought MT. Hoar to his feet. He said that a great question of right and wrong was involved, and it should be set tied regardless of questions of friendship whether it was of Spain, England or the czar of Russia.
 It is understood that the motion will be debated again next week.
 Senator Davis reported tine Hay-Paunce- fote treaty with debate in the executive session, and his motion the amendment and report were made public.