The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-06

washington, Feb. 5.-The Hay
Pauncefote treaty, amendatory of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty. relative to the
construction Of the Nicaragua canal,
was signed at the state department to-
day by Secretary Hay and Lord
PauncefOte for Great Britain. Though
the eonsummaticn Of the treaty Occu-
pied some time owing to the neees-
sity Of comparing the two drafts, there
was little formaIity about the cere-
mony and the convention that IS ex-
pected to be, for the United stat at
least. of the most far-reachlng m
portance and value, came into beng
without any theatrical surroundings.
There We're present besides Secretary
Hay and Lord PaunCefOte. only Mr.
Bromley, honorary attache Of the Brit
ish embassy, and prospective son-ln-
law of Lord PauncefOte; Sidney Smith.
chief OF the diplomatic bureau, and
William Gwynn, the faithful and dis
Greet messenger to the department or
state who placed the seals upon this
convention as he has upon nearly
every treaty of Importance to which
the United States has been a party for
the past thirty years.
Signed the Treaty.
The first thing in order was to COM
pare the two drafts of the treaty care
FULLY, to insure their identity. which
work was performed by Messrs. Smith
and Bromley. Then the signing took
place. Secretary Hay attaching his sig
nature first to the copy Of the treaty
which is TO be retained by the United
States government after the final rat
ihcatiOns. The seals were attached and
then there were CONGRATULATIONS and
the ceremony was over. Messrs- smith
and Bromley retired and Secretary Hay
and Lord Pauneefote had a long private
chat
Mr.. smith carried the freshly signed
treaty TO the White House, where the
letter of transmittal was signed by the
president, so that the treaty could be
despatched at once to the United States
senate for ratification The letter Of
transmittal was purely formal. simply
commencing the treaty to the senate
without entering upon any argument
to demonstrate its great value.
Secretary Hay declined to make pub
lie the text Of the treaty or even to
make any statement as to its details,
holding that courtesy to the senate
obliged him to remain silent until the
senate itself removed the seal of con-
fidence from the convention. SO that
all that is now known Of this CONVEX
ton is that it amends the Clayton
Bulwer treaty of 1850 in such manner
that Great Britain yields TO the United
States the right to construct the Mic
araguan canal or a canal at any other
point on the isthmus without British
participation
Features of the Treaty.
Most Of the other features in the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty are retained.
This is notably true Of article No. 3,
which guarantees the absolute neu-
trality of any canal and the security Of
the capital invested.
It is understood that the United
States continues upon itself this Obli-
CATION To maintain the naturalization
of the canal, which shall be open and
free. Tt is also believed the treaty looks
10 an international undertaking on this
point Because the requirements Of in
ternational courtesy would not other
wise be observed. it is expected the
senate will not make the convention
public before tomorrow at the earliest,
and on this point there has been some
understanding between Secretary Hay
and the British government.
"A soon as the treaty is ratified and
the notifications have been exchanged,
the United States viii be at liberty TO
proceed at once with the construction
Of an isthmian canal unfettered by any
obligations toward Great Britain save
that of allowing to British citizens, as
to the citizens of other nations, the use
Of the canal on the same terms with
American citizens.