The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-07
THE SENATE TAKES UP THE HAY
PAUNCEFOTE TREATY
THE COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Senator Lodge, in Charge of the Mat
ter, Urges Its Speedy Ratification.
Question Raised as to En&land's
Right to Acquire Property In the
Area Effected-Erect OF the Amend
ment on Our Right of Defense of Pro-
Before the Senate.

Before the Senate.
Washington, D. c., December Sin
executive session today the senate con-
sidered the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
The treaty and the amendment to it
suggested by the committee on foreign
relations We're read at the instance of
Senator Lodge, who took charge Of the
treaty on behalf of the committee. He
then made a speech in explanation of
the treaty and urged its speedy ratifi-
cation as a necessary preliminary to
the consideration of the Nicaragua ca
nal bill.
Senator Beveridge asked whether it
was not true that the abrogation of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty would have the
effect of permitting Great Britain to
acquire property in the area affected.
Senator Lodge replied in the mega
| tive, saying that it was we'll known to
all that the Hay-Pauncefote treaty,
while abrogating the Clayton -Bulwer
treaty so far as it applies to the
United States and binds this country,
still leaves England bound to it's terms.
| For this reason he was sure there need
| be no apprehension on that score.
Senator Lindsay of Kentucky, made
quite a statement as to what he said
| he considered a popular misapprehen-
| sion as to the effect of the amendment.
Il find" he said. that most people
| appear to think that this amendment
| provides for the fortification of the ca
! nal, whereas it does nothing of the
| kind, as a reading Of it will demon
| strate.''
He claimed that it only provides in
| the most general way for the protec-
| ton of the rights of the United States.
| He called attention to the fact that
while the treaty of Constantinople, ap-
| plying to the Suez canal. had been used
| as the basis of the pending treaty,
only seven articles of it had been in
corporated in the y-Pauncefote
| agreement, leaving out article 10 of that
agreement, which gives to the sultan
OF Egypt THE right to defend the inter-
| ests OF that country in connection with
| the SueZ canal.
Replying Senator Lodge said he had
| not contended and did not contend that
the amendment conferred specifically
the power to fortify the canal The
| great benefit of the amendment was
| found he said, in the fact that it ap-
| plies to the first article copied from
| the Constantinople agreement provid-
| ing that the canal shall be free and
| open in time of war as in time of peac
| to the vessels of commerce and of war,
| Of all nations
The amendment, he further said was
| substantially in the language of arti-
Gle 10 of the Constantinople treaty.
In conclusion he urged early action
on the treaty as of great Importance,
| because of the general desire to go on
with the Nicaragua canal legislation.
Senator Money, Of Mississippi, indi-
Gated that he might vote for il
| if the amendment was retained
| thoughnot satisfied, he said, that
| the amendment would make the docu-
| ment entirely satisfactory. Upon the
whole, he thought the United States
would best promote it's own interests
by proceeding to construct the canal
without asking the aid or consent OF
| any other country.
During the executive session several
| comparatively unimportant treaties
with other countries, largely South
| American, were laid before the senate
| and referred to the committee on for
| eign relations. Some of these were re-
| ciprocfty treaties and other extraditior
| agreements. One of them was a reci-
| procity agreement with Ecuador and
another treaty with Denmark provid-
ing for reciprocity with the island OF
Santa Cruz.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
The house devoted the day to the
army reorganization bill. which was
| brought UP under a special order.
adopted at the opening of the session,
which limited general debate to two
hours on a side. Lieutenant General
Miles and a numbr of army officers
were interested spectators throughout
the day. ONLY two republicans partici-
pated in the general debate-Chairman
Hull. OF the military committee. who
was in charge of the bill. and Mr..
Parker, of New Jersey, who is q men,
Der Of the military committee.
Messrs. Cochrane. Of Missouri; Kle-
berg. of Texas; Mcclellan, Of New
York; Shafroth. Of Colorado; Cum
| mings. of New York, and Cox Of Ten
neSsee, democrats spoke briefly against
the bill and a large standing army.
Mccall. Of Massachusetts,, republican.
then aroused the only enthusiasm Of
the day against the measure. Several
times during the last session. notably
ON the Porto Rican tariff bill. he re-
fused to follow his party. Today he
attacked the whole Philippine policy of
the administration. He also criticised
technically several features of the bill.
SSptSiaiiy lIldl fOusfnR. IN the pISSlOSIit
the discretion to expand or reduce the
size Of the army at win. He declared
that the United States should imme-
diauely give the FILIPINO people honor
able assurance that they should have a
government of their own. He declared
| that until congress acted to the con-
trary We must assert and enforce our
sovereignty over the Philippines or dis
grace ourselves before the world.
Eleven of the twenty-Six pages of
the bill were disposed of before ad-
ment-
Tomorrow the Grout oleomargerine
bill under special order made at the