The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-06
Was Signed Yesterday and VIII Now Go to
the United States Senate
AMENDS THE CLAYTON BUL WEIR CONVENTION.
United States Are Free to Commence the Construc-
ton OF an sthman Canal Great Britain De.
nands No Quid Pro Quo Comment.


Pauncefote treaty. anendatory of the
Clayton Bulwer treaty. relative to the
construction of the Nicaragua canal Was
signed at the state department today by
Secretary Hay and Lord Pauncefoie for
Great Britain. Though nc contamination
CT the treaty occupied Gome time, owing
TO the necessity Of comparing the two
drafts there was very little Formally
about the ceremony and convention that
is expected to be, for the United States
At least. Of the most tsrreaching i:npnr-
lance and value, came into being without
any particular surroundings.
Messenger Smith carried the freshly
signed treaty to the White House, where
the letter Of transmittal was signed by tho
president SO that the treaty could be dis
patched at once to the United States senate
for ratification. The letter of transmittal
was purely formal simply commondns
the treaty to the senate without entering
upon argument to demonstrate the great
! value.
| Secretary Hay declined to make public
the text Of the treaty, even to make any
statement as to It's details. holding thai
courtesy to the senate obliged him to re-
main silent until The senate Itself relieved
the seal OF confidence from the convention,
| SO now all that is known OF this oonyen-
| ton is that It amends the Clayton Bulwer
I treaty of 1850 in such manner that Great
! Britain yields to the United States to con-
struct the Nicaragua canal or a canal
at any other point on the isthmus. Most
of the other features in the Clayton Bull
wer treaty are retained. This is notably
true OF article 3, which guarantees the
absolute neutrality OF any canal and the
security OF the capital invested. IL is
understood that the United States takes
on itself the obligation to maintain tbs
neutrality Of the canal, and it is also be-
1 lieved that the treaty looks to an inter-
national understanding on this point
AS soon as the treaty is ratified aud the
ratiiications have been exchanged, the
United stntes will be at liberty to pro-
/ coed nt once with the construction of the
isthmian canal unfettered by any ohliga-
( tions toward Great Britain save that Of
4
zeus OF other nations, the use OF the canal
I on The same terms with American citizens.
Possibly this might have been done with
out today's treaty. for tie question az TO
whether or not the Clayton Bulwer treaty
is still alive has been a subject OF con-
7 troversy for many months and many able
/ minds have taken opposite sides But the
preeent administration is convinced that
the Clayton Bulwer treaty is still in forcs,
and II felt itself bound by the most sacred
/ obligations TO live up to the treaty as long
as it stood unchanged and desiring to
amend It, reeorted to the only honorable
means in its Judgment, to realize IT'S de-
sire hence the treaty was signed today,
y There is absolutely no quid pro quo
offered to Great Britain in this treaty in
return for the valuable concession TO the
! United States Whatever return the
United States may choose to make for
this concession is thing of the future.
London. February 5.-The Westminster
Gazette this afternoon alone comments on
the Nicaraguan canal 1t welcomes the
]
does net set compensation for "relinquish.
ing her undoubted rights" The paper
realizes that Lord Salisbury may have
| good reason for asserting to this, but
hopes Great Brtains friendly action viii
'colnt ia the settlement of the Alaskan
| dispute"
While the publication of the dispatch
/ nom Washington regarding the annu ing
/ Of the Clayton Bulwer treaty and the SUI
stit1tion for II the Hay Pauncefote treaty
osuted considerable surprise, ii was fully
confirmed at the foreign office where IL
I Is said the Associated Press Washington
/ dispatch Is correct In every particular.
! Apparent CELEBRITY in reaching an agree,
ment is explained by the fact that Tho
whole matter was practically settled be-
! tween Secretary Hay and Ambassador
/ Pauncofote in 1898. About a fortnight
ago IN consequence of the attitude OF the
senate, Mr., Choate the United states
Ambassador here, received instructions TO
| press the conclusions of the negotiations.
The British cabinet considered the mat
| ter and received Cansda's sanction to
grant the United States request The
attitude OF the cabinet consisted in the be-
! lief that the Clayton Bulwer treaty was
made when the conditions governing the
nations were so utterly different that 1t
was now out of date and impracticable.
/ Believing the present most inopportune
time for bargaining and haggling the
! British ministers decided TO give the
! United States a free hand. II can bs
| definitely said. however. that this decision
| is based to no little degree upon the
fact I'm do you a good turn. but re-
member II when you have a chance TO do
me one" though this scarcely merits be-
/ ing called oven a verbal uttsrance. ami
finds no place in the convention. Though
the cabinets action has scarcely been
published long enough to admit of serl-
Gus criticism. Il is believed Il will meet
with the approval of the majority after
the government gets an opportunity of
explaining It's motives as explained in
the foregoing.
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