The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-13

Washington. December 10.-After the
senate went into executive session to-
day, Senator Hoar presented the report
of the committee on the judiciary
recommending the confirmation of At
torney General Knox. He mad a brief
statement referring to the protests
against confirmation as made by the
antitrust league. but said that after
giving careful attention to this repre-
sentation the committee had decided to
recommend confirmation. No opposi-
ton was voiced. but action on the nom
ination was postponed by common con-
sent.
The senate then, before taking up the
isthmian canal treaty proceeded to pass
upon other nominations of which there
are an exceptionally large number be-
fore the senate.
After a number of nominations had
been confirmed Senator Lodge called up
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty and made a
brief statement regarding nat
ton.
The senate then adjourned in order
~ SANS SA~ >~NSNS
tee an opportunity to hold a meeting.
Senator Lodge commended that the
new treaty does away with all the OBJ
~jectionable features of the treaty of the
last congress-, and enumerated the par
ticulars in which the revised agreement
conforms to the action of the senate in
the last congress when the old treaty
was before it. He analysed the new
treaty from beginning to end, showing
that in specific terms it ~abrogates the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty of 1850, which,
he said. had stood constantly in the
way of the construction Of al isthmian
canal. The abrogation of this treaty,
he contended, was a most important
achievement, and he did not believe
that the United States should or would
lose an opportunity to make secure
that concession.
Senator Lodge also called attention
to the omission in Paragraph /, OF Ar
ticle III of the words: I'm time of war
as in time of peace" He said that in
the old treaty the paragraph read:
1.-The canal shall be free and open, in
time or war as in time OF peace. to the
vessels Of and of war OF all
nations on terms of entire equality,
etc." He urged that the omission OF
this phrase had the effect practically OF
leaving the United States to do with
the canal in time Of war according to
its own good pleasure.
He also referred to the fact that rule
seven in the treaty Of the powers regu-
lating the control Of the Suez canal.
which had been embodied in the origi-
nal Hay-Pauncefote treaty, a been
omitted in the revision draft. He quot
ed this rule, which provided that: mo
fertilization shall be erected, command
Ing the canal or the waters adjacent.
etc" This he said was a material con-
cession to the United States, and was
quite sufficient to meet the objections
made against that agreement that the
United States would have no power to
protect it's property. It practically left
the United States free to fortify the
canal in case it should be considered de-
sirable tt do so and in line with the
omission of the restriction keeping the
canal open in time of war. The fact
that the invitation contained in the old
treaty to the various powers to give
their adherence to the agreement had
been eliminated from the new conven-
ton, he said, was another compliance
with the action of the senate on the
original treaty. These concessions, Sem
ator Lodge urged, were ample n he
commended that they were of such a ma
ture as to render the new treaty ac-
ceptable to all American citizens who
want to see a canal constructed. Prac-
tically. he said, Great Britain had
agreed to turn the entire management
of the canal over to the United States
not only in time of peace. but in time
of war. and no n could doubt that in
case of hostilities the United States
would be at liberty to construe the
omission Of the clause of Rule I as hav-
ing this effect.
senator Culberson asked Senator
Lodge if it vas not true that Article
VIII Of the Clayton-Pulwer treaty es-
tablishing the general principle of
naturalization is not retained in the
new agreement. but Mr.. Lodge replied
that while there was a declaration to
the effect that the general principle OF
naturalization established by that ar
ticle is still to be kept alive the whole
tenor of the new treatv was to neu-
tralize and cancel the old agreement
He did not consider that the article
would be of effect any longer.
1t is understood that the new treaty
will be called up tomorrow.
The senate today confirmed these
nominations: William H. Hunt, Of
Montana, to be governor and Charles
Hartzell. of Colorado, to be secretary
| of Porto Rico: William A. Rodenberg,
of illinois,, to be a civil service COM
sioner; French B. Loomis, of Ohio, to be
| minister to Portugal: Lloyd G. Girls
com, of Pennsylvania to be minister
| to Persia: Herbert w. Bowen, of New
York, to be minister to Venezuela;
Richmond Pearson, of North Carolina,
consul to Genoa: George B. Cobb, to
be collector Of Albemarle district. Of
North Carolina.
The westmoreland Shooting