The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-05
THE CONGRESS- AGAIN CALM Delegates Waive Right to
 the Floor. RAILWAY IS DISCUSSED There are Many Objections to the Neutrality Clause. Sections of the Report Submitted by Senator Davis are Referred
 Back to the Committee
 on Railway.

Mexico City, Dec. l.-At this morning'I
 session Of the Pan-American convention
 Mir. Bacz of Paraguay arose and said
 that at the close of the previous session
 the president had given him the floor
 to reply to Walker Martinez of Chile.
 He desired now to waive his right and
 to make no reply. He was sorry that
 what he had said at the previous session
 had caused any unpleasantness.
 President Raigosa then announced that
 Walker Martinez of Chile and MT. Ber-
 mejo of Argentine, who had asked for the
 floor at the previous meeting. had waived
 their right and that therefore the incident
 of the last session was to be considered
 as closed.
 When MT. Lopez Portimo of Mexico.
 presented his amendment touching the
 neutrality clause of the Pan-American
 railway project. Senator Davis first ask
 ed that his recommendations be passed
 upon in their present form and that MT.
 Portimo's amendment be incorporated
 as an addition. The chair ruled. how
 ever, that the amendment must go to the cOmmlLLSe OH EG1t-AIucTACdn runway
 Senator Davis said that he submitted to
 the ruling of the chair, but wanted to
 know whether the matter could not be
 disposed of now by unanimous vote of
 the committee members present. Mir.
 Pineda of Mexico said that he was sorry
 to oppose Senator Davis, but the rules
 governing the conference must be follow ed. The whole committee must decide
 Senator Davis said that he regretted the delay which must arise, he would like to have had the matter settled at once if possible as he would have to be absent
 The chair ruled that under Article F of the regulations the ameundment must go back to the committee, but nothing prevented the conference passing on the other clauses of Mir. Davis's report.
 Mir. Legar of Hayt said that for geo. graphical reasons his country was not in- terested in the railway project and that he would abstain from voting.
 Mir. Davis then read several reasons in favor of construction of the road. A vote was taken on the project in general and 1t was approved by eighteen votes. Mir. Carbo, who represents Santa Domingo, as we'll as Ecuador, said that for the same geographical reasons as stated by MT. Leger. he would abstain from voting on the articles, in particular on behalf of San Domingo Seven recommenda- tons of MT. Davis's report as already telegraphed to the Associated Press were approved by the votes of seventeen dele gates.
 Clause eight. the neutrality clause was omitted.
 In regard to the clause nine, Mir. Ber- mejo of Argentine said it was nnneces- sary as clause 2 made exactly the same recommendations. @
 When put to a vote, clause g was ap- proved by sixteen votes, Hayt and Santo Domingo abstaining and Argentine voting adversely.
 Clause 10 which suggests that the United States send a competent person to all the republics of America to study the resources of the several countries; locations and status of existing railway, the present trade conditions, prospective traffic, and what concessions each gov ernment would be disposed to grant elicited observations from MT. Pineda of Mexico. He thought that all the coun- tries of America should cooperate in this preliminary work and that it should not be done by the United States alone. MT. Mattie of Chile, suppoHted Mr. Pineda and Senator Davis asked that tha clause be referred back to the committed
 In regard to the clause II, which calls for permanent committee to interest itself in the railway, Mir Gauchilla of Bolivia wanted information about the personnel of the committee. Senator Da- wis said that the committee would be best able to handle this question. This was attacked as impracticable by several on the ground that when the composing 1t returned to their homes they would cease to be in touch | with one another and would not be able | to continue their work on behalf of the | fVaa lNr oIo af- 10 the committed
 Lazo Arraiga of Guatemala said that l the neutrality clause of the railway pro- ect was of such vital importance to ali concerned that 1t would be we'll | f the Committee on International Law were to cooperate with the Pan-Ameri- ,an Railway Committee in rewording ,laGse of the Davis pi oject. With this he session closed.
 As 1t was anticipated. objection was 'aised at this mornings session to the clause in the projects of Sen itor H. c. Davis. for an inter-continental An amendment was presented )y Lopez Portimo of Mexico to the fol- owing effect: "Clause SI> that the railway o be built must be declared perpetually ieutral by special conventions of the na- ions interested to secure free traffic Railroads already constructed or to be  by private concessions of ach nation and independently of the or companies which may be ormed to execute the work destined to complete the continental railway shall lot be considered as comprised in said declaration of neutrality and shall con- inue to be exclusively controlled by their wn concessions and local laws"
 This amendment leaves each nation to at In ha nf 1pOiar- | ng the inter-continental railway neutral. t also lets Mexico out altogether as this has already g; anted private once ssions for railways extending to it's outhern border. all of which concessions re governed by local laws. The project f Senator Davis with the above amend nent was sent back to the Committee n Pan-American Railway. South Ameri- ans are firmly set against the neutrality lauss. They say that the present. events n Panama are an argument against 1t, s the Colombian government Is urevent- ]