New-York tribune., 1901-03-07
MORGAN.S OBJECT NOTCLEAR
THE ALABAMA SENATOR ADVOCATING
ABROGATION OF THE CLAYTON
BULWER TREATY
rnr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rR1RrNE. !

Washington March 6.-Senator Morgan held
the Senate in open session for more than two
hours this afternoon while he hurled thunder
bolts OF defiance at the Republicans because his
pet hobby, the Nicaragua Canal. is not yet an
accom- mpshed fact, and shook his fists al Great
Britain for some offence. real or imaginary
which he did not make very plain. He was
speaking TO his curiously worded resolution on
the subject OF the Clayton -Bulwer Treaty. With
a nimbleness surprising in Of his age and
dignity the Senator ran the gamut of threat
ening expostulations. declaring in one breath
that President Mckinley ought to be impeached
for the part this Government has taken in the
Chinese inbroglio. and in the next that the
people Of the United States are eager to go TO
war with England over the Isthmian waterway
scheme When reference in his speech caused
Senator Aldrich TO smile Mr.. Morgan turned
heroely upon the Rhode Island Senator and
shouted: .I believe the Senator from Rhode
Island would smile over the wreck and ruin OF
his country"
What senator Morgan is up to by his present
performance cannot yet be understood. In
point of service as well as OF years he is one of
the Oldest members of the Senate. AS an evil
dence of the esteem in which he is held by his
colleagues on both sides of the chamber II need
only be mentioned that IN a Republican Senate
he is chairman OF one of the most important
committees thdI on AIleToCcdLlC Ndiidlc' III -
supposed TO be aware OF the overwhelming SEN
timent in both houses Of Congress in favor OF
the construction of an isthmian ship canal, and
yet for two days Senator Morgan has been talk
ing in the Senate as If he believed some dark
conspiracy. extending from Washington 10 Lon
don. has been Matched thwart the consum-
nation of this enterprise. Why he has raised
the question all at this time. when the Sem
ate has not been called in special session to
s1,,,~
offering the government for another four
years. cannot be understood; and why he has
introduced a resolution for the abrogation of
treaty 10 be acted upon by the Senate alone
is an even greater mystery. While the Senate
with the President is the treaty making power
Of the government the Senate cannot alone
abrogate a treaty. That is act requiring the
concurrence of the House. like the repeal of the
statute law.
MR.. MORGANS ADMISSION.
Not until this afternoon did Senator Morgan
admit that he perfectly we'll understands that
the Senate by itself cannot abrogate the Clay
ton-Bulwer Treaty; and still he will resume his
speech in the Senate tomorrow and continue to
talk as If he believed the Senate has the au-
thority to abrogate the convention entered into
a half century ago by Great Britain and the
United States on the subject of a ship canal
across the isthmus connecting the two con-
tinents OF the New World.
Senator Morgan said TO The Tribune corre-
spondent this evening that he expects to finish
his speech tomorrow afternoon, and then i'm
mediateIy get a vote his resolution. He ac-
knowledges that the phraseology of his resolu-
ton is peculiar and that in reality Il would
commit the government 10 no policy even II II
were adopted. The resolution does not say that
the Clayton -Bulwer Treaty has been violated
by Great Britain, and that by this violation II
l,oc Iaav, hrnp ted nr
does not even say that the treaty is hereby
abrogated" as the phraseology would have TO
run in order 10 be legal and binding II merely
declares that in the opinion Of the Senate, the
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty is abrogated. If the
| resolution is adopted It will be simply an ex-
preston OF the Senate's purpose or intention
| finally az the proper time to concur with the
House in abrogation proceedings. Further than
this Senator Morgan's queer resolution would
accomplish nothing and still he Will have talked
/ IL continuously for three or four days. 1t is
not thought that any Republican Senator will
answer Senator Morgan, so that soon as he
| ceases TO speak action Will be taken his
/ luton.