The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-24
OF Opinion that the Lower Branch of
Congress Has No Power tn Pro-
pose Make Treaties.
CULLOM OF THE SAME MIND
BILLS TO INVESTIGATE AND PUNISH
THE ALLEGED BEEF TRUST.
wnrship to BE Built i'm n Navy Yard.-
Watson TO Attend the Coronation
Instead Of Clark.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, April Ex-senator Spoon
CT returned to-day and promptly lined UP
with the opponents of Cuban reciprocity.
He will be against the present Cuban reel
procity measure and will oppose il with all
his might. While he will not be quoted, il
is understood his reasons are somewhat
peculiar. Recently he made an extended
research TO discover the constitutional pow
er of the Senate to ratify reciprocity trea-
ties involving changes in duties. He de-
cided that the Senate had this power This
leads him to the conclusion that the House
has no power to propose and make treaties
with foreign countries. He claims that If
commercial favors are to be extended to
Cuba in the way of tariff concessions a
treaty should be negotiated by the Presi-
dent when the Cuban government is formed
and then sent to the Senate for ratification.
According TO Senator Spooner the House
measure authorizes the President to nego-
tate treaty under certain conditions, and
he already has that power. Even if he
should act by the direction of the House
measure and negotiate a treaty he still
would have to send the same to the Senate
for ratification. The house can authorize
the President to reduce the duties on Gu
ban products after certain things have been
done, but ii is powerless TO authorize
reciprocity treaty
1t is understood that Senator spooner
will insist on this view OF the matter in
the Cuban committee, OF which he is a
member. This phase of the debate will
appeal very strongly to Senator CullOm,
chairman OF the committee on foreign rela
tions at whose request Mr.. Spooner looked
up the law concerning the power of the
Senate TO ratify reciprocity treaties. He
will have to support Mr.. Spooner: Parlia
er will have a tendency TO tangle the whole
proposition and make the task of Senator
Aldrich all the more difficult.
An Associated Press dispatch says:
There has been great deal of activity
among the Republican senators to-day
over the Cuban reciprocity bill Senator
Platt, of Connecticut. chairman Of the COM
mittee relations with Cuba. to whom the
bill has been referred, said tonight there
would be no early meeting Of the commit
tee, as time was desired to give the sub
ject full consideration. The present effort
Is an attempt TO secure united Republican
action if possible, the desire being to pre-
vent minority of the Republicans acting
with Democrats from controlling the sltua-
tion either i'm committee or in the Senate.
The first fight will be to prevent action on
the Teller resolution for an investigation
of Cuban sugar conditions, and there was
a belief expressed tonight that this OBJ
ject would be accomplished. Whether
Republican majority can be held for the
main proposition depends somewhat, ii is
said. on the proposition itself when formu-
lated. 1t developed during the day that the
House bill would have to be entirely re-
cast. Senator Spooner, who recently wrote
a report on the treaty-making power, de-
clared that under the House bill nothing
could be done further than TO negotiate
treaty, which must be ratified by two
thirds vote of the Senate before it could be-
come effective. The House bill, he says,
authorizes the President TO enter into ne
gotiations with the Cuban government.
The word authorizes could only mean re-
quests for the President always has the
power. The bill several times refers TO
agreements he says, which, in the nature
of things, must be treaty, as that is the
only method of procedure. a suggested way
to meet the condition is for the Senate TO
take the House bill and strike out all after
the enacting clause and provide that when
the Cuban government shall provide for
the admission of the products of the United
States to Cuba at a rate 20 per cent below
that levied on goods from other coun-
tries then the President shall proclaim
that the products of Cuba shall be admit
ted to the United States at a rate 70 per
cent less than levied in the Dingley law
on the products of foreign countries. 1t is
upon this line that the Republican leaders
are now working, with the hope that no
amendments as to the differential on re-
fined sugar or for any other tariff changes
will be adopted.
The President to-day sent the following
nominations to the Senate
Registers of Land Ofice-Joseph II. Bat
tenfield at Dardenell. Ark; John 1. Worth
ington. Harrison. Ark.
Receivers for Public Moneys-Edward w.
Schicker, at Camden, Ark. John G.. Chit
wood Dardenell Ark; Charles NJ Greene,
Harrison, Ark; John +. Busk, Little Rock,
Ark.
Army-To be major. Capt Pierce NJ
Travis. Eleventh Infantry. First lieuten-
ants, to be captains John w. Helms, Nine
teenth: Rufus +. Longan. Eleventh: r. NJ.
EOurteenth. Thomas
Third.
Senator PIatt, of New York. saw the
President to-day and later said that Judge
Alfred c. Coke, OF the Northern district of
New York. would be nominated Judge of
the newly-created district Federal Court
Judge Coke has presided in one of the dis
trict courts of New York for twenty years.
The President has not yet decided on a sue
cessor to Judge Coke.
Representative McDermott, of New Jer-
sey. to-day introduced a bill abolishing
all duties upon meat and poultry imported
from foreign countries. Representative
Richardson, Of Tennessee, introduced the
following resolution:
'eVhereas there has been recently an
unusual increase in the price of beef NUT
ton veal and pork which is abnormal. and
due largely, if not altogether to trusts and
i'm their organization, therefore.
Resolved That the ways and means
COMMITTEES be instructed TO investigate the
question of the recent increase in the price
OF these articles and determine the cause
thereof and If practicable. offer some legis-
lation that will afford relief against the
evil complained Of.
Capt. Charles z. Clark has declined the
appointment of special naval representative
ar the coronation of King Edward and the
President has named Rear Admiral Wat
son for that mission.
The declination OF Captain Clark to be
member of the American embassy to the