The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-03-18
CANAL TREATY SAFE
Ratification Of Convention Has
Been Made a Certainty.
CUBAN TREATY IS HELD UP
Goes over to New Congress, in Order
that House May Act Upon It
Contention Of Demo-
erats Upheld.

A Washington special says: The
senate by unanimous consent Thurs
day agreed to vote on the Colombian
eanal treaty Tuesday. The amend
ments to the treaty to be consldereo
Monday. The request for unanimous
agreement was made by Senator rye
The agreement Is In part as tollows'
THAT, not later than Tuesday Next
! the vote upon the resolution Tor fataA
fication shall be taken without further
debate. That the Injunction Of secre-
CIV shall he removed from the speeches
of senator Morgan already printed ana
submitted to senators, including that
to be made by him on the response 10
the senate resolution calling for infor-
nation as to the agreement between
the Panama Canal Company and our
government, and they shall be printed
In The Record. and that the speech
or speeches made for and against the
ratification of the treaty during tho
hour of general debate allowed each
side shall be printed in The Record IN
like manner as the speeches OF Sena"
tor Morgan"
On motion cf Senator German the
Injunction of secrecy was removed
from the agreement.
Many republicans agree that the tive
amendments proposed by the demo-
Gratis ought to be adopted, but they
fear any changes will endanger the
treaty. There is every reason there
fore, to believe that the amendments
will be voted down and the treaty r1ti-
fed as 1t stands.
AS to Cuban Treaty.
During the days session the DEM
ocrats scored a distinct victory in the
matter of the Cuban treaty by forcing
the republicans to accept their amend
ment providing that the treaty shall
not go into effect until it is approved
by the congress. This is the point
for which the democrats have been
making their strongest fight. the one
which they have regarded as most I'M
portant of all those under considera-
ton. The republican leaders for their
own political purposes have desired TO
avoid the adoption of such an amend
ment to the treaty, fearing 1t would
lead to ar embarrassing tariff fight In
the new congress, out they found that
the best constitutional lawyers on
their side agreed that the democratic
contention was right, and they accord
ingly surrendered and permitted
unanimou9 adoption of this amend
ment by the foreign relations commit
tee. This, of course, brought unanl-
nous report for the treaty as amend
ed. The amendment is in these
words:
This treaty shall not take effect I'M
til the same shall nave been approved
by the congress-"
This amendment removes from this
treaty the grave question whether the
president and the senate have the pow
er to change the tariff laws by
treaty made with a foreign govern
ment. The original treaty assumed
that the president and senate nave
this power and contained no provision
recognizing that an act of congress
would be necessary to make the treaty
effective. The democratic senators
have. from the beginning stre1uously
contended that the president and the
senate do not have this power under
the constitution, and have insisted
that the Cuban treaty should be so
amended that it should not be effect
i've until made so bv act or joint reso-
luton of congress. This contention
is based upon the constitutional pro-
vision reposing in 1.-The congress the
power ito lay and collect taxes, duties,
imposts and excuses"