The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-22
CLEAR, LEGAL ARGUMENT
Says Convention is in Viola
 tiOn of the Sp00ner Act.
Items Providing for Purchase of Sites for Buildings at Tusca- loosa and Florence Stricken
 from Bill in Senate.

Washington, Feb. A.-(Special.)-Th feature of today in the extraordinary tle- up of the Senate was a remarkable speech from Senator Pettus in executive session, against the Panama canal treaty, which his colleague. Senator Morgan. has suc- cessfully fought for many days.
 While Senator Pettus's speech was de- livered behind closed doors, direct and positive information not of this Senator's knowledge. come to The Advertiser that fl on a legal standpoint it was the ablest argument yet made against the treaty.
 The chief point in Senator Pettuss ar gument. and one which startled the Sen ate by its lucidness and preciseness of legal acumen, was that the treaty, if rat fled. would invalidate the act of Con gress making the building of the Panama canal possible.
 Senator Pettus declared with startling effect upon the Senate that the treaty as presented by the President to the Senate for ratification, falls far short of the re- quirements of the act of Congress in the matter of territory. and other considera- tons Of value set fOftn Tn the act are not conveyed by the treaty.
 Violates Spooner Act.
 Specifically, the act provided for the cession of Colombian territory to the United States in perpetuity, but the treaty limited the period of our posses sion and addition to this direct violation of our isthmian canal act a more pre- scribed territory than was stipulated by Congress had been assented to by Presi- dent Roosevelt's representative and final ly by the President himself in communi- eating the treaty to the Senate and ask ing it's advice and consent | The Alabama Senator's arraignment of the treaty is said to have been with won derful force and if its full text could be given to the country it would raise such storm of resentment against the Pan anna treaty that the money power Sena- tors would not dare proceed with it fur ther.
 Presumably one or two of the main points made by Senator Pettus will be- come known to most of the correspon- dents tonight with the result that the country at large will be enabled to realize something of the desperate game played by the money power, as representing the trans continental railroads, with the rot ten French Panama Canal Company in order to prevent the building any 18th milan canal, and all with the full cogni- zance and approval of President Roosa- welt The very treaty framed In fraud Is itself fraudulent and made so to make assurance doubly sure that no canal shall be built.
 Blow to Two Alabama Towns.
 Alabama figured in an interesting man ner in a decision of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings. The provisions in the bill sent to the Senate giving $7,5OO in each instance for the purchase of sites for government buildings at Tuscaloosa and Florence, respectively. were stricken out by the Senate Committee and an item was inserted of $7.50O additional for the Anniston public building, making a to- tai for this structure of $150.00o.
 This increase is for the purpose of ad- ding a third story to the Anniston build ing, made needful by the recent act of Congress. requiring the holding of ses- sions of the United States courts in that town.
 The bill is yet to pass the Senate, and the Alabama Senators will be asked to reinstate the Tuscaloosa and Florence items on passage. If they be unable to do so, why, of coul SC, the measure is still to come before the House.
 It is rumoTed that an agreement has been reached by the Republican leaders of the House and the Senate that there shall be no new projects provided for in the present buildings bill.
 The House passed the bill of Congress- man Thompson of Alabama directing the Court of Claims to adJudicate the claim of Mrs. A. E. Hardin of Tuskegee for property destroyed by Union soldiers.
 This is a case of such plain merit that Colonel Thompson is confid ent that seeing it finally paid. It involves $200O0.
 Pension for Mrs. Preston.
 Representative Preston of the present Alabama House is interested in one of Colonel Thompson's bills just passed, for 1t gives to MT. Preston's mother, Le- laria Preston. pension of S a month on account of her husbands service in the Florido Indian war
 Another bill which Colonel Thompson got passed increases the pension of Phil lip Moody of Randolph County to Sl6 a month for services In the war with Mex leo, and Colonel Thompson is hopeful o2 his new bill to appropriate 500 900 to pay. for horses, sides arms and baggage taken from Confederates after the surrender and in violation of the terms of the sur render.
 The Committees on Public Lands in both houses of Congress have each made a favorable report on Congressman Wieys bill for the relief of certain homestead settlers in the State of Alabama" :" and the indications T., W are that this measure will become a law at the present session of Congress.
 This is the bill to give justice to all persons interested in the old Mobile and Girard Railroad land grants.
 Lucien Julien Walker