New-York tribune., 1903-02-18
TO ACT ON CANAL TREATY


,norror February IS Immediately after the
conclusion of the morning business, to ratify the
Panama Canal treaty" In a brlet speech ne
d,veIt on the fact that the option of the United
States on the rights and franchises of the Fan
anna Canal Company expires on March T. ne
said that other interests and other nations
might desire to control so important an enter
nrise. and 1t was possible that this government
,a not he able to renew the option at so low
so,,re as S4OOOOOOO. AS only two weeks OF
st. sess;on remain, and there was determined
trough limited opposition to the treaty 1t was
ahso1utelv necessary that no. further time
sbouId he lost i'll getting down to serious "oiN
on the treaty.
WANT VOTE ON STATEHOOD.
+r,anas os the Statehood bill expressed
.-,,,,p that the chief purpose of the motion
was TO sidetracl1 that measure. Speeches oaSe0
- .,,s snnreheusion were made by Senators
orev Elkius GaIlinger and Foraker. Ihey ue-
,ored their adherence to the treaty, ana sald
.bev agreed fully with all that had oeeh saia as
70 the necessity for early ratfflcatioh' ou'
thought the proper way to reach vote was
a-s+ to take a vote on the Statehood Dill by
nursuins that course" said Senator quay '0
can get the only obstacle 10 consloeFa'oIi 'i
the treaty out of the way and get IL out OK l"e
WAY Inv legitimate means" He called attention.
.o the prolongation of the debate. which, ne
said all knew was far beyond the necessltieS
of the case, and urged that day should DC
named for a vote on the Statehood proposition.
All supporters OF Statehood spoke III 'he
same strain. charging determined opposition
TO the expression of the VIII OF Ihe
majority, and dissenting from the opinion
expressed by Senator Allison that the steering
committee should determine the order of Dusi-
ness They also united in their opposition to
considering Senator Cullom's proposition as a
motion. Republican caucuses in the Senate,
they said, always in the nature of confer
ences and are not necessarily binding except
as Senators may consider themselves uhder
obligation to follow the majority of their party
They were emphatic this point some or
them going to the extent of declaring that they
would not be bound If the question Should De
| pressed to vote.
Replies were made by Senators Hodr, Hanna
| Lodge, Aldrich and others. in which much stress
! WAS laid on the necessity of securing the rati-
fcation of thz treaty, and the fact that there
was no intention to displace the Statehood Dill
as the unfinished legislative business. Senator
Hoar made an argument to prove that the ex-
ecutive business of the Senate occupies oir-
ferent plane from legislative business and that
| courtesy toward other nations demands that
| treaties should have preference at the hands Oh
the Senate This view accepted generally,
and was the idea acted upon Some of those
present afterward commented on it as likely TO
form new departure and an important prece-
dent in the Senate.
EUROPE'S INTEREST IN THE CANAL.
Other Senator's referred to Europe's interest
in the canal, and Mr.. Foraker said that an emf
nent engineer officer had assured him that no
less than four great European powers were
looking with jealous eyes our movements on
the Isthmus and would he glad to displace us
there He said that no Senator could surpass
him in conviction as to the necessity of ratify-
ing the canal treaty, but at the same time he
repeated his lndispositon to have any other
measure interfere with consideration of the
Statehood bill
After a further exchange of views, In which
some sharp remarks made as to the de-
STABILITY and the possibility of securing vote
on the Statehood bill, the Senators on both sides
adopted a cOnciliatory tone toward one
another. The friends of the treaty consented
hood advocates yielded by one, Senator
Quay being the last to give in.
Consequently. when adjournment was reached
il was announced that after the routine Dusl-
ness tomorrow Senator Quay should move 10
go into executive session; that none OF the he
Dublicans should oppose the motion, ana that
consideration of the treaty should continue uh-
til it was disposed of.