The Press., 1903-12-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, November 30. 1g

"I appeal to you 1n the very mem- orable words of Thomas B. Reed in a I,democratic congress {: orHeaven's s sake show your competency to attend to public business If you haven't any trust and confidence in yourselves, in fthe name of God who do you expect to have any confidence in ? cried John
 Sharp Williams, the minority leader | in the house, as he taunted the ma jority with keeping congress in session without transacting any business. MT.
 Payne, republican, replied that the house would be organized in good time, and that when it met in Decem- Der it would have plenty of business to do. Then the debate turned on the question of reciprocity with Canada. MT. Williams had introduced resolu- tion saying that congress would view with approval any step the president might take to reconvene the joint high commission for the purpose of negoti- ating reciprocity with Canada, and demanded to know why the committee on ways and means was not consider ing this and other important messages. MT. Payne said that it was not a good time to negotiate a treaty, while Canada was annoyed by the Alaskan boundary decision, but that the sub ject would be taken up at the proper moment.
 Congress is in session because of the unanimous agreement of the senators to postpone the vote on the reciprocity
 bill until December 16, and because of Speaker Cannon's determination that
 congress shall not adjourn until it has taken action on the measure for which
 it was called together in extra session.
 The senate wished for vacation be-
 fore the beginning of the regular ses-
 sion, on December 7, but as neither
 branch of congress can adjourn for more than three days without the con- sent of the other, the house had forced
 the senate to remain in session. Mir. Williams has given his list of minor ity committee appointments to Speaker Cannon, and it is believed that the committees will be announced in time
 to get some work done before the reg
 ular session. Several thousand bills
 have been introduced and are waiting to be sent to the different committees. In some quarters the action of the
 senate in postponing the vote on the Cuban bill until the regular session is
 regarded as slight to the president
 for having called the extra session.
 The Junta at Panama will lose no
 time in :ratifying the new treaty. It
 has sent word. to Minister Vanilla that
 the document will be signed quickly and returned to Washington. This
 promptness was urged By Minister varilla, and is in marked contrast to
 the slowness of Co1ofnbia in taking any action on the treaty.
 The Colombia peace or war emissary,
 General Reyes, has, arrived here, and
 if he shows that he is duly accredited, will be received by, the president He
 has, of course, no hope of saving Ran- anna to Colombia, for, as the Panama minister expressed it, "s Pana1da has served the meal, and it has been eaten.'', Neither will he be able to make, the adm nistFation look seriously upon Colombia's threat of war ~ He may succeed in getting 9 money in- |demnity, for Colombia, and in forcing Panama to take over herashahe ofasshe Colombian debts 4"This question will be presented to our goxernment4by the Thew British ambassador, Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who will press the claims of the English bondholders, that the new republic should assume a pro rata portion of the. common debt Afterssuch an agreement is reached, England will on. doubt recognize the republic. Much of this debt was in cured by Colombia during the war of liberation from Spain, started in 1919. Panama took part in the war, but did not. sign the papers,. uniting her to Colombia until 18a6 s.From .thisefact the Pana1nese argue that theyaare not bound by the debt. at 'Sse ..a4tas Adiscussion of the situation in Pan-. anna was brought up in the senate by Senator Morgan, who made . long speech severely criticising the presi- dent and his policy toward the new re- public. The occasion of the speech was the announcement that Senator Morgan was succeeded by Senator Hanna as chairman of the committee on inter oceanic canals, and before it was finished these two rivals in canal