The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-13
MORGAN HAS
 AMENDMENTS Does Not Like the Canal
 Treaty. SAYS IT MUST BE AL LTERED Otherwise He Will Seek to Prevent Ratification. Alabamian Proposes Thirty Changes in the Draft Sent to the Senate.
 Executive Session Con-
 siders DocumsnA
SAYS IT MUST BE ALTERED'

Washington. Feb. n.-Consfdsras1Dn, of the Panama canal treaty occupied nearly the entire time of the executive session of the Senate today. Immdiatsly after the doors had been closed a motion by Senator Pettas Ala) to reconsider the vote by which the Alaskan boundary treaty was ratified yesterday by the Senate was laid on the table and then after the confirmation of . number of nominations the Panama canal treaty be- tween the United States and the Repub- lie of Colombia was brought before the session.
 Senator Morgan immediately took the floor to urge that the treaty be amended in many respects and to oppose 1t unless amended.
 He had hardly begun his speech when roll call showed the necessary nurnbsr present and the Senator resumed He contended that the convention Is loosely drawn and said that in order to properly safeguard the interests of the United -
 Colombia Unreliable.
 Senator Morgan directed especial at- tention to the fact that there had boon a failure to embody the act of Congress providing for the construction of the oa- nal in the treaty as was set forth in the preamble and dwelt at length on what he termed the unreliabitity and revolutionary character of the government of Colombia.
 He asserted that the price of sf0. .oooooo in cash which the United States had agreed to pay to Colombia was exoTbt tant and was more than necessary in view of the former agreement to take 100000. He. also criticized the proytstou for Q perpetual annual payment Of $s6osooo ard declared that in all probability much of these payments would go into the pock- cts of private individuals. In this con- nection. he declared that a recent chief executive of the Colombian government had sold out and abdicated for a million dollars.
 He repeated his declaration that tho existing government has no power to en- ter into treaties and asserted that treaty with that government would not De binding. He declared that 1t would be folly to make the payment of $o,OOo,OOo, as was proposed by the treaty, depend on so unstable and unsuhstantial an in stitution as the Colombian Congress. and especially in view of the chronic insur- reotionary condition of the people.
 Cullom's Reply.
 Senator CuIlom, chairman of the Com mittee on Foreign Relations, made c brief speech in the middle of Senator Morgan's address. It was devoted to an explana- ton of the tsrms of the treaty. MT. Cub- lom gave special attention to criticisms haA AA m ing the control of tho canal In charge of the government of Colombia in case of trouble and said as the canal penetHates Colombian territory the arrangement was equitable Moreover, he thought it would be impossible to secure Colombda's sanc- ton of territory under any other ar rangemsnt.
 He also defended the provision for 6 mixed tribunal for the adjudication of le- gal difficulties in the canal zone as neo- essary under the circumstances. He de- ciared that under the terms of the treaty the United States had ample power to protect the canal. Speaking of the con- tentton that the United States should own the canal right Of way. he said that the Coiombtan Constitutaon places insuperable obstacles in the way of ownership by pro- htbtt1ng sale of such lands. He oontended, however, that a Lease in pArpetuity would be equally as good as a transfer by pur- chase outright.
 When adjouFnmeut was suggested at half past five, Senator Morgan said that he would be prepared to go on all night if required to do so. but Senator Cullom replied that he had no intention of making any such exaction- On the contrary, he added, he was ready to dose the days session at that time But he was anxious to continue tomorrow.
 Senator Quay Objects.
 Senator Morgan was willing for this ar engagement. but Senator Quay objected. saying that in the interest of the State hood bill he could not at this time yield another day to consideration of the treaty.
 Senator Morgan gave notice of thirty proposed amendments to the treaty. The first of these am sndments of general im- portance to the body of the treaty was to Article {. N provides for the ownership of the canal by the United States instead of lease for a hundred years, to be re- newed each century afterward, as pro- vided by the treaty as sent to the Sem ate. The amendment provides for the alteration of the text so as to make 1t read as follows:
 The United States shall have the ex- elusive right. without further compen- sa ton or indemnity to excavate. con- struct, operate. control, own and pro- tect the maritime canal" etc.
 Article is to be so amended as to have the canal zone include the cities of Pana- ma and Colon. which are excluded in the official draft of the treaty. The proyis- ion for 6 joint commission of the United States and Colombia to enforce police and sanitary regulations is abolished and this work is placed in the exclusive control of the United States.
 Article 4 Is so altered as to remove the pledge on the part of the United States not to increase fits territories at the ex- pense of any Of the Central AmeFican re- publics The pledge with reference Co Colombia stands,
 Independence of Colombia,
 MT. Morgan proposes so to amend the language of Article as to have the United States guard eniy tho independ- ence of Colombia in the government of the islands at the eastern and westera e1tremities sf fhe canal, but the guaran-