Evening journal., 1903-02-18
SENATE To URGE
CANAL TREATY
Will Continue Consideration
of Matter Until 1t Is Fl
nally Disposed Of
RESULT OF REPUBLICAN CAUCUS

Washington. Feb. 1S.-The Republi-
can senators held a caucus yesterday
and decided to have the senate con-
tinue consideration of the Panama
Canal treaty today and on future days
until the treaty shall be disposed OF.
This result was reached after an hour
and half of discussion on the legisle-
tive situation in the senate. The con-
clusion reached was unanimous. The
understanding is that the statehood
bill does not lose its advantageous po-
sition in the order Of business when
the senate is in legislative session. The
Republican supporters of the statehood
bill agree not to antagonize a motion
for an executive session to consider
the canal treaty, nor to make any OBJ
lection to the prolongation of such ses-
sions to any extent necessary to secure
ratification.
Senator Cullom, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations, pre-
sented a motion declaring it to be the
sense of the caucus that the senate
should "go into executive session i'm
mediately after the conclusion of the
morning business, to ratify the Pan
anna Canal treaty" In a brief speech
he dwelt on the fact that the option of
the United States on the rights and
franchises of the Panama Canal ex-
pires on the 4th of next March. He
said that other interests and other ma
tions might desire to control so i'm
portant an enterprise, so that it was
altogether possible that we would not
be able to renew the option at so low
a figure as S4O,000,000, the price which
this country has agreed to pay in
case the bargain is consummated. AS
only two weeks of the session remain
and there was determined though linn
tied opposition to the treaty, il was
absolutely necessary that no further
time should be lost in getting down t
| serious work on the treaty.
Several friends of the statehood bill
in speeches expressed the opinion tha
the chief purpose of the motion was L
side-track the statehood bill. Speeches
based on this apprehension were made
by Senators Quay, Elliins, Gallinge
and Foraker. They expressed thei
adherence to the treaty. and said the.
agreed fully with all that had beer
said as to the necessity for its earl.
ratification, but thought that tn
proper way to reach a vote was frs
to take a vote on the statehood bill
by pursuing that course" said Sena
tor Quay, you can get the only ot
stlcle to consideration of the treat
, out of the way and get it out of th
way by legitimate means"
Replies were made by Senator
! Hoar Hanna, Lodge, Aldrich and otf
2 ers, in which much stress was laid o
the necessity of securing the rattle;
tion of the treaty and the fact tina
/ there was no intention to displace th
statehood bill as the unfinished legi
lative business. Senator Hoar mad
an argument to prove that the execl
]. tive business Of the senate occupies
l different plane from legislative bus
I ness, and that courtesy toward othe
t nations demands that treaties shoul
8 have preferential consideration at th
D hands of the senate. This view wa
accepted generally by senators, an
was the view acted on. Some of th
senator's afterward commented on it {
Z likely to form a new departure and a
important precedent in the senate.
g Consequently when adjournment w'
Y reached the announcement was mac
e that after the close of the routine bus
l. ness Senator Quay should move to {
into executive session and that mol
of the Republicans should oppose Il
motion, and that consideration of Il
treaty should continue until it vi
disposed Of