Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-10
Senate Committee Reports on
Proposed Canal Treaty.
SENT BY NIB, BEAUPRE
MOTIVE FOR ACTION AT BoGoTA
SHOWN.
Legislators Wanted Concession to Canal
Company to Lapse, Then Colon
bia Could Sell.

The Department of State has received
from Mr.. Beaupre, under date of the 18th
of October, the text of the report OF the
committee Of the Colombian senate on the
project Of a law to confirm the disapprovai
of the treaty by the senate, and to au-
thorize the president to make a new treaty.
+ The report takes the ground that the re-
lection of the treaty needs no approval,
being a completed act and that in any case
the treaty expired by limitation of time on
September %. 1t also disapproves, and rec
ommends the indefinite postponement of.
the proposition to authorize the president
to make new treaty.
The motive for that action. though not
positively asserted. is evidently the pur-
pose entertained at Bogota to prolong. I'M
der dilatory expedients, the whole question
until next year-then to declare the French
concession forfeited and to demand of the
United States the forty millions provided
in the Spooner act unless in the mean
while they should be able to extort from
the Panama company a satisfactory sum
in return for permission granted TO them
to sell to the United States.
In Colombian Senate.
The particular report which Mr.. Beaupre
incloses was read in the Colombian senate
October A. 1t begins with declaration OF
Colombia's desire to have canal con-
structed across the isthmus, and fecltai
of the various steps that have been taken
by Colombia up 10 this time to secure that
end during period of seventy years IL -
asserted that the Hay-Herran treaty was
unanimously rejected, mot with view 10
opposing so great and necessary a WORK
but from the highest and falrest motives.
Senator Morgan is quoted as SUSTAINING
the right of Colombia to reject the treaty
and then the report proceeds to discuss ire
bill upon which it was based, which IN
brief had two objects to sustain the sen
ate's rejection of the treaty ana 10 authoI-
lZe the Colombian president 10 draw new
treaties OF have the work done by private
contract legislative argument IS ad-
duced to sustain the contention that 1t is
unnecessary to ratify the senates rejec-
ton.
AS to the second proposition It is declared
that the proposed authorization to the pres
ident is unconstitutional. depriving the
president of his right TO initiate and con-
duct negotiations. The law also is heid 10
be unnecessary.
The novel point is made to the effect
that as the HayHerran treaty authorized
the Panama Canal Company to transfer Its
rights and that treaty has failed, the con-
ditions are as they were before the treaty
was drawn. and the canal company cannot
sell it's rights. but must fulfill its contract
to build the canal
Concession Will Lapse.
1t is held that the company's FRANCHISE
will remain in force until October next,
when ""The republic will become the pos
SCISSOR and owner, without any need OF
previous judicial decision and without any
indemnity, of the canal itself and OF the
adjuncts that belong to 1t, according to the
contract of 1878 and 1900
The committee argued that AFTER tnat oh'e
the republic can make more advantageous
terms legally and materially, wherefore
i1 Is said that it is the duty of Congress 10
pass upon the validity of the extension OF
the company's franchise FOR SIX years
Granted in 1900. which has been attacked.
The conclusion of the committee is that
further consideration of the bill before con-
gress be Indefinitely postponed.