Arizona republican., 1904-01-09
GEORGIA BLOUNT
Paramount Commissioner
 to Hawaii 4urns Up
A Precedent Urged by Republican Senators in Favor of the Confirma- ton of nr. Buchanan.

Washington, Jan. 9.-In an executive
 session of the senate today the nomi- nation of w. I. Buchanan to be minis
 ter to Panama was discussed for more
 than two hours. the debate being con-
 fined almost entirely to the constitu- tional right of the president to appoint
 a minister to the new republic with
 out the cooperation of the senate. The point was raised by the democrats that the position to which MT. Buchanan was nominated was not in existence when the appointment was made and that the president had no right. ta create the position except with the consent of the senate. The democrats who supported this position were Sem
 ators Morgan, Bacon, Bailey, Pettus and Blackburn.
 The republican senators almost unanimously supported the action of
 the president. They declared that he acted wholly within his constitutional prerogative. The principal arguments
 on that side of the question were made by Senators Lodge, Cullom, McComas Sponer, Fairbank and Allison. No de- cision was reported and it was agreed that the matter would be considered again on Monday.
 The status of Mir. Buchanan, who is now at Panama acting virtually as
 minister of the United States, was dis cussed at length.
 Senators Bacon and Bailey, in their speeches argued that the president
 either usurped the functions of the senate by dispatching the minister to Panama, whose nomination had not been confirmed, or had sent MT. Blu chanan-there as an envoy or commits sioner without color of law. They held that as the senate is lB session, the president lawfully could not send a minister to a foreign coun- try without the advice and consent Of the senate.
 Senators Cullom Lodge and Ear
 banks took the position that the presi- dent had a perfect right to nominate minister to Panama. notwithstand- ing the fact that no such office had previously existed. They claimed, however, that MT. Buchanan was not acting as a minister and that the president had not com
 missiOned him as such.
 He was they, merely a personal rep lresentative of the president, dis patched to Panama on a diplomatic
 mission and responsible alone to the president. The precedent for this ac tion was cited in the case of Mr.
 Blount, who was sent to Hawaii by President Cleveland, and whose au-
 thority was paramount notwithstand- ing that an American minister was at Honolulu exercising diplomatic func- tions. The general current of the de-
 bate was divided on party lines, though the questions pronounced by Senators
 Spooner and Hepburn, showed they entertained some doubts as to the legality of Buchanan's acts at Panama
 until he is confirmed as minister by the senate
 When the senate went into executive session word was passed about among the republicans that sYhen the argu- ments were practically exhausted, a
 motion should be made to table Sena- tor Morgan's resolution to reconsider the nomination. A motion of that
 character is not debatable. Some of
 the arguments made by the democrats, it is said, demand thorough cons1dera-
 tion, and the plans of republicans to
 conclude the debate were not carried into effect.