New-York tribune., 1905-02-27
THE 5STH CONGRESS.
Continued from first page.

S1OOOOOOO has been paid to the Republic OF
Panama for a perpetual lease OF teh-fhhe
wide zone across the isthmus: S4oOoo'oo mas
been Maid 20 the French owners for the canal
franchise granted by Colombia and Tor the con-
struction plant already the isthmus: the Sec
retarv OF the Treasury has been authorized TO
issue bonds to the amount of $130OOOOO the
proceeds to be devoted TO the construction of the
Interoceanic highway; Canal Commission mas
been organized. good government and SANTA
ton have been instituted. and material progress
in the obstruction OF the canal itself is reported
RELATIONS WITH CUBA.
The 5Sth Congress contributed its share
to the efforts of President Roosevelt to carry
out the policy of his predecessor by affect
ing reciprocal trade relations with Cuba. At
a special session, convened just after the
piration of the 9th Congress- the Sem
ate ratified the Cuban treaty. and in the first
regular session of the 5Sth Congress the
enabling tariff act whereby the provisions of
the treaty went into effect. enacted. The
wisdom of this legislation has been amply
demonstrated by the growing trade OF the
United States with Cuba.
Turning from actual accomplishments of the
Congress to the initiation of policies. the most
important is the railway rate legislation rec
commended in the strongest terms by President
Roosevelt. Congress has afforded ample evil
dence of its determination to carry those rec
concentrations into effect In fact, the Congress
would doubtless have enacted the legislation
urged at this session but for the unfortunate
necessity of conducting impeachment trial
in the Senate. With its calendar crowded with
essential If not strikingly important Legislation
the Senate in the short session about to
expire obliged to devote over two weeks
to the Impeachment trial, which will close to-
morrow and consideration of legislation of such
import will affect the great railroad INDUSTRY
of the nation rendered Impossible, but the
House demonstrated its readiness TO deal Win
the subject and passed railway rate BILL ana
the Senate before adjournment viii make pro
vision whereby a committee Will CONSIDER the
subject in the coming recess and De reauy TO
measure on the convening of the extraordinary
session of the 59th Congress which the Presl-
dent purposes TO call for next October
PROMISE OF TARIFF REFORM
Another promise for the future was MADE TO
the President by the most influential members
of both houses OF Congress early IN the present
session. Leading members of the ways anu
Means and the Finance committees, at an I'M
portant conference at the White House assured
the President that if he would defer recon-
nendations for readjustment of certain tariff
schedules he could count on their cooperation
at the proposed extraordinary session next au-
tumn
From February 10 to this date the senate
has devoted the greater part of its time TO the
iuneachment trial of Charles Swayne, federal
Judge of the Northern District of Florida, and
while the final vote will not be taken unti To-
morrow. indications are that the defendant VIII
be acquitted.
prolonged contest occurred in the present
session in the Senate the Statehood DILL
The Committee Territories reported the
House measure providing that two States should
be created one from Oklahoma and Indian Ter
ritOry the other from New-MeXico and Arl-
IONA After tedious and at times bitter CON
fest the Senate so amended the bill as to elm
inata Arizona and to create two states one oi
Oklohoma and Indian Territory, the other OF
New-Mexico The House refused to concur Ill
this amendment. and the bill is now III confer
ence where, il is feared, it VIII remain wheh
the gavel drops on March T. +
An important problem arose IN tne presettt pstt
session on a question of the respective consul
tutional powers OF the Senate and the Execu-
tive The President had submitted for ratlhca-
ton arbitra ton treaties with seven european
nations all Identical In terms. providing that
certain disputes which could be settled by or
dinary automatic methods. having been defined
in a ;.snecial agreement" should be referred to
the Hague tribunal for arbitration Ihe senate
on learning that the President would so construe
the language of the treaties to render un-
necessary the submission of such special agree
ments' to the Senate for ratification, proposed
to treaty The President protested that such
change would be step backward rather than
step forward. The Senate maintained that II
was not within it's power. as defined by the Con-
stitution to confer the Executive the power
to conclude agreements with foreign nations
without the advice and consent of the Senate
and the conventions were finally amended as
proposed, and so ratified.
sANTO DOMINGO PROTOCOL.
In the present session the President has sub
rnitted to the Senate a highly important conve'
ton with Santo Domingo providing that this
country shall on the invitation of Santo Do
mingo administer it's finances for period suffi-
cient TO pay off the debt of the almost insovent
republic but the Senate, appreciatlng the ne
cessity of meeting in special session atter March
f. and crowded with imperative legislation. has
informally determined to defer consideration OF
the Dominican protocol until such special ses-
sion.
and comprehensive legislation has been laid
by the 18th Congress through the appoint
ment of the American Merchant Marine Com
mission in the closing hours OF the second ses-
sion. This commission held public hearings IL
four cities each the North Atlantic Coast.
the Great Lakes, the Pacific Coast and on
the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Having
made an exhaustive study OF the subject, the
commission introduced in Congress a bill con-
tanning provisions in accordance with It's find
ings. This measure, consideration of which was
necessarily deferred until the next long session
of Congress, provides for the establishment of a
Naval Reserve. to consist OF seamen and ap-
prentiCes to be trained the merchant ma
rine who shall be subject TO call by the federal
government in time of necessity, and for whose
training vessel owners shall be paid certain
stipulated amounts: for subvention OF vessels
which shall be held subject to reQuisitiOn of the
government in time OF war and which shall
engage to carry the mails free of charge when
required by the postmaster General; Tor GER
lin mail routes to be established under the pro-
visions of the act and for discriminating
tonnage tax on the vessels entering the United
States not to exceed 80 cents per net ton
vessels coming from Central and South Amer
lean ports and of double that amount vessels