New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-18
lFrom The Ttfhun. Bureau
NTaxNf,Usan Mas


Washington. March 4.
SENATE INSURRECTION.-A contest
occurred I'm tho Senate to-day over sim
pie committee reference in which there
is considerably more significance than ap-
pears on the surface. Senator Dixon intro
duoed a bin pursuant 90 the recent mes
sage ~ the President prohibiting the kill
INK q seals on the priby low Tslsnds. and
asked that q be referred 20 the Committee
on Conservation Of Natural Resources.
Senators Root and Lodge promptly opposed
that reference. on the ground that the
question involved en- the Dixon bin inev-
itably included the question OF pelagie seal
ing. Mr.. Root said the Bering Sea TTi-
bunal had decided that seals were not nat
Cral resources. and added that negotiations
were under way with Great Britain. Rus
STA and Japan with a view 20 putting
stop 10 the pelagic method Of killing seals.
Messrs. Root and Lodge insisted that the
bin should he referred 20 the Committee
on Foreign Relations. Senator Nelson OPP
posed this reference, on the ground that
measure which referred only 20 the killing
OF seals on territory Of the United States
bore no relation 20 the conduct OF any for
eign nation. but was strictly a question
affecting the natural resources OF this
country lie maintained that the younger
Senators, who are largely represented on
the Conservation Committee. should have
chance. and that. as a matter Of fact,
no measure Of importance had been re-
ferred 10 THIS committee since its creation.
MessTs. Root and Lodge sought 90 explain
10 the Senator from Minnesota that IL was
pelagic scaling which vas really decimating
the seal herd. but without much success,
and on motion Of Senator Carter the Ques-
tion az reference went over until tO-mor-
row.
A FOREIGN QUESTION fact Is
that an questions relating 60 the seal herd
belong 20 the Committee on Foreign Rels-
lions, many OF whose members are experts
on this subject Bat the effort 20 secure
The reference 90 the conservation committee
is really an insurrecfionary movement. pro-
noted I'm large part by a desire TO curtan
the power and inhuenoe OF the older Sen
ators. There is a prospect that the fight
viii be continued tomorrow. and IL Is pos
sible that the insurgents will win. although
Il is more probable that the Democrats will
recognize the propriety OF sending the
measure 20 Foreign Relations, as their own
members on that committee, notably Sen
ator RacoB. are experts on the subject The
effort 10 stop pelagic sealing has long been
cheokmated by the attitude OF Japan. whose
citizens are the worst offenders. Both Rus
STA and Great Britain have shown a dispos
sition 10 enter into some agreement for the
protection 81 the herd. but Japan has re-
msined obdurate.
ISOLATION OF yCsTICES.-The isola-
i.on OF justices OF the Supreme Court OF the
United States was somewhat strikingiy IL
Illustrated to-day wllen the corporation tax
Was being argued before that body. The
members q the court appeared 90 he wholly
unfamiliar with the legislative history %
THE law. The attorneys arguing the case
had in almost every instance quoted the
text OF the law in their briefs. in which
they referred 20 4 as Section IS. A. least
three ~ the justices demanded information
regarding tho remainder 81 tile Law. They
said they wanted 10 see the other thirty
seven sections and kept asking where
they could ina the complete text. By re-
iteration Il was finally made clear 20 them
that the law was merely q single section OF