New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-21
SENATE BLOCKS MOVE
FOR CANAL COURT TEST
Committee PostponeS Action on
Presidents Message Urging
Review of Tolls Question.
DEMOCRATS ARE OPPOSED
Members Who Vote Against
Resolution, Dead for This
Session, Say President
Will Interpose No Veto.

Washington, Aug. 20.-Following the
lead of the House. the Senate Commit
tee on Interoceanic Canals. after brief
consideration. decided tonight, by q
vote Of S to s, 10 postpone action on the
message of the President urging the
adoption OF a resolution which would
make clear the rights Of foreign ship
owners To carry into the United states
courts the question of free tolls in the
Panama Canal.
The Democratic members. with tho
exception OF Senator Thornton. OF
Louisiana. were solidly opposed to re-
PORTING the suggested resolution affirm
ing the purpose OF the Senate not to
violate the Hay Pauncefote treatN'
The vote stood: For the resolution
Chairman Brandegee, Senators Per
lins. Page Jones, Townsend and
! Thornton Against the resolution
Senators Borah, Crawford. BristoN'
Simmons. Johnston, Of Alabama; Percy
Chiffon and OGorman.
Those who voted against the resolu-
tion expressed the belief that President
TAFT would not veto the bill now before
| him. even iC the supplementary reso-
Iution is not acted on by Congress.
( This argument was based on the state
mcnt in his message that he did not
consider the bill a violation of treaty
rights with other nations
For the present session. at least.
there is no possibility that Congress
will qualify the stand it has taken on
| The question of renting tolls 10
American vessels. The House yester-
! day referred the question 70 a commit
| tee majority Of the members OF
which are not in Washington. 1t was
understood by Senator'S, however, that
/ the President desired action by the up
per house because II exercises A part
of the treaty making power. The &C
| tion Of the committee to-day closes the
| question for this session. II Is possible
! that it may be taken up when Congress
convenes again in December.
Democratic Senators, for the most
part, were OppOSeu ~ tii' PoS'"SN -
the resolution recommended by Presi-
dent Taft. Senator O'Gorman. who
was a member of the committee of the
Baltimore convention which fralhed
the free tolls plank. was particularly
active in his opposition TO the Presi-
dents suggestion, and there was gen
oral inclination among Senators TO
| POSTPONE action on the matter.
Political considerations entered into
| tbe opposition Of the Democrats, who
insisted upon treating the Executive
message as threat although theY
| were at loss to explain how inc
| President could have communicates MS
suggestion in any other way.
President Taft to- day held brlet
! conference with A. Mitchell lnnes,
! charge of the British Embassy VINO
recently presented his governments
protest against certain features OF the
canal bill. Mr.. Innes said that he had
moi lodged any further protest against
/ the bill. and had not heard the views OF
| his Foreign ONCE on the joint resoiu-
/ ton suggested by President Taft.
Visitors who talked with President
Taft to-day were inclined to believe
| that he would sign the Panama DiIi
even if such assurances as he asked
| Of Congress were not given. The Pres
! jdcnt discussed the question OF the OH
approval at the regular Cabihet meet
ing to-day, tSe third session held 'iiiS
Wcek on the bill.