The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-08-23
FREE CANALACE FOR
AMERICAN VESSELS
PRESIDENT IN, MESSAGE TO CON.
GREss ASKS FOR LEelsLA.
TON COVERING MATTER.
LET ALL FOREIGN NATIONS SUE
president Would Give Them Right to
Test Legality of Provisions by
Action in Courts-The
British Treaty.

day closed day of conferences on the
Panama canal bill with a special mes
sage TO congress suggesting the pass.
age OF legislation which would permit
American ships to travel the canal
TOLL free, and also allow foreign ma
tlons to test the legality OF this pro-
vision by suits in United States courts.
The president discussed the mess
age with senators and members Of
The house and its wording finally was
decided upon at a meeting of the c. BIZ
net. The message was read in con-
gTess soon afterward and is to be
taken up by committees in both
houses.
1t read as follows: THAT nothing
contained in the act entitled An act
TO provide for the operating. mainte-
nance, protection and operation Of the
Panama canal, and the sanitation and
government Of the canal zone, shall
be deemed to repeal any provision of
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, or to af-
! feet the judicial construction thereof.
or IN any wise to impair any rights
which have been or may be acquired
by any foreign nation under the
treaties of the United States relative
to tolls or other charges for the pro-
lection of the canal, and that when
any alien, whether natural person.
partnership, company or corporation
considers that the charging of tolls
or the enforcement of any other regu
lation under and pursuant to the pro
! visions OF this act violates in any way
| such treaty rights or provisions, said
! alien shall have the right to bring al
! action against the United States for q
redress of the injury which he con
siders himself to have suffered, anC
the district courts of the United
States are hereby given jurisdiction II
hear and determine such cases ant
to decree the appropriate relief, ant
from the decision of such distric
court there shall be an appeal b!
either party to the action to the su
preme court of the United States"
This language continued the mes
sage, negatives absolutely any desir
on the part of congress to repeal TIT
Hay-Pauncefote treaty or to violate
it's provision by this legislation, ant
leaves open to any person who deem
himself aggrieved by the provisions o
the act an opportunity to appeal t
our courts.
II think the Importance of GU
standing before the world as anXiou
to give the world an opportunity t
test this question in the courts is a.
earnestness of our faith in trying t
keep up with our treaty obligation
After full explanation of the treat
and of the treaty which preceded it,
feel confident that the exemption c
the coastWise vessels Of the Unite
States from tolls and the impositio
of tolls on vessels of all nations Ell
gagged in the foreign trade is not
violation of the Hay-Pauncefot
treaty. But distinguished lawyers
the house and senate differ from thl
construction, and the secretary
state has received an informal prote'
from Great Britain that this law is
violation of the treaty rights.
81 am sure it is not the intention
congress to violate the Hay-Paunc
fote treaty or to enact anything lnco
sistent with it's provisions, and that
certainly is not it's purpose to repea
by subsequent enactment, the treat
: In so far as it represents the law
o the land. 1t is of the highest impo
lance, however, that this attitu'
should be made clearly known TO u
nations of the world and that v
should avoid any apparent justine
ton for claim"