Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-10


Illinois, in the House of Representa-
tives Tuesday, March 81, 1914.
The House had under consideration the
bill Oh R. 1850 to amend Section of
IAN act to provide for the opening,
maintenance, protection, and operation of
the Panama Canal and the sanitation OF
the Canal Zone" approved August "a,
1912.
Mr.. MANN: Mr.. Speaker, in the last
20 years the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce has presented
for the consideration of this House
more important legislative questions
than any other committee, and / re-
gard it as the most important COM
rnittee in the House. For the first time
in its eventful history, in asking for
consideration of one of its bills, that
committee has applied for a rule limit
ing debate and cutting off the right or
amendment (Applause.) In my ser
vice in the House, l believe, l have
had charge of more important legisla-
tive bills than any other member OF
either branch of Congress, and during
that service l never once asked for or
received a rule limiting debate and
amendment on a bill under my care.
t(Applause) And ! know very we'll
that my distinguished friend from
Georgia (Mr Adamson), the chairman
of this great committee. for whom |
have great respect and an affectionate
regard, has not himself, of his own
motion, cast a reflection upon the past
history of his committee by asking for
THE gag rule under which we are now
operating. (Applause.)
QUESTIONS INVOLVED.
Mr.. Speaker, involved in the question
before us. in my judgment, are three
distinct propositions: First, our treaty
rights; second, our moral duty; and
third, our economic policy. l shall
not take the time to discuss the
economic policy involved, because the
policy of today may be changed to-
morrow We may have one economic
policy now, and in the light of expert
ence we may have another the next
year. I shall not discuss at length
our moral duty, because what is our
moral duty at this hour may be
changed in the next hour. But TO me
the question involved here of utmost
Importance is that of our treaty rights;
because when those are finally settled
they are settled for all time. If we to-
day give away a right which belongs
to us. and which we ought 10 transmit
to our children and our children's chill
dren, that right may be gone forever.
1t can not be regained without great
difficulty, (Applause) And in APP
preaching the subject of our treaty
rights permit me to say that ii is the
policy of Congress, whenever it can
do so honorably, to follow the lead of
the President in our foreign relations.
We on our side of the House have not
endeavored to annoy or criticize the
Presidents Mexican policy or his
japanese policy. We have stood be-
hind him so far in these matters, be-
cause, in the main, Congress ought
without regard to partisan divisions,
as far as possible, to present solid
front to foreign nations.
Two years ago we passed the Pan
anna Canal act and gave out our con-
struction of our foreign policy which
today we are asked to reverse. l
can not bring myself to the point OF
believing that our duty to the Presi-
dent in regard to our foreign policy
requires us to vote today TO reverse
the foreign policy announced less than
two years ago. (Applause.)
THE CLAYTON-BU TREATY.
The Clayton Bulwer treaty was
made in 1850 At that time the United
States and Great Britain were striving
for mastery Of the Pacific ocean. We
had just made a treaty with Great
Britain under which we had extended
our western boundary line to the
Pacific ocean on the forty ninth paral-
aI ba haa
puted title to the Oregon territory.
We had just made a treaty with
Mexico, under which we had acquired
the California coast. We had just
taken in Texas, under which we had
extended our territory to the south
west. Great Britain was then in
possession of the Atlantic end of the
proposed Nicaragua Canal. In 1s49
gold had been discovered in California.
Our people We're seeking the shores of
the Pacific on the California coast.
Everyone in our country was DESTROYS
OF having a, canal constructed SO as to
bring the East and the West together
before the transcontinental railroads
were. really thought Of We could not
construct the Nicaragua Canal our
selves, because Great Britain had one
end OF IT. She was striving for mas
aery in the Pacific. We were striving
Tor mastery in the Pacific. We had
concession from Nicaragua for the
construction OF the canal Under that
concession we had the right to con-
struct the canal if we could settle
with Great Britain. We made the
clayton Bulwer treaty, under which
eve agreed that neither Great Britain
nor the United States would, as a gov
eminent, construct the canal, and I'M
der which we agreed that citizens and
subjects OF both nations. II canal
were constructed by a company or a
corporation should have equal rights