St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-05
LOOK AT THIS, LESsEPs.
The Lower House of Congress
Passes the Nicaragua Canal
BilI--.Still Filibustering.

The Lower House Of Congress
Passes the Nicaragua Canal
Bill--.Still Filibustering.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-The house to-
day passed the Nicaragua canal bill. A
great part of the day was was wasted in
filibustering over the question of chang
ing the rules. The Nicaragua bill hav-
ing been taken up. the amendment of
Mr.. Holman providing that nothing in
the act shall be construed to commit the
United States to any liability on ac-
count of the Nicaragua company and
requiring this proviso to be printed on
every obligation issued by the COM
pany, was agreed to. The amendment
offered by Mr.. Wilson, of Minnesota,
providing that no certificate of
stock shall be issued until
at least 10 per cent shall
be paid for in money; that the stock
shall not be assignable until the whole
of the money shall be paid in, and that
no bonds in excess of the amount of cap
ital shall be issued until the paid capi-
tai shall amount to S., ,0O0,000 was agreed
to. The amendment of Mr.. Bland, re-
serving to congress the right to alter,
late the tariff rates for transportation,
was agreed to. The amendment of Mr..
Baker, reserving to the United States
the right to purchase at any time the
property of the company at price
equal to the actual cost, with interest at
5 per cent, was rejected. The bill was
then passed-ayeS 157, nays "a.
The bill originated III the senate, and it
will be returned to the senate for action on
the house amendments. In addition to the
provisions adopted to-day and given above,
the bill provides that the capital stock of the
company shall consist OF not less than ], ,O00,-
900 shares of S1OO each, with the right to
double that number upon vote of tWothirds
of the stock. The bonds, stock, etc.. are 10
be issued at the principal office in New
York city and disposed of only for cash.
The members of the board of directors are
to be citizens of the United States or Mica
ragua, but majority Of them shall be citl-
zens and residents of the United States. No
change of concessions granted by Nicaragua
OF Costa Rica is to be made without the CON
sent of this government The United States
is not to be responsible for any of the pecu-
mary obligations of the company other than
in respect to the payment of tolls. An
is to be made to the secretary of the interior.
The work of constructing the canal is be
commenced in three years.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, called up the
resolution reported yesterday abolish
ing the call of states and territories on
suspension Mondays. MI. Anderson,
of Kansas, raised point of order. and
afterwards the question of considera-
ton. He said the house must either
take the resolution or filibuster. He
thought the gentleman from Maine had
no right to block the business of the
house. Mr.. Reed replied that large
majority of the house desired to get at
business, and the gentleman from Kan
sired that it should not; and yet the
gentleman came forward and asserted
that somebody else was
OBSTRUCTING THE BUSINESS
and not he. The house had a right to
change its rules. Nothing but very
debased condition of public sentiment
would make it possible for any member
of the house to make the remarks made
by the gentleman from Kansas. Mr..
Springer said that the contest for the
retention of the rule was not contest
for the rights of the minority, but
for the despotism of the one-man power.
Mr.. Blount, of Georgia, said he hoped
the house would not yield one single
right which the minority now possessed.
The discussion that ensued turned on
the point made by Mr.. Reed that the
fundamental principle of our govern
ment-the supremacy of the majority
was being overturned every day in the
house. Mr.. Randall, of Pennsylvania,
combatted the idea which he said had
taken possession of some gentlemen
that with the responsibility Of major
ity went also the power to ride over the
minority rough shod. Any one who
woull read the rules of the house from
the first congress down to the present
time, would find one principle which
had governed the formation of all rules
that they should be made to protect
minority from the despotic power
claimed by the gentleman from Maine
to be possessed by bare majority of
one. Mr.. Reed SAID that the rules of
the house were not for the protection of
the
RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY.
They had no other object than the
orderly cOnduct of business. He had
stood here for twelve years, and he had
seen more honest measures killed by
the rules than dishonest measures
stopped. Mr.. Cox, of New York, said
that according to the structure of our
government the majority and minority
were one. When vote was taken in
this chamber the minority bowed to the
majority and they became unity. E.
n H. 4, 49, @,