New-York tribune., 1891-02-21
THE CANAL IN NICARAGUA.
EFFORTS TO DEFEAT THE BILL IN THE
SENATE
MEssRs. VEST AND DAVIS SPEAK AGAINST IT.
AND MEssRs. GEORGE, STEWART AND
WoLCoTT UNFRIENDLY TO
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBCNE-l

w
taken nm for consideration in the Senate to-day. FOL
lowing the regular order OF business agreed upon by tc
Republican caucus, and was debated all the AFTERNOON
without the least visible approach TO DEFINITE con
clusion upon it, Mr.. Vest. OF Missouri. and Mt DAVIS
Of Minnesota made long speeches against The BILL ana
.bere arc many signs OF determined EFFORT 10 deIca
IT, in spite OF the unanimous report OF the Comm'ttet
on Foreign Relations in its favor. 1t is suggested
that the Pacific railroads will strongly oppose 'ic
nIedCinC OF Government support to the NcaI's"'
canal scheme and their influence VIII DC
BY the protests Of the professional enemies oi
whom the bare proposition to spend money ouV Vi Wv
Treasury for the encouragement of any eh'e'p, ,'Se
however public spirited or ADVANTAGEOUS '"0" '
a state OF uncontrolled panic
rho roroicr RcIations Committee will therefore nave
N contend against great Disadvantages In pressing te
hill AT this late stage of the session. Not more I
two additional days can be given TO inc penu""e
measure without practically upsctting the "hoio d"
rangenent of business for the closing week oI ''"
gress and an effort TO keep the bill under cohsiuer
ton until vote can be reached VIII undoubtedly "'
10 an abandonment OF the existing programme ana d
general scramble for precedence on the part oi Se"a
tors Interested in other bills In Mr.. Shermahs ap'
sence the bill is In charge Of Mr.. EdmundS the ram
ing member OF the Foreign Affairs Committee Inc
chief opposition to the measure 80 far seems 10 pe
led bv MesSrs. Vest. George. stewart ana Noco'''
The provisions Of the bill have already becn oN
plaiupd
tees the payment by the Government OF tlc lh'crcS'
in 400 600 900 Of mortgage bonds to be issued by ue
Maritime Canal Company Of Nicaragua, and pracucaiY
makes the Unitoh states the holder OF the great ouH Vi
the canal cOmpany's stock. The BILL IN bHcl' "''
be said D commit the Government 10 the coh'u"'''"
of the canal and 10 its practical control ana o"i.I
ship after completion. Mr.. Vest attacked inc pI"
today chiefly on the ground that ii abroSa'eu '''
BulwerClayton treaty and might lead to war VIZ"
Great Drit1ln Mr. Davis admitted that The bulNe'
Clavton treaty had been broken long ago py 'IV''
Britain herself. and could not interfere roW VIII wv
construction Of an intcrOccanic canal. JIG oppose
however. the present plan aS one oil sub9"l' VIZ"
which the United states had already hah an "u
fortunate experience in the case OF the Paclhc Kan
roads. ~
Mr. Vest in his srccch disclamci any hostility 20
tbc Nicaragua Canal project II wa, Of importance "'
said that in considering the BILL the relations o''"''"
Great Britain and the United states IN itfa'u 10 'I.'
occanic communication across jhc l,thmu, should bc
considered I was easy enough 10 dcnoun'' INC ''''
ton Hulwcr treaty; and he joined Ia that '"Hue'i'
,,o, for bo meyer could understand why the United
state, should 90 into partnership with Great hiI''Ul
In the control Of line Of transit between th' '"o
oceans I,ut the 0uc- ton Va, not a, to wheih" t'
treaty ,lould have been made or not. The q'c'uon
now was a, 10 the attitude Of Great Britain IN relation
1, tina, treaty. and 10 what would bc tc rt'u'' ~
the United states assuming th' treaty not 7" p ~
existence and, without any conference Whatever WIN
Great Britain proceeding TO lcgi-atc a. II that U'aF
had never been made. Another point was whether inc
American people would justify war with "Tei'
britain in order 10 pas the pending blll II "fc''
britain assumed that the ClaytonulWcr treaty was h
existence oand the senate had no intimaioh th' "
did not) then 1t fair to assume tadt Great hT'a"
woud act a, the United state, would act under 'lhH
Circumstance, If Great lrtain should, A 'lhtc "i ''
treaty. undertake build canal arIo'' the I-thHu'
ttaI - fatA tNH4
britain had cvc conceded that tn" treaty had been BY
any act Of her, abr gated. and wa' now nun and VOID
he would lc glad to have it pointed out to him.
Mr Morgan. 10 whom the inquiry va, addressed
said that he was not aware that tn question h"H
over been discussed diplomat cJiiy and tmt 'h'Fc
had been no occasion for having 1t discussed II the
United states remained In III present attitude II
wogd not be discussed for hundred years, ana tN'r'
woald not De an intcrlccanic canal for 200 years.
Mr. Vc-t-rhat +, not pertinent. I am addr,--.n,
myself now 10 the proposition whether Great Britain
looks up,n the raty as being now IN force
Nr Morgan-I have no idea. / am not British
man.
Mr. Nc,t-Nor !.
Mr. Morgan avn not sayin- That YOU are. The
British Government f. the only authority that Ga"
understand what are #, about th.- matter Tie
subject ha, not come mp dipomatchly in TIE d.
cu-..ons between the United states and olcat Britain
Mr. Vcst-Thit 3, simply my as-crtion-th that noiliu-
hi, been sad OF dom. by the Lru-h Government
10 show that IT docs lot cons der this treaty 90 PAX
iolcc. ON the other hand. I viii undertake tp ,h'"
lejO, d.,Inicd IT TO BE- ln force.
Mr. Higgins la, our Goycramcnt ever undertaken
to annu it or modify iti
Mr. Nc-tNo. Mr. buchanan recommended that 1t
should be done.
Would Great Britain, Mr.. Vet asked, be sai'i'd'
when told at her conduct a- to Ecilc had DESTROYED
the CLAYTON BulVcr treaty, and that Conuc-, m-h.
proceed to lr-i-lat. - II trity had cA-t-n't
ins report of the Commut"c uu Foreign Relations
-noclcd the idea that Or,ut Britain had auf u-ii-
tiJ per thc CLAYTON lulWcr treaty, assuming That u}
nent al l.cliLc aud her control of the Mq-quip
coast. II senator, we're prepared to pa me nm,l m
con -cqucucc,-ii not 'tIr condition of anlno'iN'
antagOni-m and dl-tm,t Vhch would opcfdi' III,
luriou'y on the Interests OF both oountiir' aHd "i
MIR Morgan asked Mr.. Vest to point out in what re-.
pect the bill Violated III any way the tla> ton I"I"e'
Mr. Vet replied thai, while the bill wa. luc"noq.El
drawn did moi IN specific words attack the principle
of the treaty. he assumed that the committee would
admit that the bill based th" idea OF the eA-
clnsive control Of the canal by the United states;
Mr. Edmund,-Docs Mr. Vest think that thi, h.ll
Is violation OF any obligation of the United Ntllc'
toward Great Britain or any other foreign coantry
Mr.. Vcst~I thinh that unl.,, Great l:rtain hI, it
self abIoeatcd the treaty, this hill does. .,,..,
Mr. stewart gave notice of an amendment providing
that the Chief of Engineers OF the Army shall hay;
he supervision Of and control Of The construction "i
laws, rule, and regulations of Congress or ot the Nd'
Department. -, 10
Sir. Davis stated some Of the reasons why nc
could not support the bill The American people ma
not been fortunate in tic matter of sub~idic'-anI
tL. peudlug prOpo.ti0 ~ subsidy to the extent or
~ 90 900 900 tO build work lying entirely 0nt.dc
Of the National domain and tIavcr>ing fo'l.n
couutry II was his opinion that If the canal wa 20
lie constructed at all il should hc done by the 6OV
crnment directly In its sovereign capacity.
DELAY WITH APPROPRIATION BILLS.
IMPORTANT MEASURES IN THE SENATE KEPT
BACK-FEw DAYS LEPT FOR ACTION.