Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-02-21
In the senate.

In the senate.
WASHINGTON, Feb 2i.-The senate passsd
1870 house pension bills and other business
of a routine nature, and then procea,lsei
70 the consideration Of the Niearansaa
canal bill. Dir Vest made long spaseh
in opposition to the bill, taking the ground
that the Bulwer. Clayton treaty between
the United States and Great Britain wus
still in force. Without action upon tbs
bill the senate adjourned
The Nicaragua Canal Bill
Tho Nicaragua canal bin gives the
guarantee Of the United States govern
ment 70 the company's per cent bonds
to the amount Of Si0O,0O0,000 MIR. Vest.
in opposing the bill discIaimed any hos
tility TO the Nicaragua canal project
At the risk Of misconstruction he M.
serted that no greater calamity could
come upon the world than war between
the United States and Great Britain. The
question before the senate now was, tha
attitude Of Great Britain in relation to the
Bulwer-Clayton treaty, and as TO what
would be the result Of the United States.
assuming the treaty not TO be in existence,
and twithont any conference with GreHx
Britain proceeding TO legislate as if thas
treaty had never been made In the fmsa
X
not matter az to the public opinion in tha
United States, except as to whether has
American people would Justify war VITA
Great Britain in order to pass the pending,
bill. II Great Britain had at any tins
conceded that the Bulwer- Clayton treaty
had been, by any act OF hers, abrogateat
and was now null and void he would ba,
glad 10 have ii pointed out to him
Mr. Morgan said that he was not awMna
Of the question having been discussed dip.
lomatically, and that there had been ma
occasion for having it discussed If ths
United States remained in its present atti
tude ii would not be discussed for hum-
dred years and there would not be an inter
oceanic canal for 200 years.
A Subsidy Of 500, 600, GOO. -
Mr. Davis in opposition to the bill aai5
that the pending proposition was IN plain
terms 0 subsidy TO the extent Of sl00 O00, 600
10 build a work lying entirely outside cG
the national domain and traversing fuH-
eign country. II was his opinion that IL
the canal was to be constructed at all if
should be done by the government direGg-
ly, in its sovereign capacity, through ieB
corps Of engineers. 1t should be executed.
like any other work Of public improve
ment. Furthermore, he did not think fs
wise or prudent to commit the governments
to build a canal in a country which was
the crater Of revolution aud the lair af
~
A Reply to the Earthquake Theory.
Mr.. Edmunds replied to what he called
the earthquake theory Of opposition to tha
bill. The committee knew that earth
quakes occurred in central Vermont, bna
they occurred in San Francisco and Wash
ington and Charleston, s G. 1t knew thas
within fifteen miles of Naples there wera
active volcanoes still going on But vak
railroads and water works and condufta
built of masonry and going back to tbs
lines Of the Romans had been built theirs.
md no one had ever hesitated to 20 inna
my public work that was useful on aeA
'ount Of the possible danger Of a cataelysun
hat might overthrow it. He concluded
rs remarks with general defense and aGs-
-Ocacy Of the bill.