St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-21
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

Senator Davis Denounces the
Proposition as a Subsidy Scheme.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 20.-The senate
proceeded to the consideration Of the
Nicaragua canal bill, giving the guar
antee of the United States government
to the c0mpany'S per cent TO the
amount of Sl0O.000,0 900. Mr.. Vest, in op-
posing the bill, said that no greater
calamity could come upon the world
than a war between the United States
and Great Britain. 1t was, therefore,
of Importance that, in considering the
pending bill, the relations be-
tween Great Britain and the
United States, in regard to inter
oceanic communication across the
isthmus should be considered. 1t was
easy enough TO denounce the Clayton
BulWer treaty; and he joined in that
denunciatiOn, for he never could under
stand why the United States should go
into partnership with Great Britain in
the management and control OF a line
of transit between the TWO oceans.
If Great Britain had, at any time,
under any minister, ever conceded that
the ClaytOn-BulWer treaty had been, 10y
any act of hers, abrogated, and was
now null and void he would be glad to
have it pointed out to him.
Z Mr.. Morgan Ito whom the inquiry was
addresSed) said that he was not aware
that the question had ever been dis
cussed Dramatically, and that there
had been no occasion for having it dis
cuSSed. If the United States remained
in its present attitude it would not be
Il I, ii rTLx
would not be an interoccanic canal for
200 years. 1t went without saying (NIr
Vest continued that in a contest be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States the sympatheS and action of
every American would be with his own
country. In one sense it might be a
blessing to this country to have thrust
upon it great issue which would con-
s0Iidate its people and eradicate great
sectional difficulties: but those diff
culteS were being healed blythe touch
of time and were rapidly disappearing.
Mr. Edmund5-Does the senator from Mis-
souri, think that this bill, as 1t stands, is a
violation of any Obligation of the United
States toward Great Britain or any other for
eign country?
Mr.. Vest think that, unless Great Brit
ain has itself abrogated the treaty, this bill
does The argument Of the committees re-
10
force; that Great Britain has thrown 1t aside
by her settlement i'll Belize and her colonies
on the mosquito coast; and the bill gives
control of the canal to the United States
without refere nee TO the Ciayton-Bulwer
treaty or the wishes of Great Britain III the
matter. 1 think that that is distinct enough.
Mr.. Davis opposed the bill. The
American people, he said. had not been
fortunate in the matter of subsidies
and the pending proposition was, Ill
plain terms. a subsidy TO the extent of
100000, 900 to build work lying entire
ly outside of the national domain and
traversing a foreign country. 1t was
his opinion that, if the canal was to be
constructed at all. it should be done by
the government directly, in its sovereign
capacity, through its corps of engineers.
1t should be executed like any other
work of public improvement. Mr..
Davis went OH to criticize the course of
the canal company contracting with the
construction company-all the stock
holders of the latter being also stock
holders of the former-and said
that that was the way in
which the cost OF railroad construction,
especially in the Western states, had
been run up to the enormous figures
represented by the stocks and bonds.
He was not willing to vote $l00.000,000
to aid in the construction of canal that
was not under the control of American
engineers. The American people, he
said, were not crying for Nicaragua
canal; and no menacing attitude had
been assumed by Great Britain or any
foreign power that would make its con-
structon necessary to the government
of the United States.
Mr.. Edmunds spoke in defense and
advocacy of the bill, and without action
upon it the senate, after an executive
session, adjourned.