Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-20
IN CONGRESS TODAY
The Nioaraguan Canal Bill Discussed
in the Senate.
MORE FILIBuSFERING TACTICS TODAY
Democrats in the House Leave the
Chamber in a Body.
A REED AND MCMILLAN TILT.
SENATE.

On motion Of Mr. Davis the Senate, after the
transaction of routine morning business, pro-
ceeded to the consideration of pension bills un-
objected to.
There were $50 pension bills passed in the
space of forty-fve minutes. Among them was
one giving a pension of $50 month to the
widow OF Rear Admiral Steedman. one increas-
ing the pension OF Brigadier General Landram
OF kentucky to $50. one increasing the pension
OF a widow of soldier of the war of 1872 and
one giving pension of SIP a month to Mary
Morgan'Edson of Vermont, six of whose sons
had served in the Union army in the war Of the
rebellion All these were House bills.
THE NICARAGUA CANAL BILL
The Senate then proceeded to the considera-
ton of the Nicaragua canal bill, giving the
guarantee of the United States government to
the company's 4 per cent bonds to the amount
of 500 000, 900.
The bill having been read in full. Mr. Ed
munds said that in the necessary absence of the
chairman of the committee ON foreign relations
(Alr. Sherman) it was his duty TO take charge
OF the bill for the time being. The subject was
not new one. The natural Importance of hav-
ing the kind Of interest in the Nicaragua canal
which the bill provided for had been fully dis
cussed i'll the Senate two or three years ago.
Besides the report of the committee so
full and complete and condensed that he did not
feeLcalled upon at this time to take up the time
OF the Senate In again going over the grounds
stated in the report-especially in view of the
very complete and able observations of the
Senator from Alabama (Mr. Morgan) some
day ago.
MR.. VEST OPPOSES THE BILL
Mr.. Vest in opposing the bill. disclaimed any
hostility to the Nicaragua canal project, al
though he had favored Capt. Eads Tehuantepec
ship railroad project. He took no part in the
cheap attacks upon Great Britain and
remarked that, while aggrandizing ten
dencles of Great Briain might be
denounced, it should be remembered that the
United States had the same characteristic COM
ing from hereditary and social peculiarities.
At the risk Of being misconstrued he asserted
that no greater calamity could come upon the
world than war between the United States
and Great Britain. 1t would destroy COM
merce on every ocean and would involve coun-
tries in antagonisms, difficulties and losses of
life Sand property which no intelligent man
would ever wish to provoke. 1t was. therefore,
OF importance that in considering the pending
bill the relations between Great Britain and the
United States in regard to inter-oceanic COM
munication across the isthmus should be con-
sidered. 1t was easy enough to denounce the
Clayton Bulwer treaty, and he Joined in that
denunciation, for he never could understand
why the United States should go into partner
ship with Great Britain in the management and
control Of a line OF transit between the two
oceans.
HE AGREED WITH DOUGLASS.
In this connection Mr.. Vest read from pam
phles giving Mr.. Stephen A. Douglass views,
and said that there was now no difference of
opinion between intelligent men in the United
States as to the improperly of MIR. Clayton's
ever having made the treaty of 1850 But the
been made or not. The question before the
Senate now was as to the attitude of Great
Britain in relation TO that treaty and as to
what would be the result of the
United States, assuming the treaty not to
be in existence, and without any conference
whatever with Great Britain, proceeding to
legislate as If that treaty had never been made.
Ii Senators would place themselves in the posi-
ton of officers Of the British government they
would appreciate what he said when he de-
clared that the question was most important
one to the people of the United States In the
face of the question which he was consider
ing it did not matter as to public opinion
In the United States, except as to whether the
American people would justify war with
Great Britain in order to pass the pending bill.
II Great Britain assumed that the Clayton
Bulwer treaty was in existence (and the Senate
had no intimatiOn that it did mott, then it was
fair to assume that the government of Great
Britain would act as the government of the
United States would act under similar circ1m-
stances, and if Great Britain should, in spite of
the Clayton-Brhwer treaty, undertake to build
a canal across the isthmus without the consent
of the United States, the Senators had no
righ. to assume in the light of history and
logic that the people Of Great Britain
were not as jealous of their national honor
as the people Of the United States were. On
the contrary, the government of Great Britain
was the most tenacious of all governments Of
national and individual rights. Whatever
might be said of British propensity to
aggrandizement, conquest and commercial and
territorial dominion, it had to be conceded that
no government had ever excelled that of Great
Britain in protecting her national honor and
the individual rights of her citizens
If Great Britain had, at any time, under any
ever conceded that the CLAYTON
Bulwer treaty had been by any act of hers
abrogated and was now null and void he
would be glad to have it pointed out to him.
Mr.. Morgan Ito whom the inquiry was ad-
dressed) said that he was not aware that the
question had ever been discussed diplomati-
cally and that there had been no occasion for
having it discussed. If the United States re-
manned in its present attitude it would not be
discussed for hundred years and there would
not be an interoceanic canal for 200 years,
THE HOIrSE