Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-15
AT THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
Nicaragua Canal Expenditures
a Subject of Debate.
The Senate Decides to Investigate
Them to Date.
Senator Morgan Takes . Whack at the
Monroe Doctriae-The Anti-Option
BIN to Be Pressed to
Vote Next Week.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-In the senate,
today, presidential electoral certificates
from Oregon and South Dakota were
presented and placed on file.
Cafery, appointed to the vacancy
caused by the death of Gibson of Louis
lana, appeared and took the oath of
Office.
Wolcott OF Colorado offered resolu-
ton instructing the committee on for
eign relations to inquire what sums hal
been expended in and about the con-
struction of the Nicaragua canal since
the accounts of expenditure heretofore
rendered. He remarked that two years
ago testimony was taken by the COM
mittee on foreign relations, which
showed that up to that time about
$1,000, 900 had been expended, but now
it was proposed to give the company
$6,000,000 in bonds guaranteed by the
government. He did not suppose 1T
would be seriously contended that any
such expenditures had been made by
the COMPANY within the last two years,
and the purpose of his resolution WAS to
ascertain what the actual expenditures
had been.
Sherman, chairman of the committee
on foreign relations, said he had no OBJ
lection to the resolution. Two years
ago. he said, the company had expended
SO ,000, 600. Since then it had expended
considerably more, but not as much as
Sc, 900 900, but the amount actually ex-
pended was to. be ascertained by the
secretary of the treasury and the secre-
tary of state, and the maximum to be
turned over TO the company in guaran-
teed bonds was not to exceed sc, ,000, ,000.
Hoar said congress should see to it,
in the construction of the Nicaragua
canal that daylight should be con-
sian,ly turned Oh every transaction.
The resolution was, at the suggestion
of Morgan, laid over till Monday.
The resolution offered yesterday by
Morgan OF Alabama, instructing the
committee on commerce to inquire and
report on the advantages to the inter-
ests of the United States that would be
afforded by the Nicaragua ship canal,
was taken up and Morgan spoke. He
said that logically Great Britain had
Just as much right as the United States
to charter the canal company and take
control OF it, which it was proposed
the United States should take. II
Costa Rlca and Nicaragua were
to tender such an overture to
Great Britain, or if the owners of
the concession were to take it to Great
Britain and make the offer which they
had made to congress, and if Great
Britain should accept the United States
would have one paltry plee-he would
not call it paltry-one emasculated plea,
and that was the tattered and torn and
dirty Monroe doctrine which the senate
of the United States bad succeeded in
kicking literally into doll rage.
Sherman aeked Morgan to notice the
objection made in some quarters that
the owners Of $12, ,000, 900 OF stock OF the
company would have undue influence in
the management of the corporation.
Morgan replied that in the pending
bill the power of the government was re-
served in the control of the operation of
the company. The government was to
own $50, 600 OF the 500, 100000 of
stock, ard would therefore have control
go far as the direction Of the company
is concerned.
Speaking OF the provision of the bill
for 10 government directors out of 15,
Morgan said if tie French government
had had its own directors in the Panama
canal company the robberies which hsd
created a crisis which had disgraced and
nearly destroyed the French republic
would not have been perpetrated, and
that ths mire of fraud and corruption
and villainy which was now shocking
the sens.bilities of that great and noble
people would have been avoided.
AT the conclusion of Morgan's speech,
the anti-option bill came up as special
order, but Wolcott of Colorado moved
Lc proceed TO G. nsideration OF the fret
LII on the calendar.
Wsshburn demar ded the yeas and
nays and the result showed that q
quorum was not voting. A motion to
adjourn was also defeated. The roll was
called and more than quorum re-
eponded.
Sherman asked unanimous consent to
have a vote On the anti-option bill
taken on Wednesday. Wolcott OBJ
jected, stimulated, however, by hint
from Sherman that the measure was
blocking up all important business.
Washburn gave notice that be would
ask the SENATE to remain in session next
Wednesday until a final vote on the
anti-option bill wss reached.
After brief executive session the
eeDate adjourned.