Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-11
NICARAGUAN CANAL.
OPPOSITION TO IT IN FoRsIGN.CoM
MERGE COMMITTEE.
Probable That No Bill VIII BE Reported
Virginia Members For and Against
It-Others Undecided.
From our Regular Correspondent.l

fFTOrn Our hcguiAf NOfrtbpvhNOh"J
WASHINGTON, January 1O.-Inasmuch as
there is A considerable movement In Viz
ginia and other portions OF the south
in behalf of the proposed Nicaraguan
canal 1t may be we'll to give an idea OF the
state of feeling here among the virginia
members of the House. The bill IA before
the House Committee on Interstate ana
Foreign Commerce. of which Hon. George
ID. WISE Is chairman. and before ANYTHING
can be done il viii Of course have 70 be
reported from that committee. Mr.. WISE
was asked by the DISPATCH correspondent
what prospect he thought the b1ii had IN
the committee, aud he said 1t was
meeting with great opposition; m
fact. some of the members OF the
committee were violently opposed 70 tDe
project. and he doubted exceediheIy ~
repcrt of any kind would be made to tue
present House. Mr. Wise further sald
that he was opposed TO the bill, and did
not believe from what he could gather
that il had any chance OF passing the
present Congress. or of the next elther;
He bases his opposition on the GROUND
tuat the government should not lend lts
name to any such enterprises.
ALSO OPPOSED TO 1T.
Colonel O'ferral IL also opposed to the
Nicaragpan canal bill. lie has received
number Of letters from prominent gedtie-
men in Virginia asking his views, and he
saws that he has replied as tar as ms IarSe
correspOndence would permit, stating MS
objection TO the project. He says that be
regards IL as q dangerous principle Tor the
government TO assume any hnanclal re-
sponsibllity IN this matter, and he does
not believe that the democrats Will en-"
dorse the proposition. As the offer comes,
he thinks, the canal company Will reap all
the profits if the enterprise IS a success
and should it prove failure the govern
ment would have TO assume oDllgatl0Hs
Amounting 10 millions of dollars. In his
opinion if Congress should 90 into the
canal enterprise there would no longer be
any valid reason for refusing 70 establish
ub.treasuries and 60 into the land-loan
business, as demanded by many OF the
Third party leaders.
OTHERS AGAINST IT.
Representative Jones says that as the
proposition now stands he is emphatlcally
opposed TO the Nicaragua-canal project
and 10 likewise against the proposed snip
canal between the North and the South.
Representatiye Edmunds, of the sixth
District. expresses the same OPINION ne
cannot see his way TO give his support TO
the Nicaragua bill. He has received let
ters on the subject from Virginia, but he
believes that his constituents generally
Will approve his decision 10 oppose the Dill
if he is called upon to do so IN the lou G..
IN FAVOR OF 1T.
Representative Lawson tavors the Mica
rapuan- canal bill. He says he has always
thought the government should control
the waterways, and believes this is feasl-
ble and practical proposition with much
GOOD in store for commerce II the canal Is
dug. He has received large number OF
petitlOns and memorials from cominerclal
organizations on the subject, including
several from the chambers Of commerce IN
the Norfolk district, and those advocating
the measure in and around Norfolk seem
TO think the proposed canal would dement,
the South.
NOT DECIDED.
Mr.. Meredith says he has been sick for
40 long that really be has not had chance
To studv the provisions of the bill, ana he
could not now give any intelligent opinion
ON the subject. He has a large number OF
letters and memorials on the project, and
shortly expects to give some thought 10
the questions involved -,
Representative BGct anan said he had
not gwen the pending bill careful conslde-
ration and did not know positively how he
would vote if it were to come mp this ses-
sion. but from what he knew of the tea-
rures of the measure he was inclined To
be opposed TO 1t.
The opinions Of Messrs. Epes. Lester,
and Tucker have not yet been obtained.