The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-20
TURPIE'S AYTI-CANAL TALK.
He Expresses the Opinion That the
Canal Will Never be Finished.

He Asserts That the Bubble viii Burst |
as Soon as the Construction Of the I
Harbor at Greytown and the Two .
Miles Of Sea Channel in It is Com /
menoed-The Senator Estimates the /
Cost of This Work Alone at over a
Quarter OF What is Estimated for the .
Whole Undertaking.
Washington. Dec. 19-The debate on the .
Nicaragua canal bill was continued in the .
Senate to-day, occupying four hours. The .
attack upon the bill, which was opened by Z
Mr.. Turpie, dem. of Indiana, on Monday .
and continued on Tuesday, was concluded /
by him to-day. when he offered a sub /
sttute for the bill providing for a board /.
of three civil engineers TO make a survey
and estimate, declaring that that was as
far as the Senate should 80 this session. I
Some Of his structures and censures on /
the bill were resented by Mr.. Morgan. I
dem, Of Alabama, who is I'm charge of /
it, but this did not restrain the Indiana
senator from declaring i'm his picturesque
and vehement language that If ever the
work We're completed it would be an in
cident. ana that there was no certainty
and no provisions for a certainty. that it
ever would be finished. lie argued that
the reason why the work was not to be
constructed and paid for in sections was
that the first section CONSTRUCTION of the
herbor at Greytown, and of the two miles
sea channel in it, would cost over one
fourth Of the $4,000, 900; and that, as soon
as that section was undertaken, the bub-
BILE would burst and the scheme would be
abandoned.
Speeches in support OF the bill were
made by Messrs. Cullom, rep, of Illinois,
and Perkins, rep, of California.
No action was reached on the bill.
Previous to the opening Of the debate
on the Nicaragua bill Mr. Allen, pop,
of Nebraska, offered resolution for the
appointment Of select committee to in
quire as 10 whether the state of Alabama
has a republican form of government
and as TO the conduct of the recent cleo
tion in that state. The resolution went
over Mr.. Allen stating that he would
address the Senate upon IL after the holt
day recess.
A joint resolution to revive the grade
OF lieutenant-general of the United States
army was introduced by Mr.. Hawley, rcD.,
or Connecticut, and was referred to the
committee on military affairs.
The House bill to establish a national
military park at the battle field of Shiloh
In the state OF Tennessee was taken from
the calendar and passed.
The resolution offered yesterday by
n
record Of the proceedings in the extradi-
ton case of Gen. Ezeta was taken up
and agreed to.
The Senate adjourned at the conclusion
OF the Nicaragua debate without transact
ing any other business
Mr.. Turpie was entitled to the floor
when the Nicaragua bill came up, but he
yielded 1t temporarily to Mr. Culiom. who
urged the maintenance of "the wise policy
known as the Monroe doctrine" The COM
pleuon or the Illinois ship canal and OF
llle ttennEDin canal. he said Z
ed with the Nicaragua canal; and he
looked forward to the day when steam
vessels from all the lake ports would
carry the produce of the west TO the
Pacific ports. The choice Of the undertak-
ing was far beyond any consideration of
cost or expense. Although the Nicara qua
canal should cost 100000 600 and should
possess no dividend paying capacity, still
II would be an undertaking demanded by
the military necessities of the country at
any reasonable cost. But when 1t offered
such return as might be reasonably eX-
pected IN It's commercial operation, ne felt
justified in urging the passage Of the bill
Mr.. Cullom wound up his speech with
the appeal to the Senate to declare that
no pent-up Utica restrains our powers;
but the whole boundless continent Is
ours"
Mr.. Turpie yielded further to Mr.. Per
kins, rep. Of California, who argued in
favor of the bill and asserted that there
was nothing complex or difiicult OF under
standing in it, The government of the
United States virtually undertook the en-
ltipilNEs dtIuiEeQ All iHt concessions
made by Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and
built the canal through an fundamentally
OF its own, in the form Of corporation in
which the government itself would own
seven-tenths Of the stock, and would reeu-
late the traffic, including the rates Of toll.
This Nicaragua canal, Mr.. Perkins as
serted, would pay. There was no doubt
on that point 1t would pay financially
and politically, and it would pay CONNER
cialiy II would also pay as an exhibition
of American enterprise, of American skill
and fOTntnOugQt and of American
1t would pay, because IL must receive the
commendation of tie world as 1t would
show that there was n great question to
be considered, a great work to be done
after the consideration was concluded,
and there was great people to carry it
Mr.. Turple followed MIR. Perkins.
In the course of Mr.. Jurpie's remarks a
severe comment was made by Mr.. Nor
gan, who is in charge Of the bill, upon the
structures and censures INDUCED in by Mr..
Turpie against the canal company and
against the committee on foreign rela-
tiOns. A disclaimer was made by Mr.. Tur-
pie, who said he would take the RESPONSE
bility Of saying, would exercise the eX-
treme delcacy Of saying, that a certain
was a very questionable one.
The senator from Indiana" Mr. Nor
gan said, with much asperity has carte
blanche to say what he pleases.'
1.-The Maritime Canal Company Mr..
Turpie continued, 'is wholly without |
credit and without assets. Nobody would !
insolvent company
In further discussion Of the blll Mr.. /
Turpie declared with vehemance Of man /
ner that "thc whole purpose and meaning I
of the bill viewed from its text, IS TO have /
an endless, perpetual construction ana I
commotion Of the enterprise If, accident I
ally. IL is finished, well and good that IS /
an incident. If It is ever completed, that !
is an accident But the S0,0)00D are only /
TO be applied in the construction or pros I
ecution of the work There Is no GER /
tainty and no provision for any certainty |
that the work viii ever be finished; and ss |
far as the legal ntendment OF this bill IS
concerned il only secures the payment Of 1
money for work done in the prosecution OF /
the enterprise. The legal intendment does /
not compel completion. IT does not re- 1
o1ire It, 1t does not demand that the /
york shall be finished The plain, palp2 /
bic presumption, on the reading Of the |
text (every word of O is that the compile /
tion of the work is mere incident That |
is what compels me to draw a very deli /
cate Dresumption on the whole bill, |
so FAR as it's benedciaries are concerned, is |
destitute of good faith, and has not /
syllable Of honesty in it.
Mr. Morgan said he would reply to Mr.. |
TurDie's speech tomorrow and then after |
q short executive session, the Senate ad- I