The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-25
WHITE ON The CANAL
Benefits to Accrue to the
Whole Country.
TURPIE WE'LL ANSWERED.
Argument of the Senior Senator From
California.
PIERCE THE YTHMUS OF NICARAGUA.
The Government Of the United States Has
Full Power to Act on the
Project.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. A.-Morgan's
Nicaragua canal bill will pass the Senate
tomorrow. This is practically settled. 1t
is not known how Stewart will vote after
repeatedly characterizing the bill as big
steal, but his colleague, Jones, has tele-
graphed White to pair him in favor of the
bill. Senator White is not sure whether
the House will consider the bill at this
session, but it is generally believed it will
do so. The bill will be radically changed
in the House, but White thinks the con-
ference committee will be able to agree on
some measure satisfactory to both houses.
The friends of Senator Morgan's bill put
Senator White forward to-day to reply to
Senator Turpie's attacks on it.
He ridiculed the claim that the COM
merce carried on between the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts of the United States by means
of water was not commerce among the
States. He showed that if this view was cor
rect, Alaska, in the event of its becoming a
State, could never enjoy the advantage of
this constitutional provision. If Congress
has the power. to dig canals and construct
roads under the authority conferred to
regulate domestic commerce, Mr.. White
did not perceive how the word regulate"
could be of any less force when applied to
foreign commerce. While admitting that
the powers of the Federal Government are
limited he quoted from Chief Justice Mar
shall: ''Let the end be legitimate, let it be
within the scope of the constitution, and
all means which are appropriate, which are
plainly adapted to that end, which are not
prohibited, but consist with the letter and
spirit of the constitution, are constitu-
tional."
He referred to numerous cases showing
that as respects foreign jurisdiction the
Federal Government is supreme. Several
Senators who opposed the bill questioned
Senator White closely, but he was fully
prepared and readily answered the various
interrogatories propounded. He then pro-
ceeded to answer parts of the argument
of Turpie and was interrupted several
times by that gentleman. Mr.. White
called attention to the positive statements
of Mr.. Turpie upon engineering questions,
and said that he did not profess to be an
engineer or to have technical knowledge
upon such subjects, and that he was not
prepared to dogmatically assert that the
conclusions reached by unimpeached men,
eminent in their profession, should be dis
regarded.
Senator Turpie said that he had been in
formed by reliable engineers that teredo
destroyed creosoted piles in six months,
and White produced a telegram from the
Surveyor of the Port of San Francisco,
who had much experience in this direction,
which stated that piles properly creosoted
would last for twenty-five years.
He secuted the idea advanced by Turpie,
that the teredo rather relished creosoted
pile. He said that the Senator from In
diana had advanced the novel proposition
that the favorlte dish of the Greytown
teredo was pile la creosote. He denied
that climatic conditions were such as to
render earth embankments entirely use
less. White said the Government was not
bound to adopt the specific plans suggested
by Mr.. Menocal, and that there had been
an allowance of 20 per cent made in the
estimate to cover improvements.
He quoted from Captain Merry of San
Francisco to the effect that a COTTON
steamer might in the rainy season go up
the San Juan and into Lake Nicaragua to
a point within twelve and a half miles of
the Pacific, and said that it was incompre-
hensible that patriotic and intelligent men
should allow such an opportunity as the
present to pass unheeded. He also read a
communication from j. B. Harris of Mon
rovia, Cal, who had constructed a portion
of the railroad built under Menocal's direc-
ton along the San Juan River. Mr.. Har-
ris' views were most favorable.
Senator White fully considered the vari-
Gus technical objections which had been
made and closed by referring to the great
benefit to be derived from the work by the
whole Union. He furnished statistical in
formation as to the immense saving which
would result to the Pacific Coast by reason
of it's Liberation from railroad greed, but he
said that the happy results of this work
could not be confined to any one section.
That was narrow, restricted and un-
patriotic view to hold. The stimulation of
trade upon the seaboard would affect the
Whola country