The San Francisco call., 1897-01-21
TURP|E RESUMES
HIS ARGUM ENT
Explains His Antagonism
to the Nicaragua Canal
Measure.
Says Congress Should Not Loan
500, 1000, 600 on Peter Funk
Security.
can Unreasonable Demand, an IRA.
tional Request and Luna.ic
Proposition"


Senate to-day Perkins (R.) of California
introduced a joint resolution for the ap-
pointment of commission TO collect sta
tistics on mines and mining. Referred.
Hill (D.) of New York, on behalf of his
colleague (Murphy), asked unanimous
consent to have the New York Custom
house bill taken up ana put on its pas
sage. There was but one slight objection,
by Pettigrew (SiI.) of South Dakota, to
Hills request and the bill was taken up
and passed.
The bill as passed appoints five citizens
of New York City as building commits
sioners at 5000 year. The building is to
be on the present Custom house site. The
Secretary OF the Treasury is to lease suit
able premises for the temporary custom
house, $250,00O being appropriated for
rental for the first year. The entire cost
of the building is not TO exceed $5,0O0 600.
Morge ms bill as to the default on the
part of the Pacific roads was permitted to
go over without action.
The resolution heretofore offered by
Pettigrew (Su.) of South Dakota, calling
on the Secretary of State for copy of the
proceedings of the commission on the
Guiana, was called up and Pettigrew dis
cussed it. At the conclusion of Petit
Crews speech it was referred to the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations.
Tbs Senate joint resolution as to the
laying of electric subways in the District
of Colum bia, on which Hill CD of New
York had spoken at length yesterday, was
taken up, and Faulkner (D.) of West Vlr-
ginia, a mem Der of the District commit
| tee, addressed the Senate, defending the
action of the committee and denying the
charges made against it yesterday by
Hill. There were several short and rather
angry dialogues between Senators Faulk
ner and Hill IN the course oil Faulkner's
speech.
At 2 o'clock the presiding officer laid be-
fore the Senate the unfinished business
the Nicaragua canal bill-and Turpie 3D.. }
of Indiana resumed his speech in opposi-
ton to it. He likened the provisions of
the bill to the case OF bogus mortgages
and 10 the successful looting OF credulous
people by such means. The operation
proposed in the pending bill, he said, diff
fered from the bogus mortgage case onlv
in the fact that the canal company on the
had no title to the lands which it
proposed to surrender; that it had no in
terest in them and that it could not trans
fer them to any one. The company asked
Congress, with its eyes open and knowing
that the security was straw, to give it a
hundred million dollars, guaranteeing
payment by a lien on securities that were
utterly without value-on Peter Funk"
securities.
Turpie asserted that through the failure
of the company to complete within three
years the connecting link known
as the Managua canal 1t had al
ready forfeited everything, had already
surrendered everything; that il had either
voluntarily or negligently given up and
abandoned its concession. 1t had not
even pretended to construct the Managua
canal. No act of Congress could release
the company from its obligation under
the cess1on. 1t was an unreasonable de-
mand, an irrational request, a thoroughly
lunatlc proposition, that Congress should
guarantee the performance OF the work, or
should enter upon its construction, with
out having an estimate of the cost of the
three principal items necessary TO it's
prosecution-the Managua canal and the
construction of two harbors.
After speaking for two hours, Turpie
closed his remarks for the day, but de-
clined to promise that he would finish his
speech tomorrow, and the bill went over
Chandler (R.) of New Hampshire asked
and obtained unanimous consent 10 have
the bill for represe ntatlon Of the United
States at an international monetary con-
ference with foreign countries taken up
after the morning hour on Tuesday next.
The District appropriation bill and the
provision as to the library of Congress was
acted upon. The first amendment offered
by the committee was an appropriation of
$4,000 for the salary of the librarian, who
is TO be appointed by the President, ana
by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, and providing that the Librarian
government of the library to be approved
by the L brary Committee. The admend-
ment was approved.
Another important amendment by the
committee was the insertion of an item
appointing a custodian of the building
and grounds at salary of $4,000 and appro-
priating SAG, 440 for the custody and care
of the building and grounds. Other
amendments In relation 10 the library
were agreed to, and after Call fD) of
Florida had argued against the policy of
leaving to the President the appointment
of the Librarian and superintendent, the
bill was passed.
A JOINT resolution, authorizing the
Smithsonian Institution to participate in
the exhibition of gas apparatus IN Madi-
son-sguare Garden, New York City, from
January q to February 26, offered by
Bryce CD of Ohio, was passed, and the
Senate at O'clock ad journed.