New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-02
FIGHTING THE CANAL BILL.
ANOTHER UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO
FIX A TIME FOR VOTE
ATTACKS ON THE MEASURE BY SENATOR'S
DANIEL AND vfLAs-THE LATTER DE-
NoUNCEs IT AS A GIGANTIC


NoUNCEs IT AS GIGANTIC
SCHEME OF ROBBERY.
WASHINGTON Feb 1.-The Nicaragua Canal
bill was taken up as the unfinished business IN
the Senate to-day and unanimous consent was
asked by Mr.. Morgan Dem.. Ala). in charge
Of the bill. - have the vote taken at O'CLOCK
tomorrow.
Mr.. Villas Oem, WIS., objected. The stage
Of the debate, he said, had not been reached
when a time should be fixed for the vote.
Mr.. Hale (Rep. Me- suggested an extension
Of the time until Thursday next at O'CLOCK ou'
to that Mr. Villas also objected.
Mr.. Hoar Rep Mass) appealed to Mr. Villas
10 withdraw his objection and let time De
fixed for H..si vote.
Mr. Davis Rep Mlnn) joined in the appeal
on the special ground Of allowing the Bank
ruptcy bill to be taken UP and acted on.
Mr. Daniel Dem.. Va). one Of the opponents
OF the Nicaragua Canal bill, said thar IN the
present shape of the measure It's opponents
could not consent to a fixed time FOR taxing 'he
vote The conditions Of the measure had under
gone much change recently. and there were
many amendments to be offered to it. 1t there
fore ought not to be urged with whip ana spur
The world wa. not suffering ard would not
postponed for O week month or year II
was none Of those things that appealed to Con-
gress for speedy action. 1t had been on the
tapis for 300 years In one shape or another, In
the attention Of nations. He called upon the
friends Of the bill to desist from their activity
and let the Senate take up ard consider the
Bankruptcy bill for the relief of people who
had been wrecked, ruined, Frustrated and al
most destroyed by the peculiar brands or pros
perty served out to them under recent systems
Of legislation. The people were more interested
in the Bankruptcy bill than they were In an
i-considered ill-digected scheme to spend
$100.O0O.000 in constructing a canal IN Foreign
State which would become highway OF the
world, for the use of England, who would De az
much entitled to it as the United states
would be- under the favored-nation clause or
her treaties with Nicaragua
Remarks in favor of speedy action on the
bill were made by the two California Senators
white and Perkins,
The pending question was on the motion MADE
by Mr. Villas last Thursday for the recommittai
of the bill TO the select committee on the Mica
ragua Canal.
Mr. Stewart pop, New argued against the
motion, end brought into his remarks an areu-
ment against the Bankruptcy bill. II it were to
Mr.. Caffery Dem La said that 1t was not to
be taken for granted that the opponents OF the
Nicaragua Canal bill were opposed to the scheme
of connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans by
q canal He favored that project, but opposed
the instrumentalities by which the pending Dill
proposed TO effect it, II was matter when re-
Quired the greatest ana most deliberate ulScus-
sion. .
Mr.. Villas advocat ed his motion to recommit.
abiding to the inieroceanc canal project as "a
he
an hour the question of quorum was susgts'-
ed by Mr.. Turpie Dem, Ind one of the leading
antagonists of the measure. call OF the roll
was answered by dfty-nine Senators and NJ.
Villas went on with his speech. lie thought the
Senators from Massachusetts and Maine OHoar
and Hale), who had appealed 70 MIN to consent
to have the vote taken. ought. to recognize the
sense of great public duty imposed upon the OPP
ponents Of the measure to present arguments
against it deliberately and abundantly. he re-
minded Senators that they had been told the
other day by Mr.. Sherman. who was to be the
chief character in the next Administration"
that the bill could not possibly pass the House at
this Congress: and he (Mr Vilas) trusted fer
vently that the Senator from Ohio was right. He
protested, therefore, that no appeal was justly
addressable to those who opposed the bill. The
constant repetition of amendments on the part
OF the Senator from Alabama himself showed
the necessity of having the bill recommitted.
Still, if the motion 10 recommit was regarded By
that Senator as offensive he stood ready to with
draw it.
Mr.. Villas went on to critcise the bill in detail.
saying that the stock was non assessable; that
the stockholders were not 10 be called on TO con-
tribute dollar to the work. and that the Gov
eminent Of the United States was TO pay all the
cost of construction and become the sole owner
and proprietor Of the canal. assuming all the
risks which included possibly that of He
quoted some other provisions OF the bill. the eff
feet Of which was that the United States should
crawl into the skin Of this defunct corporation
the Maritime Canal Company. There one
section in III, bill. he said, which became i'm
medately operative. even If no work were ever
begun the already discredied route" and
that was for the payment Of S4,500.000 and in
terest TO the company, although all the property
Of the company at the present moment could not
be estimated at moro than 100000. He felt
bound to protect the taxpayers OF the United
States from such robbery.
Mr.. Villas occupied the floor up to : o'clock
when he yielded for motion to proceed to ex-
ecutve business. That motion was agreed to
and soon afterward the Senate adjourned until