New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-28
FOR AN AMERICAN CANAL
SENATOR SHERMAN SUGGESTS A NEW
TREATY WITH NICARAGUA.

UNITED sTATES-A MOTION TO SEND
THE MORGAN MEASURE BACK
TO COMMITTEE PENDING ~
THE SENATE.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBUNE1
Washington Jan. 21.-The tange in the Senate
over the Morgan Nicaragua Canal bill caused by
the unexpected protest entered last week by the
diplomatic representative here OF the Greater
Central American Republic came within an
OF being cut outright this afternoon when. after
a brusque and highly interesting debate Mr..
Villas moved TO commit the measure to the Conn
mittee on Foreign Relations The Wisconsin
Senator subsequently changed his motion go as
to recommit the bill to the Special Committee
on the Nicaragua Canal. Of which Mr. Morgan
was the hcad-a piece OF ostentatious courtesy
not keenly appreciated by the Alabama states
man. who. when asked whether that more defer.
entail course would be acceptable to him. freez-
ingiy remarked that he meyer cared to make "a
choice between insults"
The motion 10 recommlt and thus kill the
guarantee project for this session was not made
until after I o'clock and by the time the Senate
was ready to reach vote. Mr.. German inter-
posed motion to adjourn. which was carried
by ~ to q. Mr.. Morgan and his friends gen.
orally voted against adjournment preferring to
TAKE their chances on the motion TO recormit,
ana the opponents Of the Canal bill sided gen.
orally with Mr.. German. yet the vote was not
strictly test one. and its only value is to show
that the Morgan measure. even amended can
barely command majority in the deberatlvs
Branch.
NOTABLE DEBATE
The debate which preceded the vote was made
notable by two striking speeches from Senators
sherman and Aldrich Mr.. Sherman who Is
soon to assume the so-caled Premiership In tho
Mckinley Cabinet, declared himself to he thor
oughly in favor Of American control and owner
ship Of the future interoceanic canal The build
ing Of an isthmian waterway he asserted should
be essentially American undertaking as had
been the construction Of the canals which con-
meet the Great Lakes. But Mr. Sherman doubted
whether the present canal company or any pri.
vate corporation could construct a canal across
the Nicaragua route and hlnted plainly that he
would prefer to attempt as Secretary Of State.
the renewal Of some such treaty as the Zavala-
Frellnghuysen convention. which should insure
the building Of the canal at the cost Of the United
States and under its complete and unnuestionea
control Mr.. Sherman for this reason suggested
that the pending bill be abandoned at least for
the present
Mr. Aldrich. In an unusually vigorous and
earnest speech coinbatted Mr. Sherman's sue-
gestions and defended the Morgan DILL as the
most practicable and sensible means OF pro-
noting the construction Of the canal He dis
missed as illusory the Ohio Senator's project OF
negotiating new treaty and asserted that the
diincult'es IN the way Of framing and ratifyng
new convention were too formidable to be
overcome even by the known talents Of tho
prospective head Of the State Department under
the incoming Administration.
The Villas motion to recommit is still pending
and will have to be disposed of at to-morrow'n
session Of the Senate.
NICARAGUA'S ACTION DENOUNCED
Mr.. Morgan dem. AaD In charge OF the bill
made an elaborate statement in reply to the
claim that the cost of the canal would far exc
coed the estimates of the canal company Re-
ferring to Minister Rodriguez's communication
10 the Department Of State Mr. Morgan said:
II object 10 Nicaragua keeping this canal on her
bargain counter any longer. object to her de-
feating this concession and then proposing an
other concession and getting another sum Of
money for it, II she can drive us off II she can
induce TO drop the subject and II she can
then jump up and make alliance with
two other republics that may increase the
strength Of her case morally speaking, suppose
will have to give way"
Mr. Morgan asked unanimous consent to have
the vote taken on the bill and amendments at
3 o'clock next Friday but objection was made
by Mr.. Turpie Dem. Ind. Mr.. Morgan then
gave notice that he would ask the Senate to sit
out the bill tomorrow.
Mr.. Hale (sep.. Me). while declaring himself
favorable 10 the Nicaragua Canal thought 1t q
most unfortunate incident that the bill was met
by hostility indifference sullenress on the
part of Of the Central American Powers
touched by the line Of the canal. He was not
encouraged I'm his hope Of the bill finally passing
by any turn which the discussion had taken and
which led to the evaporation or hostility of the
Central American Powers. He did not think
that the Senate more likely to fnd itself in
a domain Of acquiescence land consent for the
great enterprise on the part Of the Central
American Powers by asserting tina, there was
an impertnent intrusion their part that
there any attempt at backmail as the
Senator from Alabama had declared the other
day. He lNr. Hale) protested against that man.
of dealing with any Power that had a right
to be heard on this subject The letter
from Mr. Rodriguez was not an intrusion or an
mpertinence, but an example Of proper di.
pomacy.
Mr. Morgan said that he satisfied in re-
ation to his charge of blackmail.
Il not said Mr.. Hale. And do not
think that the Senator should phrases and
convey allegations that tend to stir up trouble
rather than proptiate il. | do not like the word
trick applied TO the conduct OF negotiations
with this Government. deprecate a method Of
discussion which tends 10 rouse and inhame OPP
position rather than to reduce it,.
Mr. Morgan repeated his conviction that there
effort on the part OF the Minister (Mr
Rodriguez to destroy the hope OF the construc-
ton Of the canal by the Government OF the
United States. He vas satisfied that the deter
minaton now was to break down the concession
to the Maritime Canal Company by the new
Central American Diet 10 hold on to the money