The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-01
AT NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Congress Takes Up Consideration Of
Nicaragua Canal Bill.
Decisions Handed Down by
Supreme Court.
Presidents Letter on Deco Waterways
Report


Washington. Jan. 1.-THE senate
agreed to take up tie Nicaragua canal
bill. This gives T. measure the par
liamentary Advantage Of being the un-
finished business Of the senate, so that
It will be considered from day to day,
until final action Is secured.
The prospect Is that a ilnal vote will
be reached at an early day, and the
test vote yesterday on taking up this
bill, yeas SO. nays IA. foreshadowed its
rassage Senator Morgan of Alabama
opened The debate with lengthy speech
in favor of the measure He said he
desired action before the senate took
up the new Anglo-American treaty of
arbitration. This covered certain diff
ferences," and Mr. Morgan said 1t should
be determined whether American con-
troll of the Nicaragua canal or the up
holding of the Monroe doctrine was to
be included among the differences to be
submitted to arbitration.
The canal bill provides for an issue
OF $1OO, 600, 900 of Maritime Canal COM
pany stock, Of which the secretary of
the treasury, in behalf of the United
worth of shares. The company is to is
sue bonds up to 500, ,000, 900, these to be
guaranteed by the United States. The
building and control of the canal are
given to American engineers and a
board of IL directors, of whom five are to
be appointed by the president. 1t is
substantially the measure passed by the
senate in the last congress.
nttri hn Mr. nf
Hampshire introduced the Republican
caucus bill for an international none
tary conference, and state I that il would
be called up today. Among the resolu-
tions offered was one from Mr.. Pet
tigrew of South Dakota, calling on the
secretary of state for statement Of the
status of the Venezuelan question, and
for the agreement made between the
United States and Great Britain.
The house passed three bills of public
Importance, and devoted the remainder
CT the day to District of Columbia busi-
ness. One prohibited the sale of in
toxicating liquors to the Indians, one
amended the existing patent laws, in
conformity with the recommendation
of the American Bar association, and
another provided for the use by the gov
ernment of patents secured by naval
officers, compensation to be fixed by
a board of three officers.
Report Of Waterways CommissIon.
Washington, Jan. 19-The report of
the deep water way commission was
read before the senate and house. with
the following from the president:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives: ~
transmit herewith the report OF
Messrs. James b. Angel Of Michigan,
John X. Russell Of Massachusetts, and
Lyman f. Cooley Of Illinois, who were
appointed commissioners under the au-
make inquiry and report after confer
ence with such similar commissioners as
might be appointed on behalf of Great
Britain or the Dominion of Canada
concerning the feasibility of the con-
struction of such canals as will enable
vessels engaged in oceap commerce to
pass between the Great Lakes and the
Atlantic ocean, and the most convenient
location and probable cost of such can
ais, together with other facts and infor-
nation in said act specified relating to
their construction and use.
The commissioners have prosecuted
the work a igned them with great zeal
and intelligence, resulting in the collec-
ton OF mass Of information embodied
in their report and it's accompanying ar
ticles, which is of G g~at Importance and
interest as related TO The project subject
ed to their examination.
The advantages of direct and un-
broken water transportation OF the
products of our Tn ed States and ter
ritorieS, frC m convenient points of ship
ment to o'lr seaboard ports, are plainly
paipable. The report of the commission
ers contains, in my opinion, demonstr..-
ton Of the feasibility of securing such
SDy 4
anticipation that better and more unin-
tcrrupted commerce through the plan
suggested between the west and for
eisn ports, with the increase OF national
prosperity which must follow In it's turn,
will not escape American enterprise and
activity.
1t Will be observed that the report of
the commissioners, though as compre-
hensive as the time and facilities at their
disposal permitted, does not definitely
deal with the cost of the work they were
called upon to consider and oujts some
ofsthe details related to it. Thus far.
they have labored without compensa-
ton, and part of the small sum appro-
priated for the payment OF their ex-
penses still remains unexpended.
/ suggest to the congress the pro-
priety OF making economical provision
for such further prosecution of their
work as will more fully develop the in
formation necessary to dn exact and
complete understanding Of this interest
Ing and important subject.
Signed Grover Cleveland.
The conclusions Of the commission fol-
low:
1. That IL is entirely feasible to- con-
struct such canals and develop such
channels as will be adequate Of any
scale of navigation that may be de-
sired between the Great Lakes and the
seaboard. and to conduct through the
same domestic and foreign commerce
and that IL will be wise to provide for
securing a channel Of a navigabie depth
cf not less than 20 feet.
:. That, starting from the heads of
Lakes Michigan and Superior, themost
eligible route In through the several
Great Lakes and their intermediate chan
rels and the proposed Niagara ship
canal (Tonawanda to Olcott) Lake Onta-
r.o; and that the Canadian seaboard
may be reached from Lake Ontario by
the WAY of the st. Lawrence river and