The San Francisco call., 1897-01-20
But Objects to the Bill
in It's Present
Form.
He Would Have the Govern
ment Take the Great En-
terprise in Hand.
Sees Olly Disaster in Irres ponsiblt
Constructors and Cites the His.
tory of the Panama

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 19.-During
the morning hour in the Senate to-day a
large number of private pension bills were
reported from the Committee on Pensions
and placed on the calendar.
Senate bill to provide for organizing a
naval battalion in the District OF Colum-
bia was passed.
House bill to incorporate the Conven-
ton of American Instructors of the Deaf
was reported from the Committee on the
District of Columbia and passed.
House bill to confirm certain cash en-
tries of public lands (invalld by reason of
technical omission) was taken from the
calendar and passed.
The resolution heretofore offered by
Morgan CD of Alabama, directing the
Judiciary Committee to inquire and re-
port as to the default of the Pacific Rail-
road Company and payment of bonds,
was laid before the Senate, and on the
over for the present.
A resolution offered yesterday by Petit
grew (silverite) of South Dakota was also
laid before the Senate, and went over un-
til tomorrow at the request of Pettigrew.
Senate joint resolution relating TO the
laying of electric subways in the District
of Colum bia was taken up, and was op-
posed by Hill ID. of New York, who char
acterized it as s'most extraordinary" and
asserted that it was in the interest of a
monopoly that had the ear of some of the
Senate committees. Hill summed up his
speech by declaring that it was fight be-
fU-n olo
of which had got the ear of the District
Committee while the other had not. The
resolution was virtually confscation of
property and the money of the new COM
pany, which was largely represented in
the city of New York.
He spoke for an hour and a halt, thus
occupying all ths time that had been left
for morning business. At the conclusion
of his speech the resolution went back to
the calendar, and at P. NJ. the Nicaragua
canal bill was taken up as the unfinish ed
business.
Turpie D.) of Indiana made a speech
against the bill. He began by saying:
The opposition to this bill is not founded on
hostility to a canal on the isthmlan route.
We are in favor of an isthmIan canal under
American control and under the control of
the President and the Congress of this grea
Republic.
An Isthmian canal is a great design, worthy
OF the Senate and this Government. II prom
ises TO remove the Straits of Magellan thous-
ands OF miles to the north; to erase from the
ocean sailing chart the tedious voyage around
the Horn; to sever and divide this grand divi-
sion of the earth's surface, North and South
America, and yet TO make them more adjacent
to wed them in closer union and TO make q
more kindly tie between them than ever before.
The consum nation of this enterprise, so
long desired, so long expected, meets the favor
OF every statesman in every country OF the
world within the bounds of civilization. 1t is
because we favor. stly favor, the con-
struction and completion of the isthmian
canal By the Nicaraguan route that we are
opposed 10 letting it go into the hands of q
private corporation, the beneficiary of this
bill-aninsolvent corporation. without money,
without credit, whose connection with this
astrous defeat.
Turpie went on to describe, in pictur-
esque language. the failure of the Mari
time Canal Company of Nicaragua TO o b.
tain financial support in Europe. He
also recalled the history of the Panama
canal scheme, which, he said, had not
! had the support of any capitalists or of
any governments, but had drawn $240,-
100000 in gland levy from the petty
trad esmen and peasants of France.
He also called attention to the provision
inserted in the original charter of incor-
poration from the Maritime Canal Com
pany OF Nicaragua. and without which. he