New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-27
M AMEND THE CANAL BILL.
SENATOR MORGAN COMEDIES MINISTER
RoDRIGUEzs POINTS.
~ AMENDMENT OFFERED 10 MEET THE PROTEST
ar THE GREATER CENTRAL AMERICAN
REPuBILc-THE MEAsuRD ATTACKED

ANA
ar THE GREATER CENTRAL AMERICAN
nEpuB1Lc-rHE MEASURED ATTACKED
BY SENATOR DANIEL
rsY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNE.l
xvoehinstop, Jan. Ex-senator Morgan. after
.sr.e or four days Of reflection. seems disposed
=. r.cons,der the rather caustic criticisms which
80 nassed last Friday the protest entered
~, Senior Rodriguez. the representative Of the
greater Republic Of Central America. against
~. nending Nicaragua Canal bill. Last week
~. Alabama Senator declared Senior Rodriguez's
oor,entions unwarranted and his authority to
Gle them more than questionable. To-day he
offered some amendments to the Canal bill
which seem virtually to concede the points
r,od. nv the Central American envoy. The
vending measure Is to be modified so as to al
'ov per cent Of the new issue Of canal securi-
tics under the guarantee Of the United States
70 60 TO the Government Of Nicaragua In salts
.a,,,on Of its rights under the canal concession:
I'D the distinct proviso Is added that nothing
IN the Morgan bill shall be construed to inval!-
date the terms Of the existing agreement be-
tween the Republic Of Nicaragua and the canal
company The fortunes OF the measure Will
doubtless be improved by these notifications:
but its prospect OF becoming law at this SEES
sion is nevertheless decidedly distant.
Mr.. Daniel. Of Virginia, one Of the Democratic
members Of the Foreign Relations Committee.
delivered an elaborate attack on the bill at to-
days session Of the Senate. vote is not likely
10 be secured for a week or two to come
Mr. Daniel expressed the opinion that the
Senator from Indiana CMr. Turpie) by his speech
had practically killed this bill, and that Minis
ter Rodriguez had exposed its corpse in the pub
lie morgue. Nevertheless the corpse seemed to
refuse to admit that II was dead. and he pro-
posed 20 offer evidence on that point. The Sena-
tor from Virginia then proceeded to attack with
some bitterness the points raised by Mr.. Morgan
on behalf OF the Maritime Canal Company.
Most Of the Senators had by this time retired
20 the cloak rooms or the restaurant. ana can
of the Senate was demanded to establish the
fact that quorum was present This being
demonstrated and the demonstration fading
away almost soon as IL was made apparent,
Mr. Daniel resumed his address. He argued
that the United States could not profer con-
tract and claim under II and say at the same
time that IL would ignore its provisions. IN
no case" said the contract. shall the present
cession he transferable to foreign governments
or 10 foreign public Powers" However the bill
might try to whip the devil round the stump"
It its avowed purpose its open and ac-
knowledged purpose. to transfer the canal to
the Government Of the United States. in plain
ard papable violation Of the contract.
As TO the benefits to be derived from the
project Mr. Daniel thought 1t by no means GER
tain that 1t would be a commercial beneht to
traffic from the great belt Of Central States
and would send 1t southwark and beyond the
limits Of the United States And II was a grave
question whether this might not be menace
FAR outweighfng any benefits that might be Sc
cured The bill Mr.. Daniel declared. was in
fraud Of the contract, under il the United
States would become the monopolistic owner
Of the concession.
At the close Of Mr.. Daniels speech the Sem
ate at 800 o'clock went into executive session,
and shortly afterward adjourned until to-mor-