The San Francisco call., 1898-06-30
DEBTS OF THE
 PACIFIC ROADS Collection Provided for by Amendment. GENERAL DEFICIENCY BILL AS PASSED IT CARRIES OVER TWO HUNDRED MILLIONS. Senator Morgan Attempts to Apply the Money Collected From Rail
 roads to the Nicaragua
 Canal.
AS PASSED IT CARRIES OVER
 TWO HUNDRED MILLIONS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, June 29.-In the Senate to-day consideration of the gen eral deficiency bill was concluded and the measure was passed. An amend ment of great importance was attached to the bill, practically by general con sent It relates to the settlement of the claims of the Government against the Pacific railroads It was offered by Morgan of Alabama, who made a strong appeal to the Senate for it's adoption Before it was agreed to, White of California proposed some amendments to it, making it even more binding upon the roads than 1t was in it's original form. The amendment in full follows:
 That the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of the Interior and the Attor- ney General and their successors in office be and are hereby appointed commits sion with full power to settle the fndebt- ednesS to the Government growing out or the issue of bonds in aid of the construc- ton of the Central Pacific and Western Pacific bond-aided railroads, upon such terms and in such manner as may be agreed upon by them or by majority of them and the owners of said railroads.
 Provided, that any and all settlements thus made shall be submitted Tn WrltlnS to the President for his approval or dis approval, and unless approved by him shall not, be binding.
 That said commission shall not agree to accept a less sum in settlement or the amount due the United States than the full amount of the principal and all amounts necessary to relmpurse the United States for Honeys paid t9r InfePt tba said commission are hereby empowered to grant such time or times or payment by installment and at such rates or inter- est to be not less than per centum per annum, payable semi annually, and with such security as said commission may deem expedient, provided, however; that in any settlement that may De mace lnS final payment and full discharge or salo indebtedness shall not be postponed to exceed ten years, and the whole amount, principal and interest, snail De palu III eoual seroi-annual installmentS within periods so limited, and in any settlement made it shall be provided that 1T detault shall be made in any payment or either principal or interest or any part lnereol, then the whole sum and all 1nstallments, nrinciDal and interest shall immediately become due and payable, notwithstanding any other stipulation of sald settlement:
 That there is hereby appropriated out of money in the treasury not oInefWlse annropriated the sum of S20,000 to defray the expenses of said commission ln max ing the said settlement
 The bill, as passed. carries about S227 000, ,000, the largest sum carried py any appropriation measure since the Civil War.
 Morgan's amendment as offered pro- vfded for commission to settle the in debtedness of the Government growing out of it's assistance in the construc- tion of Pacific railways, and providing further that the funds should be ap- piled to the. construction or snip canal through Nicaragua.
 Unanimous consent was given Mor- gan to make a statement concerning the amendment. After discussing at some length the existing situation be- tween the Government and Paclflc rall- roads, he said it was evident that the Nicaragua canal was going to be built, and be built very soon. When the Sen ate had carefully considered the matter he was satisfied not half dozen votes would be cast against the canal pro- feet The people of the United states had discovered that a waterway through Nicaragua was absolutely nec- essary to this country as protection of our coasts and as a promoter of commerce.
 Morgan referred to the fact that the Atlas Company, a British organization, had been granted by Nicaragua inn portant concessions in the San Juan River and Lake Manaeua. This com pany, he said, was composed of promi- nent and wealthy men of England and the United States. He did not doubt that the Atlas Company expected to receive the concession which the United States was about to lose through delay in taking action.
 Morgan urged that immediate%action should be taken by Congress upon the canal project which he regarded as one of the most important questions that has confronted Congress for many years In conclusion Morgan, in order to escape the oint of order against the amendment, withdrew that part of it relating to the Nicaragua canal.
 Wilson of Washington, a member of the special committee on the Nicaragua canal, objected. He said that the con- struction of the canal was so vitally important to his State and to the Pa cific Coast generally that he could not consent that the amendment should be divided He then made point of order against the amendment and the point was sustained by the chair.
 The bill was reported to the Senate and about to be passed when Wilson withdrew his point of order against the first part of Morgan's amendment. The amendment, with some notifications offered by White of California, was agreed to.
 The bill as amended was then passed vuftbo11f division