The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-12-16
Special Corresponding.

the expansion of territory in
cluded in it, the most important
matter that will come before Con-
gress at this session is the
Nicaragua Canal, now under con-
sideration in the Senate. Sena-
for Morgan, who has it in charge,
has made his report and a speech
in favor of his bill, whereby this
government will become the chief
stockholder in the Maritime
Canal Company and guarantee
the bonds to raise the money
necessary to complete the work,
or possibly appropriate the
money directly. Senator Turpie
of Indiana, who retires from the
Senate at the end of this session,
has made few remarks in oppo-
sition to this particular bill,
though protesting to be in favor
of an isthmian canal as an alb
stract proposition. The general
opinion is that the Morgan bill
will pass the Senate whenever it
comes to vote. That much is
conceded by the opponents Of the
measure, among whom are Sena-
tors Wellington, Teller, Carter
and some others.
Over in the House, Representa-
tive Hepburn of Iowa, chairman
of the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce, has intro
duced bill authorizing the Presi-
dent to purchase from Costa Rica
and Nicaragua 'sfull ownership,
jurisdiction and sovereignty, for
and in behalf of the United
States" of such territory from
those two independent states as
may be necessary to construct an
interoceanic ship canal between
Greytown, on the east side, and
Brito, on the west side, of Central
America, and appropriating ''such
sum of money as may be neces-
sary to make such purchase"
The bill further appropriates
$140,0O0,000 to complete the
work. The canal so constructed
is to be the property Of the
United States.
~
It has been limited that Hep
burns bill outlines the Presi-
dents idea OF what should be
done in regard to the isthmian
canal as the only practical method
by which such a canal, when built
and operating, could be under
absolute American control. The
President himself has not told any
one, so far as | know, that this is
his plan, nor has any one author
lied to speak for him said SO.
Neither is their anything in his
message to Congress which would
lead any one to think that this
plan originated with him or was
endorsed or desired by him. The
friends of the Maritime Company
denounce Hepburn's scheme for
the canal as preposterous propo-
sition. They insist that no gov
ernment would concede sovereign
ty over strip of territory run
ming through it's country and
dividing it into two parts, sepa-
rated from each other by
this foreign sovereignty, to-
another country. They de-
clare that no government in Mica
ragua that would thus cede away
a part of the national territory
and sovereignty over it to another
power could last for twenty-four
hours after the fact became known
in that country. It is even sug-
gested that Hepburn's bill was
introduced at this juncture to pre-
vent Congress from acting on the
canal at this session, possibly at
all. OF course, if it were adopted, it
would necessitate prolonged nego-
tiations with Nicaragua and Costa
Rica, which might fail and whose
failure would indefinitely post
pone and possible defeat alto
gether the construction Of any