The San Francisco call., 1898-12-15
DEBATE ON
 PENSIONS AND
 CANAL BILL Interesting Subjects in the Senate. CLAYTON-BULWER TREATY MONEY SEEKS DELAY IN ORDER TO ABRoGATE IT. Bacon Gives Notice of an Amendment to Secure Title in Perpetuity From the Government of
 Nicaragua.
CLAYTON-BULWER TREATY
HONEY SEEKS DELAY IN ORDER
 TO ABROGATE IT.
special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The Sen- ate proceedings opened to-day with a protest upon the part of Gallinger, chairman of the Committee on Pen sions, against the practice of Senators in introducing pension bills in cases pending in the Pension Office. He said the committeee would not consider such bills. and that it was useless to present them.
 The Senate then took up the bill to amend the law relating to the registry of foreign built vessels wrecked on American shores, and Gallery spoke against the measure.
 Vest again called attention to private pension bills and entered a protest against their passage without due consideration, as he said the Senate was falling into the habit of doing. He called attention to the fact that notwithstanding Illinois had fur nished 65,000 more soldiers than Indiana the pension roll for Indiana exceeded that of Illinois by S1 800 900. He accounted for this fact on the ground that Indiana Is a pivotal State politically, saying that it was notorious that the Commissioner Of Pensions, who was an ex-Union soldier. had granted pensions to almost every ap- plicant in political districts which were close. He did not contend that the Re publican party was alone to blame, but knew that men of all parties were in- clined to use the machinery of the Pen sion Office to further their political in terests. He had indorsed MT. Clevelands s veto of pension bills, and while he did not want to revive the old questions he would express the opinion that the Government in this matter had fallen into a most un- just and iniquitous expenditure by its ill., advised legislation.
 Gallinger suggested that Vest, instead of scolding the Senate on private bills, should propose amendments to the pen sion laws which would correct the abuses he complained of Continuing, Gallinger said the committee had been considering the advisability of publishing the list of pensioners. Yet there were objections to the plan, and he feared that if underta ken it's only effect would be to take two or three million dollars out Of the treas urX, to no good purpose
 The bill providing regulations for the wrecked on the American coast and re- paired in the United States was taken up at the instance of Elkins, and Gallery addressed the Senate in opposition to it saying that under its provisions vessels would be wrecked in order to secure American registry. He attacked the nav igation and tariff laws of the United States, saying they had practically driven our merchant marine from the seas. He contended that the bill was prohibitive in its terms, intended to remove the last veStige of competition in the matter of shlpbuilding. There was no necessity for this under the present conditions. I've may hold the Philippines Cuba and Porto Rico" he said but If we adopt the con- tractive policy of this measure, our bal loon will soon collapse and our expansion policy come to an end"
 At the close of Cafferys remarks the registry bill went over until tomorrow and the Nicaragua canal bill was taken up, the pending question being Turpie's motion to postpone until January l.
 Harris of Kansas then spoke on the general features of the bill. He said that as a boy he was attached to a surveying party In the isthmus in 1859 and ever since that time he had been the jealous advo- vate of the general proposition that a canal should be built across the isthmus Still he did not consider it practicable for private corporation to construct the canal, and he urged government owner ship, but the Maritime Canal Company's S charter supplied the only open door, and the committee in charge of the bill had determined to enter 1t, with the under standing that the company was to be got ten rid of. Harris said he considered the Panama canal as entirely impracticable He supported Berrys amendment, reliev- ing the bill of its bond provisions, saying 1t would greatly improve the measure.
 The Clayton-Bulw treaty formed the basis of brief speech by Money. He advocated delay in order to afford oppor- gation of the treaty. Money said we should at least notify Great Britain that we desire modification of the treaty as a first step. In this connection Money re- ferred to the entente cordale existing be- tween this country and England, saying that he wanted to see the two nations brought even closer together than now Hence the importance and propriety of dealing fairly and courteousIy with Great Britain in this matter.
 Bacon gave notice of an amendment providing that work should not begin on the canal until the Government of Mica ragua should consent to a modification of the treaty granting title to the United States in perpetufty to the canal right of way, and also eliminating articles 53 and 54 of the concession from that document
 Stewart advocated the bill as a most inn portant step in the commerce of the world, and urged Senators to accept if as it stands ~
 Replying to Money, Morgan said he had never claimed that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was not in full force, denying the assertion imputed to him that the treaty had vanished into thin air. He had been of the opinion that the treaty was abro- gated by the acts of Great Britain and would still hold that opinion but for Pres ident Cleveland's recognition of the treaty, recognition which had given if vitality that 1t did not previously nos sess. He opposed Moneys proposition for -