The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-15
CANAL BILL MAY GO OVER.
MOTION TO POSTPONE UNTIL JAN.
10 TO COME UP TODAY.

10 TO COME UP TODAY.
senator Harris Recalls His BOyhOOd
Days and Is Convinced Corpora
ton should Not BE Allowed 10 Com
struct the Nicaragua CRnaI-TitIe
TO, the Property in Perpetuity
Wanted-Vest Renews His Protest
Against Political Pension LegiS-
IatiOn.
Washington Dec. 1.-THE Nicaragua ca
nal bill held les place as the principal
subject before the Senate again to-day,
the pending question being on MIR. Tur-
pies motion to postpone until Jan. 10.
Speeches were made by Messrs. Harris,
Money, Stewart and Morgan
Mr.. Harris spoke on the general features
of the bill. He said that as a boy he was
attached TO a surveying party in The 18th
mus in 1853, and ever since that time he
mad been the jealous advocate of the gem
erai proposition that canal should be
built across the isthmus. stn, he did not
consider It practicable for a private cor
poration to construct the canal, and he
urged government ownership.
Mr. Harris said he considered the Pana-
ma canal entirely impracucable He sup
ported Mr.. Berry's amendment relieving
the bill Of its bond provisions, saying IL
would greatly improve the measure.
The Clayton-Bulwer treaty formed the
basis of brief speech by Mr.. Money. He
advocated delay, in order to afford op-
portunity for negotiations looking TO the
abrogation of the treaty. Mr.. Money said
we should at least notify Great Britain
that we desire a modification of the treaty
as a first step. In this connection Mr..
Money referred to the entente cordlaIe ex-
istlng between this country and England.
saying that he wanted to see the two ma
tons brought even closer together than
now. Hence the Importance and propriety
Of dealing fairly and courteously with
Great Britain in this important matter.
Mr. Bacon gave notice of an amend
ment to the bill providing that work
should not be begun on the canal under
the bill, until the government of Njcara-
qua should consent to a modification Of
the treaty granting title to the United
States in perpetuity, 10 the canal right Of
Of way, and also eliminating articles 5q
and "a Of the concession from that docu-
ment.
Mr.. Stewart advocated the bill s most
! important step in the progress Of the com
merce of the world and urged senator's
to accept IL as it stands
Replying to Mr.. Money. Mr.. MORGAN
said he had never claimed that the Claw
ton-Bulwar treaty was not in fun force.
denying the assertion imputed 10 him that
that treaty had vanished into the air He
had been of the opinion that the treaty
had been abrogated by the acts of Great
Britain, and would still hold that opinion.
but for President Cleveland's recognition
Of the treaty a recognition which had
given it a vitality that 1t did not previous
ly possess. He opposed Mr.. Moneys propo-
sition for opening up the subject with
/ Great Britain.
! A the conclusion of Mr.. Morgan's re-
marks an agreement was reached to vote
upon Mr. Turpie's postponement motion
tomorrow. after which the Senate went
into executive session.
The bill regarding the registry of for
eign built vessels wrecked on the Ameri-
! can coast was also discussed but was not
/ disposed of.
During the early part of the session Mr..
| Vest 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 said that Notwithstanding
Illinois had furnished 5000 more soldiers
! than Indiana, the pension roll for Indi-
ana exceeded that of Illinois by 81, 500 COO.
/ He accounted for this fact on the ground
that Indiana is a pivotal state politically,
saying that IL was notorious that the
/ commissioner of peusfonS who was a n av
union soldier, had granted pensions to al
most every applicant in political dis
tricts which are close. He did not con-
tend that the Republican party was
alone to blame, but knew that men of all
parties were inclined to use the pension
machinery to further their political inter
ests.
70 He did not want to deprive any honest
applicant of his pension. but he wanted
the abuses stopped. The Senate adjourn
ed at 5:25 p. M.