The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-05

WASHINGTON. March a-After a de-
bate lasting several days. the senate late
this afternoon passed the bill extending
the homestead laws and providing for
right-ofway for railroads IN the district
of Alaska. Section lS. providing for GER
tain bonding concessions 10 Canada In lieu
of privileges 20 he extended by the Do
minion government to this country, In
duced a lively debate. as 1t brought into
the controversy the old fisheries question
on the New England coast, which has
been pending between the United States
aud great Britain for a hundred years.
The statement was made on the floor of
the senate that there was every reason to
believe that by the passage OF the bin the
fisheries question could be settled without
great effort, as assurances 10 that effect
had been received from large and in
fuent!al element in Canads
When the Alaska bin was laid before the
senate an amendment by Rawlins of Utah
TO section was under consideration. Car
ter Of Montana. in charge of the bill.
moved to lay the amendment on the table.
The motion prevailed 81 TO II.
The reading of the bin was then re-
sumed. Scwell OF New Jersey offered the
following proviso to section ;. which was
adopted;
That where the space tfor the con-
struetion of q fAilroadD is limited. tho
United States district court shall require
the road FIRST constructed To allow any
other railway or tramway 10 pass over It's
track or tracks through such canyon.
pass or defila on such equitable basis as
the said court may prescribe. and all ship
pefs shal! be entitled TO equal accommoda-
tion TO the movement of their freight
and without discrimination in favor OF any
person or corporation
The last paragraph OF section 6. reserv-
ing the right to the government to pur-
chase or take by proceedings of con-
demnaton any railroad. tramway or
wagon road at It's actual cash value being
in line Of government ownership OF rail-
roads. was stricken out by an aye and nav
vote. II 10 Z. The seven votes cast In IA
Vor OF the paragraph were by Allen Of
Nebraska, Butler of North Carolina. Har-
ris OF Kansas. Hcitfeia of Idaho. Nelson
of Minnesota. Teller Of Colorado and Ttr-
ner Of Washington.
The reading and amending OF the hin
while long and tedious was accomplished
without particularly important debate until
section 10 was reached. This provides for
the extension TO Canada of the bonding
privileges on Alaskan trade with Canada az
the port Of Wrangei In Alaska. on condI-
tlon that certain concessions are given this
country by the Dominion government.
among them being the right of our fisher
men to enter Canadian ports for the pur-
chase of bait or ether supplies
Turner Of Washington moved to strike out
that part Of the section which related 10 the
entering Of Canadian ports by American
fishermen. He did not. he said. make the
motion because he was hostile to the New
England fisheries hut because he deemed II
unfair 10 burden this measure with a de-
mand upon the Dominion government that
II yield a contention 1t has made for hun
drsI years.
Hale OF Maine inquired II Turner did not
think It would be Of advantage TO the Unit
ed States 10 obtain the fisheries concession
fram Canada
Turner replied that it would be OF adyan-
tage If We could obtain it. bat he aid not be-
lleye it could be obtained.
Hansbrough Of North Dakota said that
the committee on pubilc lands was IN pos
session Of information that Canada would
accept the conditions imposed by he Sec
,lol. H. was firmly Of the opinion mat
the Dominion government would yield on
the fisheries question. IN view OF The con
cesslons made 20 it by the bill.
Hoar OF Massachusetts expressed the
hope that Turner would not Insist upon his
motion. THE Fisheries question was not a
ioeil one TO New England. but a national
question: a question. too. partleuisfiy sp-
pIicabie to fae peofle u the Northwest.
where ne fisheries interest vas annually
becoming greater. He feli that the fisher
ies problem was ogse of immense interest
10 the people of tne Northwest. ard ought
no, to be stricken from the measure.
n supporting AMI experimenting what
Hoar had said. Frye Of Maine said that the
pending hili was * national Importance
Re thought taere sas never a better op-
poF;uns5y 70 secare concessions from tha
Canadian goyernuent than al the present
time when the Canadians wanted some.