The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-15
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
OF the Nicaragua Canal Urged by
Senator Harris in the Senate.

Washington, Dec. 15.-The Nicara-
guam canal bill held it's place as the
principal subject before the senate
again yesterday. Speeches were made
by Messrs. Harris, Money, Stewart and
Morgan. Mr.. Money urged postpone
ment of the question in order to permit
an opportunity for negotiations with
Great Britain for a modification of the
Clayton-BuIwer treaty, and Mr.. Morgan
antagonized the proposition.
Other questions before the senate
were:
The governments pension policy and
the bill regarding the registry of for
eign built vessels wrecked on the
American coast.
Mr.. Vest again called attention to
private pension bills and entered a pro-
test against their passage without due
discussion, as he said the senate was
falling ipto the habit of doing. He call
ed attention to the fact that nOtWith-
standing that Illinois had furnished 65,-
900 more soldiers than Indiana, the pen
sion roll for Indiana exceeded that of
Illinois by S1,5G0,00O. 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 SOL
der, had granted pensions to almost
every applicant in principal districts
which were close.
He did not contend that the Repub-
Hcan 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 Endorsed Mr.. Cleve-
lands veto of pension bills, and while
he did not want to revive the old ques-
tiOns, he would express the opinion that
the government in this matter had
fallen into a most unjust and Ubiquitous
method by its ill-advised legislation.
Mr.. Gallagher suggested that Mr..
as inc n Of zaOTf inc I7A 70 on
private bills, should propose amend
ments to the pension laws which would
correct the abuses he complained of.
Continuing, Mr.. Gallagher said the
committee had been considering the ad-
visibility of publishing the list of pen
sioners. Yet, there were objections to
the plan and he feared that if under
taken its only effect would be to take
two or three million dollars out Of the
treasury to no good purpose.
The Nicaragua canal bill was then
taken up, the pending question being
Mr. Turpies motion to postponement
until January 10.
Mr.. Harris, CKan.) 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 advocate of the general
proposition that a canal should be built
across the isthmus. Still he did not
consider it practicable for a private cor
pOration to construct the canal, and he
urged government ownership, but the
Maritime Canal cOmpany'S charter sup
piled the only open door, and the COM
mittee in charge of the bill had deter
mined to enter it with the understand
ing that the company was to be gotten
rid of.
Mr.. Harris said he considered the
Panama canal as entirely impracticable.
He supported Mr.. Berry's amendment
relieving the bill of it's bond provisions,
saying it would greatly improve the
measure.