The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-08
AMERICANS ARE ARRAIGNED.
CHARGED WITH OBsTRUCTING y
GREAT NATIONAL POLICY.

NfcaraSun's Course Also Denounced.
would Be Well for the COnces-
sionaries. Senator Morgan Says, if
1t CouId Appear That Their Com
duet is Not COrrupt-Nicaragua
Canal Committee to Recommend
$4,000, 900 Guaranteed Bonds for
the Redemption of stock.
Washington, Dec. 7.-As result of the
meeting of the Senate committee on the
Nicaraguan canal to-day, Senator Morgan
gave notice of an amendment to the
Nicaraguan canal bill authorizing the i'm
mediate issuance, with guarantee by this
government, of $5,OOO,OOO worth of bonds
for the redemption of all outstanding stock
except that held by the governments of
Nicaragua ard Costa Rica, and the can
collation. of all Obligations
He submitted at the same time a report
upon the situation with reference to the
canal, dealing exclusively with the fact
that the government of Nicaragua grant
ed a concession to construct a canal to
another company than the Maritime Ca
nal Company. He deals with this trans
action in severe terms, upholding the
rights of the Maritime Company for the
present, and for an extension of its con-
cesslon for ten years more.
The report .arraigns the conduct of the
republic Of Nicaragua, as well as that of
the American citizens securing the new
concession, in most severe terms, attrib-
uting the course of Nicaragua to jealousy
of Costa Rica, and that of the conces-
sionaries to ''obstruct a great national
policy in selling out to transcontinental
railroad company for the defeat of a sup
posed competitor"
1T would be well for the reputation Of
those concesslonaries," they say, "in thus
dishonoring governments for their per-
sonal advantage, and using their powers
to create jealousies between states, if it
could appear that their conduct is not also
corrupt"
The committee adduces as a justifica-
ton of the new report the seriousness Of
the situation, saying on this point:
THE serious consequences likely to re-
suit to the United States from this un-
precedented and unwarranted action of the
late government of Nicaragua, and the ev-
ident purpose to force our government
into payment of a large sum as compen-
sation for the future consent of the re-
public of the United States of Central
America to the creation of a maritime ca
mai through the San Juan river and Lake
Nicaragua, requires the committee to pre-
sent the grounds on which ID insists that
this proceeding is without any support in
law. justice or equity, and that 1t violates
the hitherto cordial relations of the Unit
ed States with Nicaragua"
The report takes issue with the conten-
ton of Nicaragua that chat country owns
both banks of the San Juan river, calling
attention to the fact that Costa Rica has
equal rights since the arbitration of Pres
ident Cleveland, as the owner of one
bank of the stream.
1t is then set forth that Costa Rlcas s
interests in the canal are as great as those
or Nicaragua, "and it follows that the
action of both republics is essential to the
assertion of the right of either to claim
a forfeiture of the concession. If Mica
ragua claims that the concession it has
granted is forfeited, Costa Rica has the
equal right to assert that it is not for
feited' -
1t is claimed that the consent of this
country is also necessary to any proceed
ing on the part of Nicaragua looking to
the forfeiture of the concession.