The age-herald., 1898-12-14
DEBATE ON
 THE CANAL BILL Senator TuTpie Attacked the
 Morgan Measure IS A SCHEME TO DEFRAUD The Government in the Interest of the Maritime : npany' MORGAN DEFENDEs HE MEASURE important Amenfc;>s Is Offered by Sen.
 ators Be 5 i'd RawIins.
important Amenbo;S, Is Offered by Sen.
 ators Be : i'd RawIins.
THE HOUSE PASSED TWO BILLS
Laws Relating to Seamen Amended and the District of Columbia Appro- priations sAuthorized-Fo Foreign
 Money for the Canal.

Washington, December 13-Today's ses- sion of the senate was largely consumed in discussion of the Nicaraguan canal bill. MT. Turpie made the principal speech in opposition to the bill, attacking 1t on the ground that it is in the interest Of the Maritime Company, which he characterised as a fraud and bankrupt. He moved post ponement of the matter until after the hol- iday recess. Mr. Morgan defended the bill and the Maritime Company and opposed the motion to postpone. Messrs. Berry and Rawlins both offered amendments mater iay affecting the bill.
 MT. Turpie, democrat, of Indiana, ad- dressed the senate upon the Nicaragua canal bill, saying that no one could excel him in zeal in advocating the isthmiam canal but while he saw the vast advantage of the proposed waterway he also was ful- ly aware of the difficulties in the way or putting the plan for canal into execution. Should Get Out of the Way He did not believe 1t possible TOT tnat | company with it's bad odor, to construct | the canal and he held that the Mari.llle l Company should get out or the way -Ur- the l genuine canal enterprise. He developed thls- 1 line of attack at length, denouncing IL as l scheme of confscation, the object Of the Maritime Company, he declared, not to cut . canal but to ''cut channel Of communl- cation at the least possible cost between the treasury of the United States ana the empty coffers of that begsarly corporallon. Mr Turpie asserted that the government could not lawfully guarantee the Maritime company's bonds as proposed. The case was not parallel to the Pacihc rairoau s' as In those cases the bonds were mace | directly payable to the companies. AS 10 l tha accessibility of foreign jealosy operating | to pro, ent the construction of the canal by 1 this government MT. Turpie declared that | there was no civilized nation that would not | Ie pleased to see the canal constructco. | The Maritime company had been guii'y l of innumerable frauds but even II IL nau l rot lie would not support the pending oiii l because of the failure to provide for the ] oxvnershin of the canal by the United | States. All obstacles would disappear pc- | fore a movement on the part Of the Unltea l States to construct the canal. The oppo- l sition of Nicaragua and other countries | wa made to the Maritime company ard l in if only with whose "vapid, empty and l the roughly groundess pretensions the gov l errment of Nicaragua had evidently be- l come tired.'
 The Canal Commission
 | Mr. Turpie renewed his plea Tor post | ponement of, the question until the Nica- | ragua canal commission should report Ho | said he had favored the appointment of thi5 | commission because he knew that no com- | mission could report In favor of the Mari | time company as he did not believe the present commission had. Information was wanted on three points-feasibility time and expense. MT Turpie closed for the day with motion for postponement of further consideration of the bill until January ID, by which time the report of the com- mission could be received.
 Mr Morgan antagonized the motion, pleading for the continuation Of the depate, saying there were many points connected with the enterprise upon which light might possible be thrown upon the question 0y | the Walker report. He denied that the Maritime company had ever applied to the United States for assistance; but, on the other hand the application had been made to them because they owned the only con- cession. He declared in answer to ques- ton from Mir. Turpie that 1t would never l be possible to get an agreement binding the | United States, Nicaragua and Costa Rica | because of Cocta Rica's suspicion of Nica- l ragua Costa Rca knew perfectly well that Nicaragua was desirous of nothing so much as the downfall of Costa Rica. He spoke of the Costa Rcan bargain counter" in the matter of granting concessions, and when MT. Turpie interrupted him with the statement that this was not an experssion of amity towards Nicaragua, he retorted that MT. Turple was growing Continental
 on the subject.
 A Rascally Contract
 He declared that MT. Grace's purpose in
 getting a new contract was not to build a
 canal but to own it-to hold up the gov
 ernment. He denounced this concession as
 "rascally contract" MT. Grace had called
 on him twice In one day without being ir-
 vited and had urged the abandonment of
 government aid. In reply to a question
 from him, MT. Grace had said he expected
 to get his money to build the canal from
 London This fact showed where We were
 drifting, and was there a senator who
 would be willing to see the canal placed
 under the control of foreigners?
 The senate at o'clock went into execu-
 tive session, and at 5:15 D. m. adjourned.
 HOUSE
 Washington, December 13.-The house to-
 day passed the District of Columbia ap-
 propriation bill without a single amend
 raent. The bill carries $6,S5995o The house