The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-13
CANAL BILL CONES UP.
Senator Morgan Appeals for Prompt
Action on the Matter.

Senator Morgan Appeals for Prompt
Action on the Matter.
Washington, Dec. 13-Dlscussion of
two questions, each of Importance and
interest at this session, was begun by
the senate at it's session yesterday.
Territorial expansion and the cOnstruc-
ton of the Nicaragua. canal occupied
the attention of the body during the
greater part of the afternoon.
AS soon as the routine morning bust
ness had been disposed of Mr. Vest,
'CDem. MOI called up his resolution
offered last week, declaring it to be I'm
constitutional for this government to
acquire foreign territory except for
coaling stations or some like purpose,
unless its intention was to confer state
hood upon the territory and citizenship
upon its inhabitants. Mr.. Vest declared
that it was a basic principle of this
government that the powers Of the
government were derived from the con-
sent of the governed and maintained
that the federal government had no
authority, either in morals or in the
constitution to go beyond that principle.
He held that the principle had been Sus-
tanned by the supreme court in various
decisions and that no public men of
prominence and no recognized tribunal
had ever been reckless enough to con-
trovert it.
Mr.. Morgan opened the debate on
the canal bill with a. three-h hour appeal
for action at this session. The whole
country. he said, would be disappointed
II congress did not act. lie was Will
ing to take any measure which would
result in the building of the canal In
the course of his remarks he agreed to
accept an amendment specifically ex-
cepting the canal from neutrality with
regard to any country with which the
United States might be at war.
Mr.. Morgan said Nicaragua and Costa
Rica recognized what was the universal
opinion of mankind. that the canal
across the isthmus must be built under
the protection, control and mana cement
of some great maritime power The
terms of the MenocaI- Cardenas conces-
sions proved this. The two sovereign
republics became parties to stock in the
company when organized, Nicaragua
retaining per cent of the paid up
stock and Costa Rica ~ per cent. They
had waived their sovereign rights in
favor of the congress of the United
States. They waived them for the bene-
fit of their own countries, in order to
accomplish that without which they
were the most minute, microscopic ma
tons on the maps of the world. 1t was
pledged in that treaty with Nicaragua
to protect the canal Our armies must
go there if the rights of the canal We're
invaded.
The rights of an exclusive charter
possessed under the treaty of 1867 were
in violation of the ClaytOn-BulWer
treaty with Nicaragua identical in
terms, so that the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty had vanished into thin air by
Great Britain'S act. The main difficulty
fact that when Cleveland withdrew the
Frelinghuysen-Cabille treaty he ex-
pressly took the ground that it estab-
ushed an entanglfng alliance and Vio-
lated the ClaytOn-BuIwer treaty.
1T could not violate a treaty that
was dead" said Mr.. Morgan. $50 that
Mr.. Cleveland by his first diplomatic
act against the judgment OF congress
gave vitality to treaty that was dead"
A question was raised as to the
language of the bill guaranteeing the
"a nf a tn EHn
United States were at war with another
country. Mr.. Morgan said that the
language of the bill specifically excepted
Mr.. Hoar differed with Mr. Morgan.
If the United States were at war with
England and England dispatched hos
tile fleet to San Francisco could that
fleet pass through without interruption?
asked Mr.. Hoar. Did the statement of
the bill as to the right Of the United
States to protect the canal in time Of
war give US the right to say the canal
was not neutral? he asked.
Mr.. Morgan said no nation would mis-
understand the language of the bill,
but he was willing to accept any
language that would make our right
more specific.
Mr.. Hoar suggested that the clause
relating to the neutrality of the canal
should be amended so as to read:
Except as to nations at war with
the United States"
Mr.. Morgan said he would accept the
amendment. NO senator should vote
against the bill on this account
Mr.. Morgan said the president In
whom congress had so wisely and con-
hdingly entrusted a fund Of fifty million
dollars to be used Eat his discretion
could certainly be trusted to hear and
determine the objections of Nicaragua
or Costa Rica or the stockholders of the
Maritime Canal company. Mr.. Morgan
said his plea was for action. This bill
did not seek to build the canal It
simply placed the question in the hands
of the president.
n ISPiS 10 d CUES IIoH' MI. Morgan
be competent for the United States, in
dependent Of any corporation, to pro-
coed to the construction of the canal
under the treaty of 1857.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Morgan's
speech the senate adjourned.