The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-28
THE RIGHT ron TILE CANAL.

THE FIGHT FOR THE CANAL.
Will this Congress authorize the build
ing of a canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans or viii the whole canal mat
ter be left for the determination Of a fu-
ture Congress? That question will be an
swered this week II is evident that the
friends of the canal project are going TO
make a tremendous effort to have the
Hepburn bill, which the Senate has made
part of the river and harbor bill, passed.
The House passed the Hepburn bill
week or two ago, as a separate measure,
but IL is by no means certain that it will
pass it as a rider of the river and har-
Dor bill. The large majority by
which the Senate passed both
the Morgan bill and the
Hepburn bill and the ease
with which the Hepburn bill
was put through the House
show that there is an overwhelming ma
jority In Congress in favor of the con
tic and Pacific oceans by the govern
ment, and it is safe to say that public SEN
timent strongly sustains that majority.
1t is a question, however, If the House
would have passed the Hepburn or any
other canal bill at this session IL 1t had
thought there was a chance Of the bill
becoming a law. When the House passed
the Hepburn bill 1t was the very general
belief that the Senate would insist upon
the Morgan bill, and that if 1t did not
there would not be time for 1t to take up
and pass the Hepburn bill The friends of
a canal, however found way 10 prompt
ly pass the Hepburn bill, show
ing that the Senate was not
welded to any bill, and that all
struction of canal. The House is OPP
posed 10 any bill at this session because
it doesn't see where the money for a ca
nal is to come from. II win fight the bill,
not on the ground of opposition to a canal,
but on the ground that legislation of that
kind cannot be made a part of an appro-
priatlon bill. On that plea a majority
against the bill may be secured. And 1T
may be that the House, in order to defeat
the canal bill, will consent to the defeat
of the river and harbor bill.
The Hepburn bill is a very different
measure from the Morgan bill, which. by
many, was thought to be in the interest
OF the Maritime Canal Company. The Nor
gan bill gave that company 100000 for
its rights and privileges. The Hepburn
bill makes no mention of the Maritime
Canal Company, but it is believed that the
bill contains a loophole through which
the company can crawl into the treasury
and fill its pockets. If there were no such
loophole 1t is hardly probable that the
lobby of the company would remain so
quiet in the face of the probability of the
Hepburn bill becoming a law.
The Hepburn bill authorizes the Pres
ident to acquire for the United Ssates from
Nicaragua and Costa Rica all the terri
tory and rights necessary for the con-
struction of a canal, and directs the Sec
rotary of War to construct the canal. For
the work $115,OOO,OOO is appropriated. There
is a provision in the bill which author
ICES the President, If he cannot make ac-
cepnable arrangements with Costa RIGA
and Nicaragua for the Nicaragua canal,
to negotiate for some other canal between
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The Hepburn bill was hastily drawn and
quickly passed. There are grounds for
thinking therefore that it contains many
defects, which would become apparent as
soon as work under it should be begun.
For one thing, II is pretty certain that the
canal could not be constructed for the
amount named in the bill One senator
said on the floor of the Senate that 1T
could not be constructed for double that
sum. Still, 1t is not certain that he is an
expert on the cost of interoceanic canals.