Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-01-12
THE CANAL MEASURE
Five Propositions Before the House
Committee but Nothing Settled.
The war EXPENSES OF GOVERNORS.
The Comptroller Of the Currency Renders
m Opini0n-The Hawaiian Bill VIII
Soon b Reported Congress
man DingIey No Worse.


house committee on interstate com.
merce Chairman Hepburn submitted
five propositions for the purpose Of
testing the sense Of the committee be.
fore beginning the preparation Of 3
bill. Only two OF these reached q
vote. One Of them, the main one. that
bill for the construction OF canal
should be reported received the unani.
nous assent OF the committee. That
is as far as the committee went yester-
day. The other four propositions were
substantially as follows: That the
canal should be built by the United
States; that it should be built on land
over which the United States exercises
ownership and sovereignty; that it
should BIZ built directly under the
supervision and control OF war depart.
ment engineers, in accordance with
the general plan OF river and har-
Dor work, or under a commission
such as has control over the improve.
ment of the Mississippi river. The dis.
cussion developed the fact that there
are two general divisions in the COM
mittee; first, those who desire that the
government shall proceed de novo
with negotiations with Nicaragua and
Costa Rica for acquiring sovereignty
over a strip of land and then build the
canal as government enterprise with
out regard to existing concessions
Chairman Hepburn champions this
plan. The other division desires that
work shall begin at once under the ex-
istng concessions OF the Mari time Ca.
nal company, If feasible, or any other
agency. The latter believe it would
be mistake to proceed de novo. Be-
sides they affirm that the constitution
OF Nicaragua prohibits the alienation
of any OF her territory to foreign
power.
THE WAR EXPENSES OF GOVERNORS.
Washington, Jan. Ill p. Mitchell,
acting comptroller Of the treasury,
has rendered an opinion on the ques-
ton Of the authority of the several
staff departments Of the army to pay
the expenses incurred by the governors
Of states or officers Of their respective
stats acting under their authority in
raising the volunteer army of the
United States for service in the war
with Spain. The main point in ques-
ton is whether governors Of states
who have incurred expenses In raising
troops were acting in their official
capacity as governors or as agents of
the war department The comptroller
says.
There is nothing In general order No. "a
which appears to contemplate u delegation of
authority to state officers to incur expenses for
which the United States Is to be charged, and
even II there were. 1t lisa matter of grave doubt
whether such delegation could be conferred in
such general terms Public policy II nothing
else. would prohibit such an exercise of power
so fraught with possibilities of mischief and
uncomfortable expense and 1t seems to me
there is no authority for the recognition OF
state officers Us the agents OF the war depart
mont for the purpose stated
THE HAWAIIAN BILL.
Washington, Jan. II, The Hawaiian
bill was finally perfected yesterday by
the house subcommittee on territories
and an agreement reached to favorably
present it to the full committee to-day,
the expectation being that it will be
to the house to-day or within
a few days, As agreed on the bill pre-
serves in all essential particulars the
bill presented by the Hawaiian com
mission, A territorial form of govern.
ment is established, with a governor
appointed by the president, delegate
elected to congress, local legislative
body. The main changes made by the
consists in striking out
the property qualifications OF members
Of the house of representatives and of
electors of members and amending the
provisions as to the qualification of
so that 81, 900 of property or
5000 of income shall suffice, The item
Of Si5, 600 for an agricultural inquiry
by the secretary of agriculture is also
struck out The provision is retained
for the appointment of judges for life,
and their appointment by the gov