The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-21
Senator Tillnlan So CharacteriZes
Nicaragua Canal Bill.
IS OPPOSED BY OTHERS
SENATOR CARTER DENOUNCES
THE MORGAN PROPOSITION.
Says 1t Is Proposed to Pay Five Mil
lion Dollars For Lot of Old Junk
Worth Not More Than Thousand
Dollars-Elkins Also Opposed to
the Bill.

! Washington. Jan. 2O.-In the senate
today. consideration of the Nicaragua
canal bill was resumed. Mr. Carter of
Montana addressed the senate in op-
position to the measure on an amend
ment offered by Mr.. Caffery. He
quoted from the Ludlow commission
and from Admiral Walker, to show
that the property of the Maritime Ca
/ nal company was no more than hole
in the ground that had been filed up,
and lot of junk, amounting in value
/ to not more than $1,000. And for
/ this" he said, sarcastically, cit is
seriously proposed that the government
shall pay s., 600 000.'
| Mr.. Ell1ins of Virginia, while favor
ing a canal constructed by the United
States and under the absolute control
of this government was opposed to the
United States going into partnership
with a corporation. Such a partner
ship had proved disastrous in the case
of the Pacific railroads, and he was
satisfied it would so prove in this case.
Mr.. Fairbanks of Indiana took sub
stantially the same ground as Mr..
Elkins. He would vote for the bill, but
he believed it was in contravention of
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty. and that
the treaty was a vital, living thing.
Mr.. Tillman of South Carolina de-
clared that the whole canal scheme
was purely speculative, and had for its
main idea pulling out of the treasury
50, 600 900, a sum which he character
lied as "the last apple on the tree"
which the Maritime Canal company is
grasping at, after having missed the
fifty millions or a hundred millions
which previous bills had proposed to
give them.
4 believe" he declared, that this
scheme is a steal, and nothing but a
steal. The more you stir this thing"
he shouted: the more you investigate
the dirtier it becomes, and the louder
it stinks. Oaughter). When the SEN
ator from Alabama (Mr. Morgan) tried
ator on this floor" said Mr.. Tillman,
Il made up ny mind that this bill
should not pass today, and that we
might as well adjourn"
AMOUNT TO BE PAID.
While Mr.. Caffery was discussing
his amendment reducing the amount
available to be paid the canal COM
pany to $2,0O0O00, Mr. Berry offered
the following amendment to section 3:
Nothing in this act shall be con-
strued to authorize the payment to said
company, or to any person or persons,
a greater sum than the value of such
property, as ascertained by the com
mission herein named, nor shall any
warrants be delivered until such COM
mission has reported such value
Mr.. Morgan accepted the amendment
and it was agreed to.
Mr.. Caffery's amendment was then
defeated-32 to 20.
Mr.. Chiffon of Texas offered an
reducing the number
of directors Of the canal from eleven 10 /
seven, five of whom are to be from the /
United States. The amendment was |
agreed TO.
Mr.. Spooner offered an amendment |
that if the president be unable to Sc 1
cure from the governments of Nicara- I
qua and Costa Rica such concessions /
as will enable the United States to !
build ana perpetually own and control I
the canal, he is authorized to negc-
tate for a control of, or right to con- /
struct. maintain and perpetually con- /
troll some other canal connecting the I.
and Pacific oceans; and the
president is also requested to negotiate /
for the abrOgation or modification of /
any and all treaty obligations in any
way interfering with the construction,
ownership and perpetual control of any
such canal.
Replying to a question from Mr. Nor
gan, Mr. Spooner said that his express
sion, some other canal" would, of
course, include the Panama canal. He /
did not believe that the United States
ought to be tied up in this subject to
The governments of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica.
As q desire was expressed that the
amendment be perfected. on motion Of
Mr.. White, at 5:25 p. m, the senate
adjourned.