, 1899-03-04
RIVERS ANDH ARBORS|
THE WARREN AMENDMENT Is
KNOCKED OUT IN CON
FERENCE.
Nicaragua Canal Bill Modified-s1, 0OO,-
900 Appropriated for Examination
Of Routes-Many Changes Made in
the Bill as 1t Came From the Sen
ate-Senator Frye Talks.

"ShiiStOui thdICll O.-lue CONFER
rese on the river and harbor bill have
practically reached an agreement. The
Nicaragua canal paragraph will be
greatly modified and will appropriate
81 ,OOO, 900 for an examination of all
routes under direction of the president.
The report of the commission making
the examination will be made to con-
gress and no provision is made for be-
ginning work.
The larger items in the bill are re-
tanned as provided in the senate and
most of the others are compromised.
to allow any provision for the reservoir
system in arid lands and the senate
conferees yielded this matter. Some
fear was expressed that this provision
might %endanger the bill in the senate.
Senator Morgan consented to the
Nicaragua canal provision in the bill
as agreed upon by the c~onferees and
the conferees all signed the report.
Two items from Oregon which were
in dispute upon which there was a
seeming split were compromised. The
Yaquina bay item was modified so as to
have the project examined by a board
Of engineers. The house yielded on the
boat railway provision so far as not to
repeal the law tor the project, but
struck out the appropriation made by
the senate.
Senator Frye made the following
statement as to the result Of the confer
ence: In the matter Of the Nicaragua
canal, the c~onferees provided a substi-
tute for the senate provision giving the
president full authority to investigate
all isthmian routes, particularly the
N~icaraguan. He is to have all the en-
gineers and other employees he may
need for this purpose and is allowed to
appoint the engineers either from the
army or civil life. He is then to report
his conclusions to the next congress.
For this purpose We appropriate $1,000
900.
THE items concerning New York
harbor. Baltimore. Philadelphia, h
Southwest pass and the Mississippi
river, the Hudson river and nearly all
the important national projects as dis
tinguished from those of a purely local
character, were agreed to practically
as inserted by the senate. In the mat
ter of the Miami project, which has at
tracted considerable attention, the
house conferees refused to agree to the
senate provisions. In this matter, the
hest we could do was to secure a provis-
ion for the appointment of a a or
engineers which is instructed to make
an estimate and report.
we were compelled to modify the
senate provision concerning the pro-
posed channel to Houston, Tex. In this
matter we increased the amendment
appropriation 500, 900, making 1t $780,
600. which is sufficient to insure twelve
feet of water in the channel to the sea-
The house conferees accepted our pro-
vision appropriating 100000 for the
i]mnroyement of Pearl harbor, Hawaii
Senator Frye expressed the opinion
that the action of the conference on the
Nicaragua bill matter would prove sat
ier,ctorv TO the country. The senate
provision, he said, was necessarily
crude owing to the haste which attend
ed its consideration, and congress
would be much better prepared to deal
with the question after getteing the re-
ports provided Tor by the conference
agreement.