The record-union., 1899-01-22
A Number Of Amendments Made to the
Bill.
Will Take Nearly All
the Stock and Have Five Out of
Seven Of the Directors and
Nicaragua and Costa Rica One
Each-The Bill First Passed
Without Roll Call, but Was
Reconsidered and Passed by an
Aye and No Vote.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 21. = At the
opening of tO-day's session of the Sen
ate, Mcmillan of Michigan presented
the credentials of Julius Caesar Bur-
frows, reelected a Senator from Michi-
gan for term OF six years. beginning
March 4, 1899. They were filed.
The resolution offered yesterday by
| Caffery Cd of Louisiana requesting
from the President any information he
may have received from agents or rep
,resentatives of the so-called Philippine
Republic relative to conditions in the
Philippines was laid before the Senate.
Caffery said that the resolution was
very important He thought it likely
that the statements concerning the con-
ditions in the islands made in the pub
lie print were true. The resolution was
adopted.
The Senate to-day passed the Mic
aragua Canal bill, decided to make the
anti-scalping bill the unfinished busi-
ness, and continued, without compile
ton, the consideration of the Indian
appropriation bill
A number of amendments were made
to the Nicaragua bill, and there were
innumerable short speeches during the
day. There was, however, no opposi-
ton to a vote when the time came,
and roncall on it developed only six
votes in opposition to final passage.
The antiscalping bill was taken up on
a vote of 33 to u, but no effort was
them made to resume the consideration.
The result of the vote was to give it
the first place on the calendar, but
the understanding is that it shall not
be presented in opposition to the peace
treaty or the appropriation bills The
Nicaragua Canal bill as it passed con-
tues the name of the Maritime Canal
Company. 1t provides for the issuance
of 100000 shares of stock at 500
each. The canal company is required
to call in all the stock issued except
that held by the Nicaraguan and Costa
RicaH Governments. The company is
also required to redeem and cancel
bonds and scrip heretofore issued by
the company, and to satisfy all cash
liabilities. To enable the company to
comply with these requirem ents treas
ury warrants to the amount of $5OO0,-
GOO are authorized, with a proviso to
the effect that only so much of the
amount shall be paid as will be re-
quired to pay the actual cash value
of the right, privileges, franchises and
property at the time of the payment,
the value to be determined by Commits
sioners to be appointed by the Presi-
dent. This being done, the Secretary
of the Treasury is authorized to sub
scribe for 925, 1000 shares of the com
pany's stock for the Government of the
United States. The present members
of the Board of Directors are then to
resign and a board of seven is to be
appointed, consisting of five in behalf
of the United States and one each in
behalf of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The directors on behalf of the United
States are to be appointed by the Presi-
dent and confirmed by the Senate. No
two of them are to be residents of any
one. State, and no person who has here
tofore been interested in the canal COM
pany is to be appointed to this office.
They are also prohibited from being in
terested in contracts on the canal. Each
of the directors except the President is
to receive salary of 5000 a year,
and the President is to have $4,000. All
travelling expenses are to be paid. An
nual reports are required. There is a
provision against declaring a dividend
except upon the net earnings. The
company is authorized to contract for
the completion of the canal within six
years. The payments are restricted to
so, 100000 annually. The canal is to
be large enough for the use of the
largest ea-going vessels, at a cost not
exceeding the estimate of the engineers,
and not to exceed S115,OOO, ,O0O."
This amount is made permanent
appropriation for the work. to be used
as occasion may require The bill gives
the Government a lien upon the prop
erty to secure the repayment of the
moneys advanced, and the President is
empowered to declare forfeiture of the
property to the United States, without
the necessity of judicial or other as
certafhment. The President is author
ized to suspend payment at any time
The President is also authorized to Sc
cure any change in or modification of
the terms Of the concession either from
the concessionaires or from Nicaragua
and Costa Rica.
| In case of the failure in such me-
gotiations the President is also empow-
cred to negotiate for another route
across the isthmus. He is further re-
CueSleu 10 open negotiations 1Or the
abrogation of the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty, or any other treaty found to be
in existence and standing in the way of
the construction of the canal. The neu-
trality of the canal is guaranteed, but
the right to protect it against the in
terruption of business between the At
lantic and Pacific coasts of the United
States is reserved.
The Nicaragua Canal bill was laid
before the Senate. the pending question
being upon the amendment of Spooner
of Wisconsin. The amendment was ac-
cepted by Morgan and was agreed to
by the Senate. 1t follows: ~
THAT If the President shall be unable
to secure from the Governments of Nic-
aragua and Costa Rica such concessions
as will enable the United States to
build and perpetually own and control
said canal, the President is authorized
to negotiate for theA control of right 10
construct. maintain and perpetually
control some other canal connecting the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the