The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-16

Venor ETSdlcCS AASSI LIZ A-OJO~N
3 VIII Now Be Abandoned
Washington, Feb. 15.-The house to-
day settled the fate of the Nicaragua
{ canal bill in this congress by refusing
10 override the decision Of the chair in
J committee of The whole, when the chair
u held that the canal bill, offered as an
Z amendment by Glr. Hepburn, was out
of order The friends OF the Nicaragua
q bill were very confident yesterday and
today that they would triumph, but al
ter four hours of debate the chair was
a sustained-l27 to 1G9.
Mr.. Bailey, the Democratic leader,
/ made an argument in favor OF the view
that the amendment was in order. Mr..
Grosvenor (Rep., o. bore the brunt Of
the argument today in behalf of this
contention. Mr.. Moody (itep., Mass.),
Dockery Dem., MO- and Fleming
(Dem, Ga) were pitted against him.
The debate throughout the day was eX-
cesdiagiy spirited, and in the end a ma
jority OF the members refused to over
j ride the house rules. No record as made
of the vote in committee of the whole.
Party lines were not adhered to, the
division in favor and in opposition 10
sustaining the chairs decision being
about equal on both side of the political
aiSleS. About ten pages OF the bill were
disposed of today.
Some time was spent at the opening
session with routine matters. Just be-
fore the motion was made to go into
committee of the whole, Mr.. Hepburn
asked unanimous consent that the ca
nal bill be made q special order for
Tuesday next, but objection was made.
n g0n1ulIfTPn
of the whole, with Mr.. Hopkins in the
chair on the sundTy civil bill, the pend
ing question being the point OF order
raised against the canal amendment.
Mr.. Bailey (Den-, TeX-) took the floor.
He desired to address himself, he said.
TO the remarks Of Mr.. Cannon yester-
day about the scandals which grew Gus
of the building Of the Pacific railroads
Although Mr.. Cannon had not said so
in so many words. Mr.. Bailey said he
assumed that he feared, in connection
with the Nicaragua canal a repetition
of the scandals which had dlSgraced
the promoters Of the Pacific railroads
Mr.. Cannon interrupted to say that
his criticism Of the Pacific legislation
- that it was loosely enacted, and
Therefore opened the way TO the scan
da1 which followed.
GOVERNMENT CONSTRUCTION.
Mr.. Bailey. in reply, declared that the
Pacific railroads scandals had not
arisen out Of loosS legislation. There
had been 2. deeper cause. They had
grown out Of the unfortunate partner
ship between the government and GER
tain individuals. The virtue III the ca
nal proposition before the house was
that it avoided this very deadfall. By
its terms the canal would be con-
stracted by the government. He de-
20 t1-ar r7~osaoEif he
cause he realized that sooner or later |
the house would be compelled to choose
between this proposition and one to |
allow a private corporation, with gov |
eminent credit, TO build this canal. If |
the canal was to be built by the gov |
ernment, ii must be based upon the |
theory that the canal was necessary /
for the support of our military and ma
val defense. Otherwise, if the govern
ment could build foreign waterways in |
foreign territory why could it not come !
back home and build railroads for the !
benefit of interstate commerce?
Mr. Dockery (De7n., Mo- made an ar
garment in favor of sustaining the rules
of the house. which, he contended, the
proposed amendment violated. No one
with any respect Tor his reputation as
a paIliamentaIian. he declared, could /
hold that the amendment was in or
der. be realized that the members
were eager to get at the public treas
1lfy upon this proposition, but he
warned his colleagues on the Demo-
cratic side that il they helped to over
throw the rule they swept away for all
time the rights of the minority. lie
had no respect for the rules as such.
'Thev DEGRADED the individual member
and massed toO much power In the
sneaker. but the members of the min
oritv especially dare not ovezrule this
-. dau-n q
democratic fathers. But if this amend
merit was declared in order he gave
notice that he would offer an amend
7nert to it TO provide for the issue Of
enough additional legal tender notes to
meet the entire cost OF the construc-
ton OF the canal
Mr.. Dockery declared himself in favor
of building the Nicaragua canal. be-
cause il would aid the national defense
and promote commercial expansion,
,vnicf he preferred TO territorial expan-
sion.
Mr.. Quigg CRep.. y. " interrupted
IN cali attention TO the fact that the
be constructed would expire in eight
months ,o.,,-,-,,,
nTr. Dockery. in reply. said he vel
comed the interruption. It disclosed The
,sliftle iokeI'' in the shape Of the Mari
,;-,,e Canal company. Tor which the
senate bill appropriated S5,G00,e00
MIR. Hepburn pointed out that if this
hin passed as 4 separate proposition, it
would go 70 conference. There the
little Joker" might be played, but if
nlaced on this bill the house conferees
could prevent such an amendment.
Mr.. Deckery limited strongly at in
e1-ences outside the hall, the same in
gueaces. substantially. which were back
~ the Hanna-Payne subsidy bill. These
inf5uences. he said, insisted that $1,000,
l00 should go TO certain gentlemen Who
wfre interested in the Maritime Canal
In conclusion, he warned the men,
se-s on his side Of the house that they
.oi,Id not afford, in the closing days Of \
- session. 10 lend themselves to such
IN enterprise.
Mr.. Moody CRep-, Mass.) made tech
uical argument in support of the point
of order. ]