The record-union., 1899-01-18
Almost the Entire Session Of the
Senate Yesterday
Deyoted to Consideration Of the Pending
Nicaragua Canal Bill.
The House Passes the Naval Per-
sonnel Bill, the Most Important
Change in the Measure Being
Substitutes for the Organization
of the Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-Almost the
entire session of the Senate to-day was
devoted to consideration of the pending
Nicaragua Canal bill. At O'Clock
consideration of the bill under the
fifteen minute rule was begun, and was
continued to the close of the session.
The first vote reached was on an
amendment offered by Rawlins Of Utah.
which in brief provides that the Unit
ed States should have absolute control
of the canal for military or naval puf-
poses. with power to dictate the use Of
the waterway during the existence OF
war. The friends of the pending bill
rallied against the amendment, and it
was defeated by the decisive vote OF 3S
to g.
A provision was inserted in the Dill
providing that no more than So,OOO,Oot'
should be paid the Maritime Canal
Company for it's concession and work
already done on the canal.
When adjournment was taken the
substitute measure offered by Caffery
of Louisiana was before the Senate.
At the opening of to-day's session Of
the Senate Davis, Chairman of the Cem-
mittee on Foreign Relations, gave no..
tice that tomorrow, Immediately upon
the conclusion of regular business, he
would move that the Senate go into ex-
ecutive session
Pettigrew of South Dakota offered a
resolution relating to the claims of the
loyal Seminole Indians, and it was
adopted.
Turner gave notice that on Thursday
after morning business he would adj
dress the Senate upon the Vest resolu-
ton.
The resolution of Hoar declaring that
the Filipinos ought to be free and inde-
pendent was laid before the Senate, but
at the request of Hoar it went over, as
he said he desired at q more convenient
time TO address the Senate upon it.
At the request of Morgan, consider
alton Of the Nicaragua Canal bill was
resumed, and Chiffon of Texas ad
dressed the Senate in support of the
general canal project and the Morgan
bill
Spooner of Wisconsin followed with
an argument in opposition to the pend
ing measure. He regarded the project
of the canals construction as of i'm
measurable Importance but he did not
involve them in an expenditure aggre-
eating from $1J0.000.O0O to $500, ,OaO.-
900. without a perfect understanding
and realization of the consequences Of
such action. In a decision of the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty, he said that his
opinion was that it was binding, and
he felt that no action should be taken
by the United States that might imperil
our relations with Great Britain. If
the treaty formed an obstruction to the
building of the canal, he had no doubt
that through proper representation the
obstruction could be removed In any
event he maintained that it would be
the part of honesty and good faith and
dignity, as well as of natural safety,
to erdeavor to remove that obstacle
before the enactment of legislation re-
lating to the project.
Turner of Washington strongly ad-
vocated the enactment into law of the
pending measure.
Morgan, in charge of bill. then in
sisted that the bill, in accordance with
the order placing the measure under
the fifteen minute rule of consideration
at : o'clock to-day, should be proceed
ed with.
The Vice President announced that
no question was pending, but in an in
slant several Senators were on their
feet with amendments.
Rawlins of Utah proposed this amend
ment:
That this Act shall not take effect
until the Government of the United
States shall have secured by conyeu-
ton with the Governments of Costa
Rica and Nicaragua and with other
Governments with which the United
States may have treaties inconsistent
Herewith the right to fortify and gar
rison the proposed canal and to main
tain armed vessels therein or upon Lake
Nicaragua, and to move military forces
through the territory of said States for
the purpose of protecting the canal and
the citizens of the United States oper-
ating the same; also the right of pas
sage through the canal of the armed
vessels, troops. munitions and supplies
of war of the Governments of the Unit
ed States. Costa Rica and Nicaragua
in case either of said Governments is
at war with any foreign Government,
with the right to close the canal to the
ships. troops and munitions of wac of
Sucn IOTelSH 1ONtTnfiieHtS uuIinS tHc
existence of such state of war"
Rawlins made the amendment text
for a severe attack upon the canal pro-
ject At the conclusion of his remarks
he asked for a vote on his proposition
Pending the taking of the vote. even
after the roll call had begun, Tanner
said he desired to submit some remarks
upon it. He argued that the Clayton
Bulwer treaty was not in force now, if
1t ever had been. as he said it had been
modified, and the modification made
had never been ratified by the Senate.
He believed that the bill could be en-
acted without in the least disturbing
our relations with Great Britain.
The Rawlins amendment was defeated
by a decisive majority-9 yeas, 3S
nays.
Yeas-Bate, Lindsay, McLaurin,
Mantle. Pettigrew. Rawlins, Teller,
Turley and Vest-9.
Nays-Aldrich, Allison. Berry Carter,
Chiffon. Clay, Davis. Deboe, Elkins,
Faulkner, Foraker, Galfinger, German,
Hanna, Harris. Hawley, Heitfield.