The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-16
No CANAL BILL.
Scheme To Pass It as
Rider Failed.
CHAIRS RULING SUSTAINED
127 TO 100.
Friends Of Canal We're Confident to
Time Of Vote.
DEBATE THROUGHOUT WAS EX-
CEEDINGLY SPIRITED.


MIR. Bailey spoke I'm Favor OF View that
Amendment Was In Order--Party
Lines Were Not Adhered to, tho
being About Equal.
Washington, February 15.-The House
today settled the fate Of the Nicaragua
canal bill In this Congress BY refusing to
override the decision of the chairman In
committee of the whole whom the chair
held that the canal hill offered as an
amendment by Mr.. Hepburn was out of
order The friends Of the Nicaragua canal
bill were very confident yesterday and to-
day that they would triumph, but after
four hours Of debate the chair was sus.
tained 1877 to 100. Mr.. Bailey the Demo-
cratic leader, made an argument In favor
Of the view that the amendment was In
order. Mr.. Grosvsnor, Republican Of
Ohio, bore the brunt OF the argument TO-
day in behalf of this contention. Msssrs
Moody, Republican of Massachusetts,
Dockery. Democrat OF Missouri, and
Fleming, Democrat of Georgia, were
pitted against him. The debate through
out the day was exceedingly spirited and
in the end the majority of the members
refused to override the House rules. No
record Is made of the vote in committee
of the whole Party lines were not nd ..
hered to, the division in favor Of and In
opposition to sustaining the chairs de-
cision being about equal ON both sides Of
| the politicsl aisle. About ten pages OF
the bill were disposed of today.
One Of the iercest contests of the season
was In progress when the House met to.
day. The friends and opponents Of the
plan to attach the Nicaragua canal bill to
the sundry civil bill were working as
siduously and every argument which
could Influence members one way or the
other was being brought to bear. The
fate of the canal bill at this session Of
G ongress was in the balance.
Mr. Sherman OF New York. who has
been snow bound for two days between
New York and Washington, arrived this
morning. He was designated as chair
man of the committee Of the whole by the
Speaker when the sundry civil bill was
taken up, but in his absence MIR. Hopkins
of Illinois, occupied the chair. The latter
continued In the chair today. just before
the motion was made to go into the COM
mittee OF the whole Mir. Hepburn Of Iowa
who Is conducting this fight on behalf Of
the Nicaragua canal amendment asked
unanimous consent that the canal bill be
objection was made.
The House then went into committee of
the whole on tho sundry civil bill the
pending question being the point OF order
raised against the canal amendment.
MIR. Bailey of Texas, took the floor to
address himself, he said to the remarks OF
Mr.. Cannon about the scandals which
grew out of the building of the Pacific
railway. Mr.. Bailey declared that the
Pacific railway scandal had not arisen
out of loose legislation. They had grown
out Of the unfortunate partnership be-
tween the government and certain in
dividuals. Mr.. Dockery. Demociat OF
Missouri argued in favor of sustaining
the rules of the House which he contended
the proposed amendment violated. 1t was
already an open secret, he said, that the
House was rsady to overrule the decision
of the chair because it was known that
the chair must rule against the amend
ment. Mr. Dockery declared himself in
favor OF building the Nicaragua canal be-
cause 1t would aid the national defense
and promote commercial expansion which
he preferred to territorial expansion.
MIR. Quigg. Republican OF New York,
interrupted 10 calf the attention tn the
fact that the rights under which the canal
was to be constructed would expire in
eight months
MIR. Dookery in reply said he welcomed
the interruption. 1t disclosed the Little
Maritime Canal company, for which the
| Senate bill appropriated IS, 0OO, 600.
Mr.. Hepburn pointed out that II this
bill passed as separatejproposition,i it would
| go 20 conference. There the Little
| Joker" might be- played, but If placed on
this bill. the House conferees could pre-
vent such an amendment.
MIR. Dockery limited strongly at inhu-
euoes outside the hall. the same influences
substantially which were back Of the
Hanna Payne subsidy bill. These infiu
ences he said, insisted that five millions
should go to certain gentlemen who were
| Interested in the maritime canal COM
pany MIR. Moody, Republican of Massa-
chusetts, made a technical argument in
suppors Of the point Of order, citing mum
erous precedents
| Mr. Grosvenor, Republican of Ohio
vigorously coutended that the point OF or
der was not we'll taken. He could not un
derstand, he said, why members should