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


On the Subject of Canal Legisla-
tion-Bailey Advocates Construc-
ton By the GovernmenT-Gros-
venor Predicts That the Project
viii Now Be Abandoned.
washington, Feb. 15.-The house to-
day settled the fate Of the Nicaragua
! canal bill in this congress by refusing
! to override the decision Of the chair in
/ committee of The whole, when the chair
/ held that the canal bill, offered as an
4 amendment by Mr. Hepburn, was out
I "a order. The friends OF the Nicaragua
bin were very confident yesterday and
today that they would triumph, but al
ter four hours of debate the chair was
4 SsIstained-l2T 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 brunL Of
1 the argument today IN pehaI OF TINS
contention. Mr.. Moody (Itep.. Mass.),
Dockery CDem., Mo- and Fleming
CDem., Ga.) were pitted against him.
] The debate throughout the day was eX-
4 ceedinEly spirited, and in the end a ma
jority OF the members refused to over
ride the house rules. No recoFu rs made
OF the vote IN committee of the whole.
Party lines were not adhered TO, the
division in favor and in opposition TO
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 CT the whole, Mr.. Hepburn
asked unanimous consent that the ca
nal bill be made a special order for
Tuesday next but objection was made.
The house then Went into committee
of the whole, with Mr.. Hopkins in the
chair. on the SundHy civil bill, the pend
ing question being the point of order
raised against the canal amendment.
Mr.. Bailey (Denn-, TeX.) took the Hoor.
He desired to address himself, he said,
to the remarks CT Mr.. Cannon yester-
day about the scandals which grew our
of the building OF the Pacific railroads.
Although MI. Cannon had not said so
in so many words, Mr.. Bailey said he
assumed that he feared, in connection
with the Nicaragua canal q repetition
OF the scandals which had disgraced
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
dial which followed.
GOVERNMENT CONSTRUCTION.
Mr.. Bailey, in reply, declared that the
Pacific railroads scandals had not
arisen out of loose legislation There
had been q dC0per cause. They had
grown out of the unfortunate partner
snip between the government and GER
tain individuals The virtue in the ca
nal proposition before the house was
that il avoided this very deadfall. By
its terms the canal would be con-
structed BY the government. He de-
sired TO vote upon that proposition be
cause he realized that sooner or later
the house would be compelled to choose
between this proposition and one 10
allow a private corporation, with gov
eminent credit, TO build this canal. If
the canal was to be built by the gov
ernment, it 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 II not come |
back home and build railroads for the !
benefit of interstate commerce?
Mr.. Dockery Dem, NOD 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 for his reputation as
a INSTRUMENTATION. he declared, could /
hold that the amendment was in or !
der. he realized that the members !
were eager to gel at the public treas /
liry upon this proposition, but he I
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 He
had no respect for the rules as such. /
rTl,ev DEGRADED the individual member !
and massed too much power in the /
speaker. but the members OF the min |
orftv esDecially dare not oveTrule this I
rule that had come down from the
Democratic fathers. Bur If thds amend !
rne77t was declared in order he gave /
notice that he would offer an amend
meut 10 il TO provide for the issue Of /
enough additional legal tender notes to
meet the entire cost OF the constTuc-
ton of the canal.
AFr. Dockery declared himself in favor
of building the Nicaragua canal, be
cause it would aid the national defense
and promote commercial expansion,
which he preferred TO territorial expan-
AIr. Quigg CRep., y. " interrupted
TO call attention TO the fact that the
riof1tS under winch the Celdl was 70
he constructed would expire in eight
LITTLE JOKER"
Mr.. Dockery, in reply. said he well
comed the interruption. It disclosed the
,fiftle Joker in the shape of the Mari
time Canal company, for which the
senate bill appropriated $1,000, COO.
Mr.. Hepburn pointed cut that If this
hin passed as a separate proposition il
,yould 20 10 conference. There the
aIitfle Joker might be played, but #
nlaced on this bill the house conferees
eo,Ild prevent such an amendment
Mr.. Dockery limited strongly at in
Gnences outside the hall, the same in
Tuences. substantially, which were back
~ fhe Hanna-Payne subsidy bin. These
i1fiyences. he said. insisted that $1,000,
la0 should go to certain gentlemen who
,yfre interested in the Maritime Canal
hes on his side OF the house that they
-o,,Id not afford, in the closing days OF |,
= session. L. lend themselves to such
IN enterprise
AIR. MOODY (Rep., AIass.) made tech
,ical argument in support Of the point
d MT I.a ". A Smith CReO.. Mich) said