Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-01-23
CANAL BILL IS PASSED
The Nicaragua Route or Another May
Be Used.
PRESIDENTS GREAT POWER.
Canal to De Completed In Six Years.
Perpetual Government Owner
ship-NOt to Cost Over $115,-
OOO,OOO-vote Was 4s to @.

Washington, Jan. 23-The Morgan
Nicaragua canal bill, amended until 1t
bears slight resemblance to it's former
self and patched up in such way as
to be satisfactory to the administration,
passed the senate Saturday by vote
of 4S to 6.
1t was not until after protracted
and bitter struggle that Senator Nor
gan was able to bring the bill to a
vote. Since 1898 this bill, in one shape
or another, has been before the senate.
The present measure was introduced
by Senator Morgan last session, report
ed from the committee and placed on
the calendar, but it was mot until the
beginning of the present stssion that he
was able to bring his proposition direct
ly before the senate.
Changes In the Bill.
The Morgan bill in its original form
provided for the purchase of the stock
of the defunct Maritime Canal compa.
ny. 1t also provided that the cana
should be the property Of the United
States government for period of SO
years, at the expiration of which time
1t should revert to the government of
Nicaragua. This was the principal OBJ
lection to the bill raised by the admin
istration The presidents friends in
the senate and many Democrats were
unwilling that the bill should pass
without provision guaranteeing per-
petual government ownership. Such an
amendment was incorporated in the bill
as 1t passed. The bill now provides
that IT the government purchases th'
Maritime company's concession it shall
pay therefor such sums as a commits
sion shall find to be the actual value
Of the company's rights and property
not exceeding s5,O0O,000.
Provisions of the Bill.
The principal provisions of the Nor.
Tan bill as passed are as follows:
First.-The capital stock of the Mari
time Canal company of Nicaragua sha
consist of 1.OO0000 shares of 500 eaci
shall be worcestershire and not mo-
than this number of shares shall be ie
sued without congressional assent.
Second.-The maritime canal. if agre
upon as the route for an isthmian ws
terway, shall be the perpetual prcpert
of the United States government
Third.-The government of the Units
States shall posscss 92s.sio0 -siIares or Z
capital stock of the Maritime Can
Fourth.-Tre board Of directors of t,
canal company shall consist of seve
directors, one appointed by Costa Rice |
one by Near" qua and five by the pres |
dent Of the United States. by and wit
the advice of the senate, no two
whom shall he residents Of the sar
state. The salary Of said directors sha
be s. 0A0 We tn" pr s'dent whose com
pensat:on shall be Sc 900 per annum N
man V ho has cen heretofore connect
with the Maritime Canal company shf
be elig bic to this Office, and all suG |
persons are rrch bted from being nte,
asted in contracts on the canal.
Fifth.--'rhe cost of the canal whr
shall not exceed s115. 900 o.
and this sum is hereby appropriated W
der the Morgan act. Not more tha
$50 900 900 of this sum. however, can I
expended in any one fiscal year.
SiXth.--The president has discretion
lry powers in the matter of accepting
'oute for a waterway, and it is with
his jurisdiction to accept or reject, a
1e sees fit, the maritime route.
Seventh.--Th president is required t.
,pen negotiations for the abrogation g
he Clayton Bulwer treaty or any othe
.reaty found to be in existence ar
in the way Of the construction,
II the canal