The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-16

would aid the national defense and promote
commercial expansion, which he preferred
to territorial expansion.
Mr.. Quigg Rep, N. y interrupted to
call attention to the fact that the rights
under which the canal was to be constructed
would expire in eight months.
Mr.. Dockery, in reply, said he welcomed
the interruption. 1t disclosed the little
joker in the shape of the claim of the
Maritime Canal Company. for which the
Senate bin appropriated S5,000OO0.
Mr.. Hepburn pointed out that If this bill
passed as separate proposition 1t would
go to conference. There the little Joker
might be played. but If placed on this bill
the House conferees could prevent such an
amendment.
outside the hall, the same influences sub
stantially which were back of the Hanna
Payne subsidy bill. These influences, he
SAID, insisted that five millions should go
10 certain gentlemen who were interested
in the Maritime Canal Company. In con-
clusion he warned the members on his side
of the House that they could not afford.
In the closing days of the session, to lend
themselves to such an enterprise.
Mr. w. A. Smith (Rep., Michl said that
the president of the Maritime Canal Com
pany had told him that he had rather lose
every dollar he had put into that enter
prise than that legislation for the con-
structiOn of the canal should fail at this
GRosvENoR's SPEECH.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., o. vigorously con-
tended that the point of order was not
we'll taken. He could not understand
why members should get excited because
the representatives of the people were max
ing an honest effort TO do that which all
political parties had sworn they would do
for the past five years. Continuing, Mr..
Grosyenor said that this bill would not have
been offered as an amendment to this bill
had not the chairman of the appropriations
committee announced that neither the canal
A. II
consideration al this session. He referred
to the refusal of that gentleman to-day to
allow a special order to consider the bill TO
be made That. he said, was war to the
knife. This was, therefore, the only remedy
which could reach the deadlock. He would
DO his duty and take the wrath of the
powers that be. lie contended that the
work Of constructing the canal was now in
progress within the meaning of the rule.
If this amendment were not placed upon
the pending bill he declared that the grand
child Of no member present would live long
enough to see the canal built.
Mr.. Cannon denied emphatically that the
failure to break down this rule meant the
abandonment of the construction of the
canal by the United States But Mr. Gros-
yenor reiterated it and said If this effort
failed he favored the passage of a joint
resolution to inform the nations of the earth
that we had given up the project and would
welcome the building of the canal upon the
terms upon which the Suez canal was built.
At the conclusion of Mr.. GrosVenOr's
speech the chairman of the committee of
he was ready to rule When order had been
procured he made a careful and elaborate
ruling in which he pointed out that the
question presented was purely q parlia-
mentary one. He reviewed the arguments
adduced on both sides. cited precedents, and
concluded by sustaining the point Of order
against the amendment. After rendering
his decision the chair went further by taxi
ing up the question raised by Mr.. Smith.
of Michigan as to whether the treaty of 1867
did not warrant the amendment He held
that it did not.
Mr.. Hepburn Immediately arose and en-
tered an appeal from the decision of the
chair. Mr.. Dalzell (Rep., Pa.) moved to lay
the appeal on the table, but this motion was
declared out of order in committee of the
whole. Mr.. Hepburn said he was willing to
allow the appeal TO be decided without
further debate, but Mr.. Fleming Dem.,
Ga.) insisted upon being heard in favor of
sustaining the decision of the chair. The
rule in question. he argued was to shield
and protect the minority
on rising vote the chair was sustained
152 to us. Mr.. Hepburn loudly demanded
tellers. The vote by tellers confirmed the
rising vote. The chair was sustained, 127 TO
109, and the amendment was ruled out.
The reading Of the sundry civil bill was
then continued. The appropriation for the
deep water ways commission was increased
from $4,000 to $4,000 motion Of the ap-
preparations committee. After completing
ten additional pages Of the bill the COM
mittee rose.
The Senate bill to correct the relative
rank of Captain r. r. Stedman, of the
Eleventh Infantry passed. At $40 D.
m the House adjourned.