The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-25
CANAL BILL Tackled ON
An Amendment to the River and
Harbor Bill.
PASSED BY THE SENATE
The Vote Was the Decisive One Of Fifty
to Three-Various Points of Order
Against Were Overruled
by the Senate.

Washington, Feb. 24.-After a session
ate this evening at $50 o'clock passed
the river and harbor bill by the de-
cisive vote of so to 3. The measure was
under consideration throughout the day
and ON several of the committee amend
ments a determined fight was made,
but in every instance the opposition
awaited nothing. The sharpest contest
arose over the Nicaragua canal bill
amendment A point of order was made
against it that it was general lesfsla-
tion, but the senate, to which the vice
president submitted the point over
ruled it. 1t was then attacked as not
being relevant to a river and harbor
measure. but this, TOO. was oVerruled
by the senate. Mr.. Pettigrew of South
Dakota, Mr.. Rawlins of Utah and Mr..
Teller of Colorado vigorously attacked
the bill. their opposition being directed
especially against the canal amend
ment. The statement was made that the
measure would never see the light Of
day in the house and that the canal
would not be built under the PROPOSE
ton inserted in the bill. During the
afternoon Mr. Sewel of New Jersey
delivered a speech in support of the
Hull-HaWley army reorganization bill
in the course of which he declared that
the United States was now as much
at war in the Philippines as it was with
Spain when our army was before San
tiago. He expressed the belief that it
would require an army of $4,000 men
to control the Filipinos and that we
are likely yet to have serious trouble
in ha
day were the following: Authorizing
the legislative assembly of the territory
of New Mexico to create an additional
indebtedness for the completion and
furnishing of the territorial capitol: au-
thorizing a re-survey of certain lands
in Cheyenne county Neb.
Consideration of the river and harbOr
bill was then resumed Reverting to
the amendment providing for the con-
struction of reservoirs at the head
waters of the Missouri river and appro-
prating $4,000 for three reservoirs in
Wyoming, Mr.. Frye, in charge of the
bill, asked that the amendment be pass
ed upon. Mr.. Spooner of Wisconsin
doubted the adviFability of the amend
ments and said that it had every ap-
pearance of being a stronge wedge of
an elaborate system of irrigation of
arid lands. which would cost the gov
lars.
Mr.. Wilson of Washington presented
the credentials of Addison G. Foster
elected a senator from Washington.
They were filed. When the discussion
of the amendment was resumed. Mr..
Warren of Wyoming, Mr.. Allen of Ne
braslla, Mr.. Foraker Of Ohio, Mr. Gal
linger of New Hampshire addressed the
senate in favor of the amendment. The
hn I tol
passed without division. AT the request
of Mr.. Sewell of New Jersey. the river
and harbor bill was laid aside tempo
rarily in order that he might submit
some remarks on the army reorganiza-
ton bill, which he regarded as of high
er Importance than any other measure
now before congress. In his opinion.
the country was more in a state of war
to-day than it was when our army was
before Santiago.
Il never was in favor of the acquisi-
tion of the Philippines" said Mr. Sc
we'll. Il said to the president the day
after De~eys magnificent victory in
Manila bay. For Gods sake, order him
away from there.
Mr.. Sewell then stated his reasons
for not desiring the Pacific islands. He
said that he had visited them and was
satisfied from personal observations
that they and their inhabitants We're
not desirable acquisitions to this coun-
try. He declared that it would take
an army of from $1,000 to 50, 900 to main
tain our control in the Philippines.
Even now the American troops were
cooped up in Manila, and thus far had
been able to accomplish little In his
opinion 10000 men would be required
in Cuba and several thousand in Porto
Rico, SO that practically the entire
army would be used in what might be
termed our island possessions
Mr.. Foraker of Ohio interrupted Mr.