Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-15
FIGHT OVER A POINT
The Nicaragua Canal and the Sundry
Civil Bill.
ATTEMPT TO ATTACH IT As RIDER
Opposition Working Hard to Pre-
vent 1t.
MIR. M'ENERY STATEMENT


A great deal of work was done among
the republican members of the House last
night and this morning by the friends of
the Speaker and Mr. Cannon to overcome
the sentiment in favor of the adoption of
sundry civil bill, rules or 10 rules. The i'm
preston, when the contest was reopened
this morning, was that a considerable num-
Der OF republicans who would yesterday
nave voted to override a decision of the
chalr, If necessary to secure the adoption
OF the amendment. had been won over to
the side OF the Speaker and Mr.. Cannon.
ms created much doubt as to what would
be the result of the vote, but the prevailing
opinion was that the House would sustain
the amendment. The idea was that a large
majority of the democrats and consider
able minority of the republicans would vote
for the amendment in order to put it on
the bill. The uncertain quantity in the
equation was the number of republicans
who had changed their minds over night.
The men most active in the opposition
expressed a fear that the amendment could
not be defeated; the democrats said that
the result depended upon the firmness of
the republicans who favored the canal, and
the republicans who were leading the fight
IN favor of the amendment said that if the
democrats generally stood up to the fight
the amendment would be added to the bill
Much Feeling Shown.
Much feeling was shown in the matter
and missionary work was done I'D to the
end of the contest.
when the moment arrived this morning
for the Horse to go into committee of the
whole to consider the sundry civil bin an
effort was made by Mr.. Hepburn to adjust
the matter by fixing a day for the consid-
GRAFTON of the Nicaragua canal bill. Mr..
Cannon insisted on the regular order, but
the House refused to take uD the appro-
priation bill until after Mr.. Hepburn had
been given an opportunity to ask unani-
nous consent for his resolution After ne
had made the request and Mr.. Cannon had
objected, there was no further resistance
of the proposition to go into committee of
the whole, and the sundry civil bill was
taken up.
The Fight Opened.
Then the fight over the point of order
was taken Up just where it was left eff
yesterday, the indication at that hour being
that the canal amendment was very strong
One of the fiercest contests of the session
was N progress when the House of Repre-
sentatives met today. The friends and OPP
pCnents of the plan to attach the Mica
ragua canal bill to the sundry civil bill
were working aSsiduously, and every argu-
ment which could influence members one
way or the other was being brought to
bear The fate Of the canal bill at this
Congress was in the balance.
Mr.. Sherman of New York who has been
snowbound between New York and Wash
irgton for twd days, arrived this morning.
He was designated as chairman of the
COMMITTEES oftahe whbe by the Speaker
when the sunsiry' civil bill was taken up,
but in his absence Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois
occupied the chair.
Ordinarily the member originally desig-
mated would resume the chair upon his re-
turn frcm such an absence, but owing to
the fact that Mr.. Hopkins heard two hours
of the debate yesterday upon the points of
order raised by the chairman of the appro-
priatons committee abainst the canal
amendment, ii was decided that he should
properly hear the remainder of the arglI-
ment and make the ruling
Some time was spent at the opening of
the session with routine matters. Just be-
tore the motion was made TO go into ,onl-
nittee of the whole, Mr.. HEPBURN of iowa
who Is conducting the fight on behalf of
the Nicaragua canal amendment, asked
unanimous consent that the canal bill Il
made special order for Tuesday next hiIt
objection was made
The House then went into committee of
the whole (Mr. Hopkins in the chair on
the sundry civil bill, the pending question
being the point of order raised against the
canal amendment.
Mr. Bailey Takes the Floor.
Mr.. Bailey fTex) took the floor He de-
sired to address himself he said. TO tho
remarks OF Mr.. Cannon yesterday about
the scandals which grew out of the build
ing of the Pacific railroads Althoush
Mr.. Cannon had not said SO in so MANY
words, Mr. Bailey said he Assumed tba+
he feared in connection with the Nicaral
qua canal a 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 was thai
1t was loosely enacted and therefore omen
ed the way to the scandals which had fol
lowed. AZ
Mr. Bailey in reply declared that the Pa
enc railroad scandals had not arisen out
of loose legislation There had been a
deeper cause They had grown out of the
unfortunate partnership between the gov
eminent and certain Individuals The viz
tue IN the canal proposition before the
House was that it avoided this very dead
IAN BY its terms the canal would BE- con-
stTucted by the government. He desired ia
vote upon that proposition because he reaID
lzed that sooner or later the House would
be compelled to choose between this prono
sltlon and one to allow a private corpora
ton with government credit build the ca
nal. III the canal was to be built by the
government 1t must be based upon the
theory that the canal was necessary for
ths support of our military and naval de-
Tense Otherwise, if the government could
build foreign waterways in foreign terri
tory, why could it not come back home
and build railroads for the benefit of inter-
state commerce.
Mr.. DOckery for the Rules.
Mr.. Dockery (Mol made an argument in
favor of sustaining the rules of the House.
which, he commended the proposed amend
ment violated No one with any respect for
his reputation as a parliamentarian, he de-
cIared could hold that the amendment was
in order 1t was already an open secret. he
said, that the House was ready ia. overrrile
the decision of the chair because it was
known that the chair must rule against the
amendment.
He realized that the members were eager
to get at the pubic treasury upon this prop