The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-15
SPRUNG AS A RIDER
MIR. HEPBURN'S COUP IN THE
HOUSE WITH NICARAGUAN
CANAL BILL
RIDER TO SUNDRY CIVIL BILL


Cannon Leading the Opposition
Special Order for the Disposal
of the Measure Is Suggested as a
Compromise.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-The Mica
ragua canal bill was offered In the
house this afternoon, as an amendment
to the urdry civil appropriation bill.
by Nh. Hepburn, Of Iowa, chairman
of the committee that reported it, and
the leaders on the representative sides
are engaged in desperate struggle,
which involves the fate Of the measure
at this session Of congress. After Mr.
Cannon, chairman of the committee on
appropriations served notice, last week,
that there was no time for cOnSidera-
ton at this session, the supporters Of
the measure decided to force it onto
the sundry civil bill as an order, If
possible AS soon as it was offered
this afternoon, Mr.. Cannon raised four
points of order against it, and one of
the most interesting parliamentary de-
I bates of the session was on. AS a
| rule the house leaders are able to hold
the members in line, but strong argu-
| ments are adduced in support Of the
pertinency of the bill, and, besides, the
the chamber, who are seemingly ready
to adopt any expedient to provide for
| the construction of the canal.
The debate on the points. of order
| lasted two hours today and was not
concluded. 1t promises to consume sew
| eral hours tomorrow. 1t seems to be a
| foregone conclusion that the chairman
of the committee of the whole (Mr
Hopkins, of Illionis) will sustain the
points Of order, so that the real test will
come upon the question Of overruling
the chair. Should the chair be over
ruled, there is no doubt that the amend
ment will command a majority of votes
! About twenty pages Of the bill were
| disposed of today. No important
amendments were adopted.
OPPOSED EXPANSION.
Mr. Wheeler Dem, Ky). In the
course Of some remarks in opposition
to expansion. served notice that he
proposed to vote against the $40, 900, 900
appropriation to be paid to Spain.
Mr.. Bailey Oem., Tex.) reminded Mr..
Wheeler that the president and senate
| constituted the treaty-making power
and the house must acquiesce in their
action.
Mr. Wheeler maintained that the
| treaty-making power had no right to
bind the house. He declared that the
| judgment Of history would reproach us
| for slaughtering the Filipinos
| Mr.. Williams Dem., Miss.) argued
| that the house had no right to ques-
ton a treaty made, or to repudiate
treaty obligations.
| Mr. Lewis Dem. Wash) furnished
an interesting contribution to the his
| tCrical phase Of the subject by recall
ing the fact that Spain agreed to pay
England $10,000,000 after the Philippines
| Il H. 81.
But Spain had never paid, and Lord
Waltham had denounced her course in
the commons. Spain was the only
| country on the globe which had re-
pudiated her treaty obligations.
Mr.. McRae Oem., Ark) gave notice
that he would offer an amendment to
| the appropriation Of $4,000, 900, declar-
ing it to be the policy of the govern
| nent not to annex the Philippines.
Mr. Corliss (Rep., Mich.) offered as
an amendment his bill for the construc-
ton Of a Pacific cable by the govern
ment. Mr.. Corliss called attention to
the extreme urgency for direct cable
| communication with Hawaii and the
Philippines, and to the presidents spe-
i cial message. the other day, urging
| immediate legislation for this purpose.
| A point of order was made against
| the amendment, which the chair sus-
| tanned, and the amendment was ruled
| out.
MR.. HEPBURN's COUP.
! Upon reaching the page containing
| the caption, deep waterways COM
Missions Mr.. Hepburn (Rep., Io),
chairman Of the interstate commerce
| committee, offered as an amendment
| the Nicaragua canal bill reported by
| his committee.
| Mr.. Cannon, chairman of the appro-
| priatiOns committee, Immediately rails
ed four distinct points of order against
| it: First, that it was not germane;
second, that it was directly obnoxious
| to rule 81; third, that it violated the
| rule requiring that appropriations in
| general appropriation bills should be
authorized by law, and, fourth, that
| it was not in continuation of work au-
| thorized by law.
| This opened up long parliamentary
debate upon the point of order
Mr.. Hepburn took the floor, arguing
that the amendment was germane and
| that it violated no rule. He contended
| that the two surveys made under the
direction of congress constructively au
thorized the work of building the canal
| itself. He insisted that the work of
| constructing the canal was in progress
| within the contemplation of the rule.
Smith Rep., Mich.) declared that the
! Dickinson treaty of 1857 warranted an
appropriation for the construction of
| the canal as much as the treaty of
Paris warranted the appropriation of
$4,000, 900 carried in this bill
In concluding his argument Mr.. Hep
| burn declared that the rule invoked
against his bill was obsolete so far as
| the appropriations committee was con-
| ceTned. There were thirteen distinct
violations of it in the pending bill. 1t
was only invoked when the appropria-
tons committee desired to stand off
There was a. round of applause when
Mr.. Hepburn took his seat
Mr.. Cannon, in reply, said he would
| not consider the wisdom of the canal
| 1t was the law which should be con-
! sidered. and there was not a microscope
| in the land that could find a scrap of
law on which to base the appropria-
ton. He personally announced himself
| in favor of the construction of the
canal under proper safeguards and con-
| ditions.
SPECIAL ORDER SUGGESTED.
Mr. Bailey suggested that if there
was question as to whether the
amendment was in order upon the bill
that the house agree by unanimous
consent to make the canal bill a special
order Immediately after the disposal of
the sundry civil bill
Mr.. Cannon pointed out, in response
| how a majority of the house if so dis
| posed, could tomorrow go into commit
tee of the whole and consider the canal
bill on it's merits. The attempt to get
a rider upon a supply bill that must
pass, he declared, led to bad and some