The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-04
PRESIDENT MAY INVESTIGATE.
NICARAGUA CANAL ROUTE PRACTI-
CALLY LEFT TO HIM.

conference Report Provides 81 ,OOO,-
900 for Looking Into the Matter.
New York, baltimore and Other
Large Projects Left in the River
and Harbor Bin by Conference.
The Miami Project Was squeIehed.
Other Changes Made.
Washington. March 3.-The conferees on
the river and harbor bill have agreed upon
and signed a report. Senator Frye made
the following statement as to the result
of the conference:
In the matter of the Nicaragua canal
the conferees provided substitute for
the Senate amendment. giving fun author
ity to the President TO investigate all
lsthmian canal routes, especially the Mic
aragua and Panama routes He is to have
all the engineers and other employees he
may need for this purpose. and is allowed
to appoint the engineers either from the
army or civil life. He is then to report
his conclusions 10 the next Congress. For
this purpose we appropriate $1,000 ,0O0
The items concerning New York har-
Dor, Baltimore, Philadelphia the South
west pass and the Mississippi river, Hud-
son river and nearly all the important ma
tional projects as distinguished from those
of a purely local character, were agreed
to practically as inserted in the measure
in the Senate
NIiami Project Knocked out.
I'm the matter of the Miami project
which has attracted considerable attention,
the House conferees refused TO agree to
the Senate provisions. In this matter the
best we could do was 20 secure provision
for the appointment of a board of en-
greers, which is instructed to make an es
innate and report.
THE House conferees also refused TO ac-
cept the senate's action placing the i'm
provements of St. Johns river, Florida,
upon a continuing contract, but IN this
matter we increased the appropriation
over the House figures to the extent of
about 100000, making the appropriation
$25O.O0O.
'The continuing contract provision for
Sandy Bar harbor of Refuge Mass. was
ton Of $250,oOO was provided for, and au-
thority was given 10 appoint board of
engineers to make survey and estimate
I'VE were also compelled TO modify the
Senate provision concerning the proposed
channel to Houston, Tex. In this matter
we increased the immediate appropriation
to the extent of 100000, making 1t 100000.
which Is sufficient to insure twelve feet
of water In the channel TO the sea.
"The House conferees accepted our pro-
vision approprlatng 100000 for the i'm
provement of Pearl Harbor. Hawaii, and
also TO the provision for the removal of
the rocks in East river, New York. They
refused to accept our amendment for the
improvement of Anacostia river, District
OF Columbia.
The Nicaragua Canal.
Senator Frye expressed the opinion that
the action of the conference on the Near
aqua canal matter would prove sausfac-
tory to the country. The Senate provis-
ion was, he said, necessarily crude, owing
to the haste which attended its consider
alton and Congress would be much better
prepared to deal with the question after
getting the reports provided for by the
conference agreement.
The agreement upon the New York har-
Dor item provides that the Secretary OF
War may enter into contract for the
forty-foot channel, IL the work can be
done for $4,0O0,O00; II not, the government
is to enter upon the work and expend that
amount in securing the depth of forty
feet
Many of the large items were compro-
missed. The appropriation for the South
west Pass Of the Mississippi river Is placed
at 100000