The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-21
cubNGE IN THE CANAL BILL.
,,ov,s1oN FOR IT'S FoRTIFIoATIoN
STRICKEN OUT.

.,.oxisfon for Defense" and "fro-
.,on. Are the New Terms Used.
Ian, saws 1t VIII Be Time TO
.hout Fertilization When the
-, Is Completed Minority
r,t,es Different View-Bin to
come IN May L and z.
,t,s,ton. April 20.-The House Com
49, an Interstate and Foreign Com
80 to-day made an important change
+,s HeDburn Nicaragua canal bill,
strisirg out the provision for the "fortifi-
ten and thus providing what is eX-
-o,.oi 10 he a compromise which will aid
= br.rring the measure to an early con-
sileration
Tbe amendment was proposed by Repre-
-..,,.i,s Barham of California. The
.,,,i,,nqn the committee was instructed
- ofra, IT on consideration of the bill at
The proper time as committee amend
ment thereto.
The amendment was agreed to, not
u4tbont some expressions OF reluctance,
Inf with a view to overcoming opposi-
ton AND securing action. In its new form,
tbs section reads as follows:
.,Bs I'D enacted, etc, That the President
ofthe United states be, and is, authorized
,a.a .u-e from the states of Costa RIGA
and 81 ragua for and in behalf o. the
United states control of such portion of
territory now belonging to Costo Rica and
Nicaragua as may be desirable and nee
e.s4rv on which to eXcavate. construct,
and protect a canal of such depth and ca
racfrr AS viii be sufficient for the move
eeHt ot ships Of the greatst tonnage and
draft now ia use, from point near Grey
town on the Caribbean sea, via Lake Nj
c9raeua, to Breto, on the Pacific coast;
and such sum as may be necessary TO Sc
cure such control is hereby Appropriated
on Of anv money in the treasury not 9th
erwise appropriated.
"Sec 2 That when the President has
secured full control over the territory in
section j. referred to, he shall direct
the Secretary OF War to excavate and
construct a canal and waterway from a
roint on the shore of the Caribbean sea,
near Greytown, by way of Lake Nicara-
qua 10 a point near Breto, on the Pacific
OCEAN Such canal shall be OF sufficient
capacity and depth as that il may be used
by vessels of the largest tonnage, and
greatest depth now in use, and shall be
supplied with all necessary locks and
other appliances to meet the necessities
Of vessels passing from Greytown to Bre-
10, and The Secretary of War shall also
Construct such safe and commodious har-
b0Ts al The termini of said canal, and such
provision or defense, as may be necessary
for the safety and protection of said
canal and harDors."
says the Bill VIII Pass.
Mr. Hepburn then announced that it had
been definitely arranged that the House
would take up the canal bill on May l
and Mr.. Hepburn says the passage
of che bill is unquestionable.
The main dissent to the change in the
bin came from Mr.. Adamson of Georgia,
who desired to have the words "fortify''
and defend" retained, as against any
doubtful or compromising phraseology.
Mr. 6arham, upon whose motion in the
committee the changes in the bill were
effected, said:
On The amended form ample author
ity il given to police and protect the canal
against destruction by evildoers, and by
the time the canal is completed, six or
eight years hence, there will be full OPP
porlUniy 10 determine whether the canal
should be permanently protected by for
uicauon7 or by our navy. For the pres
ent we avoid a needless issue in no way
bearing on the main question of con-
structing The waterway"
The minority report filed by Mr.. Shack
leforI OF Missouri, says:
The act should contain an explicit and
direct assertion of the right of the Unit
ed States to build, own and control said
canal, absolutely free from European die
4 nNon.
The Clayton-Bulwer treaty long ago
4 ceased to have any binding force by
4 reason of the conduct of Great Britain.
4 mat being true we should strictly ad-
here to the Monroe doctrine and stand by
4 our traditional policy that Europe will not
b. permitted to intermeddle with cis-At-
1 %nuc affairs. 1t is to the Monroe doc
Inc that we, as a republic, must look
/ for safety"