The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-03
Canal Bill Passes House by Big
MajOrity..-StOrmy Debate.
MEMBERS CALL HARD NAMES
Day Of Intense Excitement, But All 0ppOsl'
ton Is crushed...clark, Of Montana,
Causing More Trouble 10 the Sen.
ate.-A Scheme Mpped.

WASHINGTON. May 2.-The house
today. at the conclusion Of the most
stormy debate Of the present session
Of congress. passed the Nicaragua can
al bill by an overwhelming vote OF 225
to 35.
All attempts to retain in the bill the
language Of the origianl bill pending
for fertilization Of the canal, and to
still further strengthen the language
on that line. were baked and the VIC
tory Of hepburn and nis.commlttee was
complete. A motion to recommit the
bill, with instructions to report back
another bill, leaving the selection OF
the route to the president. was buried
under an adverse majority Of 50 to III.
Cannon. ckelrman Of the appropria-
tions committee, and Barton, Of Ohio.
chairman Of the river and harbors
committee, made a game tight to stall
OFF action at this session. but their
appeals were in vain, and, the mem
bers rode. rough shod. over all their
arguments and protests.
Much excitement reigned throughout
the day and several times bitter words
were used. The excitement reached
its climax in a highly dramatic scene
between Hepburn and Cannon. when
the former used the words "lie" and
liar as he denounced the distin-
guished chairman of the appropria-
tions committee for attempting to
"dishonor him"
The house was in riotous confusion
during the quarrel. Members crowd
ed the aisles and the situation at one
time was so threatening that Wheeler,
(dem), OF Kentucky. sought to pour
oil on the waters by raising point
Of order. But he was not upheld and
the two irate members carried their
war to the very hilt.
There was a show Of peace at the
close of the incident, but the feeling
between the two men ran SO high that
mutual retractions with which such
incidents generally end, were but
clcaks of the keenest and most cutting
sarcasm.
Those who voted nay were: Ache
son. Burton, Cannon, Capron, Clark
(Mo). Cooney, Cowherd. Cox, Dalzell,
De Almond, Denny, Dougherty. Flem-
ing, Fletcher. CASTOR, Gillett (Mass.),
Graham, Hit, King, Lawrence, Lester
Levi, Littaeur, Littleheld, Mccall, Ne
vile. Rhea (Ky.), Buckner, Shafroth,
Stewart (G1s@, Talbert, Thayer, Van
diver-35.
The bill, as it pasesd the house, au-
thorizes the president of the United
States to acquire from the states Of
Costa Rica and Nicaragua control Of
such territory as may be desirable end
necessary, on which to excavate, con-
struct and protect canal of such
depth and capacity, as will be suffi-
cient for the movements of ships Of
the greatest tonnage and draft now
in use, from point near Greytown, on
the Caribbean sea. via Lake Nicaragua
to Breto, on the Pacific ocean; and
such sum as may be necessary to Sc
cure such control is hereby appropri-
ated.
The sum of $1O,OOO,OOO is appropriat-
Ell toward the project and the secre-
tary of war is authorized to enter in
to a contract for such materials and
work as may he deemed necessary for
the proper excavation, construction,
completion and defense of the canal,
to be paid for as appropriations may
from time to time be hereafter made,
not to exceed in the aggregate $14O,-
100000,
In offering an amendment in the
senate to the army appropriation bill,
providing that volunteer soldiers in
the Philippines who had remained
there and performed willing service
long after they were entitled to dis
charge, should receive travel pay and
Communication of subsistence, less ac-
tual cost Of their transportation to the
United States. Turner (dem.), of Wash
ington, made an extended statement.
He declared that the volunteers
brought back to the United States from
the Philippines had been packed like
swine in dark, dirty, filthy. rotten and
vessels.
II went to San Francisco" contin-
ued Turner. "to join in the reception
of the Washington regiment upon its
return from the Philippines. I went |
aboard the vessel and into her hold,
where the soldiers were packed, and |
l assert, on my honor, that the quar-
ters were not At for animals"
Turner said the cost involved in the |
would be about s1,OOO,OOO.
Hawley made point of order against |
the amendment that it was a change