The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-17

At q special meeting OF the Senate COM
nittee On Inter-Oeeanlc Canals. this morn
ing. It is reported. programme was
agreed upon which will ensure the passage
Of the Nicaragua Canal bill at this session.
despite the assurance of the Administration
officials that Great Britain VIII never ae-
cent fhe amended Hay-Pauneefote Treaty,
The desire of Mr. Morgan, the chairman
nf the committee. has been to have the
waterway measure adopted at this session
Of Congress and n is reliably reported that
today he was assured by the leaders IN the
Senate that the bill would be put through
before the Fifty-sixth Congress adiourns
on March 8.
The DIan. as outlined by a Senator who
was present at the meeting. is to decide
today. in executive session, to take vote
OF the Hay -Parncefete Treaty on Thurs
day. and to raufy the compact in its
amended form on that day
On the day following the ratification,
the Senate will take holiday recess until
January 5. a. period of nearly two weeks
The canal measure will, it is said, remain
on the calendar as the special order, and
Mr. Morgan's resolution. that the Clay
ton-BuIwer Treaty, between the United
States and Great Britain, which was con-
cluded on April 10, 1850. is abrogated."
will also remain on the calendar and may
be called up at any time
It is now believed by majority of the
Senate that when the Hay-Pauncefote
compact is forwarded to Great Britain, it
will be pigeonhoIed and allowed to re-
main there. in order to prevent action on
the canal measure
It is said TO have been agreed this
morning. however, that Great Britain
shall be given . reasonable period in
which to act on the amended Hay-P -Paunce-
fote compact and return 1t to Washing
ton. The time limit is set for April 10,
and if by that time England has failed to
take action on the convention and has not
forwarded it to the United States. the
Morgan resolution declaring the Clayton
Bulwer Treaty abrogated will be called up
and adopted.
Immediately following this ac,ion,
which will leave the way clear for the
passage of the Nicaragua Canal bill, the
Hepburn Morgan measure. It is said, will
be called up. and put through with little
debate
large majority OF the Senator's are
pleased with this programme. and are
said to have agreed TO stand by it. The
provisions are regarded as being abso-
Iutely fair to Great Britain and to the
friends Of the canal Mr.. Hanna 1t is claim
ed, has offered no open objection to The
plan. It is also claimed that nearly all
of the Republicans viii vote for both
the resolution and the bill. since Mr.. Nc
Kinley has assured them thai with the
ClaytoH-BuIwer Treaty abrogated, he viii
sign the Canal bill if passed by the Sen
ate
The friends of the bill are highly pleased
with the outlook and predict its passage
by large majority.
The members of the Canal Committee
deny absolutely that there Is any truth in
the statement made by a Senator who has
been defeated for another term. that the
Administration has a secret understanding
with the Panama Canal Company and in
the end viii show its hand by favor;ng the
Panama route. It is held that no Govern
ment official dares favor the Panama way,
in view Of the report OF the Walker Com
mission. and that the advances made by
NJ Hutin, the President of the Panama
Company. have been both hopeless to the
spectators and distasteful to this Govern
ment
The canal viii be constructed along the
Nicaragua route. said a prominent Sena-
tor this morning 1T VIII be constructed
through an issue OF Government bonds ana
win be an American canal from bed 10 zor-
tiReafilre y