Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-24
Objection of Senate Conferees.

This amendment would be agreeable to
Mr. Hepburn but the Senate conferees in
dcated plainly by their comment that they
could not consider such suggestion. When
the bill was before the Senate Mr. Mallory
of Florida offered amendments to it in
terms providing that the time in which the
Panama property should be secured should
be limited to six months, then to twelve
months and then to eighteen months, all
three of the amendments being defeated.
The Senate confereeS take the ground that
if they were to accept such an amendment,
specifying the time in which the title to
the Panama property should be secured be-
fore proceeding to acquire the Nicaragua
canal, in the event that it could not be
| secured, such action would only be an in
centive to those who prefer the Nicaragua
route to do all in their power to delay the
acquisition Of the title beyond the time
| specified, in which event their favorte
route would be secured.
| They thing that there are many ways in
| which this procedure might be carried on
| by legal distractions otherwise, and
| while they do not charge any one in Con-
| gress with any such motive they feel that
| it would be the part of wisdom to take no
| chances in the matter. In fact the Senate
conferees at the meeting today showed very
| the House to accept their bill exactly as it
| passed the Senate. They claim that the
Spooner amendment was carefully drawn,
| thoroughly discussed and amended by its
| friends to such an extent as to make it
entirely satisfactory. They do not see any
| reason for changing it and are putting up
a very stiff fight for its acceptance by the
| House conferees in it's present form.
There is a strong feeling on the part of
! those who voted for the Spooner amend
| ment which will locate the canal at Pana-
| ma II title to the property there can be
secured that 1t is really a matter of indif-
| ference whether the House conferees see
| fit to accept the Senate hDl or not, because
they are satisfied that the conferees will be
| instructed by the House to accept it if they
should not be inclinedsto do so on their own
| account.
Confidence in Ultimate Legislation.
But there is no strong opposition to the
| Senate measure as a whole on the part of
the House conferees, especially on the part
| of Messrs. Fletcher and Davey, though
| from their side there have been suggestions
| that it might be well to amend the bin in
| some respects. ..-t
1t was not expected when the conferees
| met today that they would reach an i'm
| mediate agreement. Their meeting was In
! order that general understanding could
| be secured as to the way in which all
| viewed the question, and there was a free
exchange Of opinion. When the meeting ad-
meeting would be called in the very near
future. probably tomorrow, by the chair.
| man, Senator Morgan.
Mr.. Hepburn reviewed all the objections
that have been presented to the Senate by
Senator Morgan and others against the
| probability Of ever obtaining a clear title
| to the Panama canal property and gave the
| Senate conferees to understand that so fan
as he was concerned he would never con-