The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-24
MUST SECURE CLEAR TITLE
SPooNER AMENDMENT PASSES
THE SENATE, AZ TO 81.

n y AAA0 oSSAs AS SAAA AOuOy
by a majority OF eight votes, adopted
the Spooner substitute for the Hep
burn Nicaragua canal bill, the vote on
the substitute being AZ to "a.
After two amendments to the meas
ure had been adopted, n providing
for a commission to supervise the
construction of the canal and the
other providing for the issuance of
$4,000, 900 of two per cent gold bonds
to raise money with which to con
struct the waterway, it was passed
by a vote of 81 to g..
It has been evident for several days
that the Spooner substitute, which in
brief provides that the president
shall select the Panama route if he
can obtain a clear title to the Pana-
ma Canal company's property, but
otherwise shall adopt the Nicaragua
route, would command the vote of a
majority of the senate.
The Panama route was considered
more desirable by the senate than the
Nicaragua route. The only question
left open is the title to the property,
and that the president will determine
if the house should adopt the senate's
amendments to it's bill.
Mr.. Morgan of Alabama closed to-
days debate with an earnest appeal
for the adoption of the Nicaragua
route. He had been preceded by Mr..
Clark of Montana, in support of the
Nicaragua route and Mr.. Allison of
Iowa, in support of the Spooner
proposition. Only minor amendments
except those indicated, we're adopted,
all others being voted down.
When the senate convened it was
with the intention of beginning the
voting on the isthmian canal ques-
ton at 2 o'clock.
Mr.. Morgan of Alabama presented
the following letter he had received
from Secretary of State Hay, oncern
ing the point raised in the canal de-
bate by Mr.. Kittredge of South Da-
kota:
II am requested by the minister of
Costa Rico to inform the committee
on interOceanic canals that he has
been instructed by his government to
make known to- the senate of the Unit
ed States that the government of
Costa Rica, is prepared to take all
necessary steps to put themselves in
a position to negotiate with the gov
eminent eff the United States"
The communication was laid on the
table. "
Consideration of the isthmian canal
question was resumed and Mr.. Spoon
err offered formally his amendment as
a substitute for the pending ~so-called
Hepburn Nicaragua canal bill.
Mr.. Clark of Montana then address
ed the senate in support of the Mic
aragua canal route. He thought that
if one-half the objections to both the
Nicaragua and Panama routes were
valid, neither route should be adopt
ed. However, he was satisfied the
%conceusus of conservative opinion in
this country was that a great isthmian
waterway should be constructed. The
American people, he said, were not
to be deferred. "You may delay the
project said he, "but you cannot de-
feat it."
The difficulties Of constructing the
canal, he believed were exaggerated.
He thought the Nicaragua route was
more to be preferred, as it was in
his opinion, more practicable than
the Panama route.
Mr.. Clark declared that the Pana-
ma scheme was a hoOdoo which
ought to be stunned and avoided. He
said the Panama canal plea had left
a heritage of ruin, disaster and DESC
lation.
Mr.. Allison explained why he.
should vote for the Spooner substi-
tIte. He believed there was a gen
eral desire among the American peo-
pie for an isthmian canal and the peo-
pie desired. too, that the United
States government should construct
and control the canal.
Mr.. Morgan, chairman of the inter-
oceanic canal committee, at the con-
clusion of Mr.. Allison's remarks, be-
gan his speech closing the debate
He said the canal issue seemed to
have come down to a single point
that OF finance. On that point he re-
ferred to Nh. Allison, but he did not
believe with him that it would be
necessary to issue bonds to pay for
the construction of a canal.
Mr.. Morgan particularly denounc-