BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-06-28
The Full TeII 0I he ClD0I
Measure Posed By CONGRESS

Following is the full text of the
Spooner Isthrnian Canal bill, as passed
by Congress yesterday
dent Of the United States is hereby
authorized to acquire, for and on behalf
of the United States. at a cost not ex-
ceeding $4o,ooo,ooo all of the rights,
privileges, franchises. concessions, grants
Of land, right of way, unfinished WORK,
plants and other property, real, personal
and mixed, of every name and nature
Iowned b the New Panama Cana
Company of France on the Isthmus c1
Panama, and all its maps, plans, draw
ingS, records, on the Isthmus of Pana-
ma and in Paris, including all the capi-
tai stock, not less, however, than 6S.S63
shares of the Panama Railroad Com
pany, owned by or held fol the use of
said canal company, provided a salts
factory title to all of said property can
be obtained.
Section 2. That the President is
hereby authorized to acquire from the
republic of Colombia, for and on behalf
of the United States, upon such terms
as he may deem reasonable, exclusive
and perpetual control in perpetuity of a
strip of land the territory of the repub-
lie of Colombia, rot less than six miles
in width, extending from the Caribbean
Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and the right
to use and dispose Of the waters there-
on, and to excavate, construct and to
perpetually maintain, operate and pro-
tect thereon canal. of such depth and
capacity as will afford convenient pas
sage of ships of the greatest tonnage
and draft now in use, from the Carib-
bean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, which
control shall include the right to perpe-
tually maintain and operate the Pana-
ma Railroad, if the ownership thereof
or a controlling interest therein shall
have been acquired by the United
States, and also jurisdiction over said
strip and the ports at the ends thereof;
to make such police and sanitary rules
and regulations as shall be necessary to
preserve the public health thereon, and
to establish such judicial tribunals
thereon, as may be necessary to enforce
such rules and regulations. The Pre-
sident may acquire such additional ter
ritory and rights from Colombia as in
his judgment will facilitate the general
purpose thereof
Section 3-That when the President
shall have arranged to secure a salts
factory title to the property Of the New
Panama Canal Company as provided
IN section l hereof and shall have OBJ
aimed by treaty control of the neees
SIR territory from the republic of Co.
iombia, as provided in section hereof,
~ Is authorized to pay for the property
Of lie New Panama Canal Company
forty millions of dollars and to the
-ef ablic of Colombia such sum as
s'lall have been agreed upon, and a
SIN sufficient for both said purposes is
!i4-ebJ appropriated out of any money
in the treasury not otherwise appropriat-
ed. to be paid on warrant or warrants
dra IN By the President.
The President shall then cause to be
exeavateds constructed and completed,
utilizing to that-end as far as practic-
able the work heretofore done by the
New Panama Canal Company of Fran
e, and its predecessor company, ship
sanal from the Caribbean Sea to the
Pacific ocean. Such canal shall be Of |