The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-19

able
Indications arc that the s2oonar
amendment 10 the isthmian canal bin
VIII be adopted By the Senate today by
a majority Of at least s. The answers
presented by Senator Hanna yesterday.
of the members Of the Canal Commis-
sion. to doubts that have been raised in
the course OF the debate to certain Of
the engineering features Of the Panama
Canal were so convincing as to the su-
perf2rity Of that route thai several wa
vering Senators have been won over TO
that side
The reading of The SpoOner amend
ment began in the Senate At 2-16 this
afternoon and the work CT It's Perfeetioa
commenced fnmediately. 3Ir. Bacon
offered an amendment to the amendment
providing for az Isthmian Canal Com
mission TO carry CT the wcrk under The
direction OF the President. Several other
minor changes we're proposed. ssae or
them being agree to-
The Fist Vote
ne EEESL NeLG Let-EEEf BEa LE4E bacon
amendment Il was adopted by u vote
OF % 10 q. The vote was not con
s.dered aEy Indication Is 10 The rnaI
rescIt
The Sp0CusC amendment IS offered as
a subs -itute for the House bill which au-
.thorized The construction Of the Mica
ragza Canal It provides that the
President shall purchase the uucompiet-
{ ed Panama Canal tQgefher With ali of
the property, maps. records. ctc-. Of the
new Panama Canal Company for see
O0G 00o, provided that a satisfactory IT.
tie can be procured. It authorizes the
President 70 obtain from the Colombian
government exclusive and perpetual con
troll OF a strip of land not less SIX miles
in width upon %hich 20 construct and
operate the canal. including jurisdiction
ever the ports of Colon and Panama.
Prerogative of the President.
# the President is lot thoroughly sat
isfied with the ltle to the Panama Canal
within q reasonable time. he IS author
lied TO conclude treaty with Costa
Riea and Nicaragua for the purpose of
securing the necessary territory upon
which to build the Nicaragua Canal The
SUN Of $4,000 coo is appropriated to-
ward the project by either route 50 Sc
Ieeted. and the Secretary Of War is au-
thorized 20 make contracts for the ex-
cavation and defense Of the canal deter
mined up0n. The total cost Of The Pan
zna canal is limited TO $4,000 ccs. and
Of the Nicarsgus Canal 10 $50 coo. coo.
Costa Rica Ready to Act
shortly after tt.. Senate convened Mr..
Morgan. chairman If the Committee On
Interocesnfc Canals. presented com
rnunfcation from Secretary Hay. It set
forth that the department had received
from the government OF Costa Rica. ad-
vices that it was prepared TO take al
necessary steps looking toward the ne
gotiation Of a treaty for the conces-
sions necessary for the construction Of
the proposed Nicaragua Canal. Upon
request Of NJ. Morgan. it went to the
table
Clark Causes Surprise,
35r. CLARK Mem hurled bomb in the
Panama ranks by a sweeping declara-
tor taat he considered the Nicaraguaa
route the best and that it would have
his unqualified support and vote.
The Senator from Montana had been
credited with a leaning toward She NIca-
ragua project, but within the past TWO
days he had been placed in the Panama
ranks. the apnouncemeat last night bar-
ing been semi officially given ont that
he would join Senator Hanua's forces.
Alr. Clark characterized the pauama
project es 2 hcodoo. and enc 10 be
stunned and avoided
Afr. Allison. the dan CT the body. and
the Chairman OF the Committee on Ap-
prop-iations, announced that ne would
support the SDooner substitute. He be-
lfcved there was q general demand Tor
the construction OF an isthnian canal.
but he said the country wanted Congress
10 sse its best judgment in the selection
Of a route
He declared that for twenty years he
had foHoreG the lead Of the Senator
from South Carolina tAIr- alorgan} il
the matter OF canal legislation. net
without grave miagivings al times. Bat
there had been no such Investigation 3f
routes as had been made ia recent
years. And then. he contendcd. the
canal, TO meet The conditions existing
today, was FAR different from the canal
proposed 10 be built even 4 few years
ago.
At 1925 o'clock Mr- Morgan began the
summing up Of the case for the Mica
ragua side Of The controversy that has
continued with very Iittlc interruption
Eo- two weeks.