Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-01-11
Congress.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

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The United States Senate met Monday.
after a recess of more than two weeks.
out no business was transacted on ac-
count OF the recent death of Senator
William j. Sewel of New Jersey. In his
invocation, at the opening of the session,
the chaplain, Rev. DIR. William Milburn,
made touching reference to the death of
Senator Sewell He referred also to the
disability of Senator Berry of Arkansas,
and prayed that he might be able to soon
return to his duty in the Senate Mr.
kean of New Jersey formally an
nounced to til }enate the death Of Mr.
Sewell and offered the customary resolu
tons expressive of the sorrow of the Sen
ate and providing for an immediate adj
Journment in respect to his memory AS
mark of respect to his memory the Sen
ate adjourned Immediately upon the adop-
ton of the resolutions When the House
met after the holiday recess there was a
large attendance in the galleries. but
more than half the seats on the floor We're
unoccupied. The chaplain in his invoca-
ton referred feelingly to the death of
the late Senator Sewell of New Jersey
The oath was administered to Messrs.
Smith of Iowa and Weeks of Michigan,
who had not heretofore appeared at this
session. No business was transacted Mr.
Ioudenslager of New Jersey announced
the death of Senator Sewell In doing so
he paid warm and feeling tribute to the
citizen, soldier and statesman whose
death, he said, was 1.-THE greatest loss the
State of New Jersey ever suffered" He
offered the customary resolutions, which
were adopted, and as a further mark of
respect the House adjourned Rep
resentative Jenkins of Wisconsin, of
the judiciary special committee which
is framing an anti-anarchist bill, intro
duced a measure which, in addition to
providing the death penalty for assaults
on the President, requires alien immi-
grants to take an oath not to assault
those in government authority, and not
to publicly uphold the subyersion Of the
government by violent means.
Consideration of the Hepburn isthmiau
canal bill began on Tuesday in the House
of Representatives, The debate was of
unusual interest and conferred largely on
the new phase OF the question due to the
offer of the Panama company to sell its
property to the United States for S40,-
100000. Mr.. Cannon of Illinois and Mr.
Reeves of the same State, one chairman
of the committee ON appropriations and
the other Il member of the committee on
rivers and harbors, asked Mr.. Hepburn
number of leading questions. Mr.. Cannon
wanted to know why the choice of q route
should not be left to the President in
view Of the changed aspects of the Pan
anna situation. Mr.. Hepburn replied that
the Panama route was wholly ont of the
question so far AS Congress was concern
ed in the selection of route for Tie canal
Mr.. Morris Of Minnesota gave notice
that at the proper time he would offer an
amendment to authorize the President, if
he could procure the property and rights
Of the Panama company for S4O,000,000,
if concessions could be procured from
Colombia and if the Walker commission
so recommended, to purchase and proceed
to complete the Panama canal. Among
the speeches that were made was one
by Mr.. Mann of Illinois, who made an
eloquent and impressive plea in behalf
of the Nicaraguan route.
On Wednesday the isthmian canal bill
was before the House for debate. All
the principal speakers recognized the adj
vantage of the Panama route and an
nounced themselves in favor of it. so
strong had sentiment grown in favor Of
the Panama route that the most ad-
vanced advocates of it's selection were
talking of forcing a square issue between
it and the Nicaragua route. The more
conservative friends of the Panama route
are urging q compromiSe-not that they
are uncertain of their own strength but
to escape playing directly into the hands
Of the Panama company. The debate
was rather tedious. Several members
who had been among the thirty who vot-
ed against the Hepburn bill when it was
last under consideration announced they
would give it their support provided an
amendment is attached giving the Presi
dent power to make 4 selection Mr.
Burton of Ohio, chairman of the commit
tee on rivers and harbors. who voted
against the BILL reviewed the objections
by the minority when it was last before
the House, to show that practically all
had been removed Representative Hill
of Connecticut attracted attention by
reading letters from expert engineers in
favor of the Panama route. Representa-
tives Bromwell of Ohio. Gillet Of MaSsa
chusetts, Lttlefield of Maine, Gibson of
Tennessee, Lacey Of Iowa and other
speakers advocated the Panama route.
The only one to appear during the day
squarely in favor of the Nicaragua route
was Representative Cummings of New
York The Senate passed a large num-
Der of bills of minor Importance.