Evening star., 1902-01-08
FIVE HOURS DEBATE
Consideration of the Hepburn Canal
Bill.
THE OFFER OF THE PANAMA COMP
Representative Morris Amend
ment Practically Accepts 1t.
MIR. CANNON OPPOSES HASTE

hours yesterday. The notable feature Of
the discussion was the many questions
which were asked of the speakers regard
ing the recent offer of the Panama Canal
Company to sell it's property for $40,O00,000,
and just before adjournment Representative
Page Morris of Minnesota gave notice that
al the proper time he should offer an
amendment to the bill which practically ac-
cepts that offer on the part of the United
States.
Besides Mr.. Hepburn, the speakers yes
terday were Messrs. Davis (Fla.), Richard
son (AIa.). Mann GIk) and Adams Pa,l.
Regarded as Unfriendiy to Canal
In reply to a question as to the advisa-
bility of giving the President the authority
to build on either route Mr.. Hepburn raised
an Outburst of applause, after The Stars
report closed yesterday, by declaring that
he looked upon any attempt to entanSle
the United States in the Panama enterprise
as an effort to defeat any canal.
Mr.. Reeves GllS1 asked whether it would
not be better to wait a few days or weeks
until the Secretary of State could inform
Congress just what We could obtain in the
way of concessions from Nicaragua.
In an enterprise of this magnitude. re-
piled Mr. Hepburn. there never has been
and never will be day when some gentle
man will not be able to urge some reason
for pOstponeemnt" CApplauseO I'VE nave
been suffering from that for years. l am
assured BY those who know that the proto-
col with Nicaragua has reached such
stage that We are certain to get what we
want" Applause)
Referring again 10 the reported offer of
the Panama company to sell, Mr.. Hepburn
said that upon a mere rumOr It was pro
posed to delay action.
But if the rumOr turns out to be true?'
asked Mr.. Reeves.
IF it is true" said Mr.. Hepburn, that
the Panama company has made the propO
sitton then we should deal with Colombia
which owns the canal"
''Y on mean the company forfeited its
rights if it made an offer to sel?'
Il do
DO you think the company would risk
fOrfeiture?'
1T recognizes that the Jig Is up"
Mr.. Hepburn asked Mr.. Reeves in turn
whether he knew of any concession given
by the Colombian government to the Pana-
ma company to sell the canal.
Mr. Reeves-"I do not and doubt # such
exists, but nevertheless / do not believe the
Panama company forfeited it's rights. any
stipulation of the treaty to the contrary
notwithstanding"
Mr.. Hepburn-"The commission says that
an offer to sell works forfeiture not Only
Of the cOmpany's franchise, but its property
in Colombia
Mr.. Hepburn declared that the Panama
proposition to sell for s4OOOO.O0O coming
just as the house was about to act and
after a long previous insistence on $780,
oo.Vo was suspicious, to say the least.
Protocol With Nicaragua
Replying to Mr.. CannOns inquiries as to
the conditions of the protocol with Mica
ragua Mr.. Hepburn stated his unde. 'tand-
ing was that s5.CoO,COO and 81 900, 900 were
about the figures allowed ..icaragua and
Costa Rica.
Why is this protocol not laid before Con-
gress?' asked Mr.. Cannon
Because the Secretary of State has Dis
approved some of the changes made in the
original draft of the protocol" answered
Mr.. Hepburn. and pending final determt-
nation it is not desirable to submit The
terms to Congress"
Mr.. Cannon insisted that nothing E;c4:Id
be lost by waiting for say sixty days until
the facts as to this protocol could be
learned and Congress could deal with the
subject in an orderly manner.
Mr.. Hepburn declared that this would
have the effect of further delaying the
project, but he acquitted Mr.. Cannon of
any Intentional purpose of delay.
Mr. Cannon closed the rather spirited COL
Ioquy with Mr.. Hepburn by stating that
while he had always favored the canal he
was satisfied the precipitate pa ssage of this
oliI sacrificed advantages which the United
states now possessed and meant a heavy
increase in cost. which would have to come
out Of the treasury.
Mr. Davis for the BILL
Mr.. Davis tFla-), a member of the COM
mittee which reported the bill, followed Mr.
Hepburn with an earnest plea for IT'S pas
sage He advocated the Nicaragua rather
than the Panama route, and insisted that
the time had now arrived when talk should
cease and work begin. I'VE need this ca
nal said Mr.. Davis, for the convenience
and the expansion of our commerce: we
need II Tor the proper handling of our navy,
u F.rfr rfFprr l.
and western shores. for the protection of
our island possessions and for easy access
to them The American farmer needs it,
that foreign markets may be opened up for
the products Of his toll; the merchant and
manufacturer that they may compete with
rivals in other lands
Mr.. Richardson (Ala) also summarized the
bill, arguing that the Nicaraguan was pref
cradle In many ways to the Panama route
Differences Between Experts.
Mr.. Mann ull) declared that the experts s
who had examined the routes had differed
widely. No two commissions ever had
agreed either upon the cost or route, and
it was therefore with some hesitancy that
he accepted unreservedly the report of the
latest commission He recalled the fact
that the distinguished body of engineers as
sociated with De Lesseps expressed the
opinion that sea-level canal could be built
from Colon to Panama for $100OOOOOO. 1t
a
sea-level canal was utterly impracticable
and II was not until 1898 that the technical
commission of the Panama company re-
ported in favor of a lock canal. Our 18TH
milan commission now disagreed with the
technical commission to methods of con-
struction.
He had no doubt that later commissions
would disagree with the Walker commits
sion. Mr.. Mann declared that in his opin-
Ion no such dam as the Panama company
proposed TO build at Bohio, on the Chagres
river, would ever be constructed Yet
many members honestly believed that the
new offer of the Panama company should
De further considered before the govern
ment pledged itself to the Nicaragua route.
Mr.. Mann pointed out that the estimates of
the various commissions appointed to ex-
anime the Nicaragua route ran from S31-
Vo,OO0 to S1S9,0o0OO0. He did not think
discrepancies in the estimates could be sat
isfactoriiy explained on the ground of the
enlargement OF the plans of the canal.
With practically no change except the con-
struction or double locks the latest COM
mission raised It's estimate $71 600 600 He
said thiS the contractors who built the Chi
oaso drainage canal on the basis of the es-
Inmates made fortunes in profits
Mr.. Hepburn had expressed the hone - ;
American ships might be 20, 49,. -.