The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-09
DEBATING THE CANAL
PANAMA PROPOSITION TO BE CON-
SIDERED.
IT NOW FINDS ADVOCATES.
PRESIDENT WILL PROBABLY BE
GIVEN OPTION.


Such Vast Enterprise He
Thinks 1t Well That the Experts
Should Consider the Panama
Offer-Burton of Ohio Thinks Well
of Panama ROute-Amos Cum
minRs Quotes Big Figures.
Washington, Jan. S.-The debate upon
the Nicaraguan canal bill in the House
to-day developed sentiment in favor of
giving consideration to the recent Of
fer to the Panama Company to sell its
franchises and property for $4O,-
100000 and this sentiment took
the form of advocating the
Morris amendment to empower
route if the canal commission, upon
considering the company's offer, rec
ommends it, and the required conces-
sions can be obtained from Colombia.
OF sixteen members who spoke to-day
nine favored the Morris amendment.
should close tomorrow at 2 o'clock,
after which the bill will be open to
amendment under the five minute rule.
The final vote probably will be taken
tomorrow. The speakers to-day were
Messrs. Shackleford Missouri; Parker,
New Jersey; Lowering, Massachusetts;
Morris, Minnesota Burton, Ohio; Hill,
Connecticut; Bromwell, Ohio; Gillett,
Massachusetts, and Littlefield, Maine,
in favor of the Morris amendment, and
Messrs. Burgess, Texas; Bell, Colorado;
Cooney, Missouri; Cummings, New
York; Gibson, Tennessee, and Lacey,
Iowa, for the bill in its present form.
Mr. Shackleford, Missouri, believed
that the Eads Tehuantepec route was
preferable to any which had been pro-
posed, but he did not think the present
time for cavil He did not like the
Panama route, but if the new PROPOSE
tion of the Panama Company offered
advantages over the Nicaragua he
thought the President should have al
tentative authority TO accept it.
IF you favor this bill" interpesed
Mr.. Bartholdt, Missouri, why is it that
you and your Democratic colleagues
from Missouri at the last session voted
against a similar bill?"
A Pointed Reply.
Because replied Mr.. Shackleford,
"the bill at the last session was passed
Save the Queen 1 want it passed to
the sweet strains of Hail Columbia
democratic applause.) But the Hay
Pauncefote treaty was not ratified at
the last session." observed Mr.. Bar
tholdt.
True it was not" replied Mr.. Shack
leford, "but our English Secretary of
State wanted it ratified, and because
we believed the wishes of Her Majes-
.N..A HI nk
would prevail, we opposed the bill!'
MIR. Lowering, Massachusetts, also
member of the committee that reported
the bilk said that in the past he had
favored the Nicaragua route because
the engineers had reported in it's favor
and because that until recently he had
believed the trans continental rail-
roads were using the Panama route to
obstruct action. But he had recently
satisfied himself that the railroads
were not behind the Panama canal.
The recent offer of the Panama Com
pany, he believed. was made in good
faith.
The Morris Amendment.
Mr.. Morris, Minnesota, who offered
the amendment yesterday to give the
President the alternative authority to
select the Panama route, if it was re-
commended by the Commission after
the completion of consideration of the
Panama Company's new offer, eX-
planned the purpose of>his amendment,
which he said was not to impede the
construction of the canal, but to in
sure the selection of best canal-the
best as to location, cost of maintain
ance and operation, durability and
freedom from danger and from destruc-
tion.
Before the Isthmian Commission
made it's report, he did not believe the
Panama route feasible. He thought it
had been used solely for the purpose
of delay. But since reading the report
he was unable to reach a conclusion as
to which was the better route. In en-
barking upon an enterprise that was
to cost 5000, 00O perhaps more, he
considered it wise that the experts
should have an opportunity ITO consider
the new offer of the Panama Com
pany.
If the bill was passed in the form
in which it was reported the Presi-
dent could not entertain the offer of
the Panama Company and under it
the President might, by treaty, bind
the United States to construct the Mic
araguan canal, even though we after
ward became convinced that the other
was the better route.
Mr.. Burton, Ohio, who led the oppo-
sition to a similar bill in the last Con-
gress, said he would now be glad to
see the pending bill passed. The events
of the last twenty months, he de-
clared, had vindicated the course of
the minority. In speaking of the ad-
vantages of the Panama route he said
a member of the commission had told
him q few days ago that the examna-
tion of the Panama route had been
much more thorough than the other,
and there was far less danger of dis
agreeable surprises as the work pro-
crossed Mr.. Burton received round
OF applause as he concluded.
Panama a BETTER Route.
Mr. Hill. Connecticut. at this point
read a letter from Prof. Ward, of
Bridgeport, Conn, who was employed
as an engineer on the Panama canal
for six ana half years contending
that the Panama route was better on
the following grounds:
First, u has two excellent ports with
a well equipped railroad.
Second, an established line of steam
ers 10 New York.
Third. competent equipment OF cars
and machinery
Fourth. accommodation for 10000 la
borers
Firth, actual definite plans for the
completion Of the canal with all the
Experimental work done and, sixth. the
~ rious dangers Of volcanic disturb
anceE at Nicaragua
AR Burgess, Texas, who represented