The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-20
PANAMA ROUTE WINS
sPOONER SUBSTITUTE Is ADOPTED
By THE SENATE.
Mr.. BAC0N'S AMENDMENT.
CANAL COMMISSION TO BE NAMED
BY PRESIDENT.

Bill for Hepburn Nicaragua Canal
Bill by AZ to "a and Then Adopted
SpOOner Bill by Vote of 81 to q.
This Gives President Large Powers
and Makes Mr.. BacOn's Amendment
of ImpOrtance-An Issue of $780,
100000 in Gold Bonds at Per
Cent. to He Made to Defray Cost
of Construction.
Washington, June 19.-By a majority
of eight votes the Senate this after
noon adopted the Spooner amendment
for a Panama canal over the House
bill which favored the Nicaragua route.
After this amendment had been adopt
ed, the Senate passed the canal bill by
a vote of 67 to 6. Before the Spooner
amendment was adopted it was per-
fected by the adoption of an important
amendment submitted by Senator Ba-
con- which provides that the Construc-
ton of the canal shall be under the
direction of a commission of experts
which shall report to the President and
to Congress. Without this provision,
the bill would have carried no restric-
tons, or limitations upon the Secre-
tary of War in whose hands the
Spooner amendment placed the sole
control of construction.
On the test vote between the two
routes, Senators Bacon and Clay voted
for Nicaragua; when by a decisive ma
jority of the Senate the Panama route
had been decided upon, both Georgians
voted for the bill when placed upon
final passage.
Now that the Senate has acted, the
canal question goes back to the House
and upon the action of that body the
fate of an isthnian canal depends.
Senators Morgan, Hanna and Kilt
redge have been named by the Senate
as its conferees. The bill will first 20
to conference. The next step will be
report of inability to reach an agree
ment, since the house conferees viii
decline to accept the Senate amend
ments to the House bill Then the
House will be called upon to decide
whether it will accept the Spooner bill
or defeat isthmian canal legislation at
this session. The indications are that
when put to the test the House will
agree to the Senate bill. and the Pres
ident will be authorized to take the
necessary steps toward the construc-
ton Of canal by the Panama route.
The House has had no opportunity
TO pass upon the problem since the
last report of the Walker commission.
There is very strong advocacy of the
Nicaragua route in the House, es-
peclally on the part of members of
the Commerce Committee, which re-
nnFfan a -
lief is general that in the light of
the commissions report and of the
Senate's action, there will be a ma
Jority vote for the Panama bill.
Morgan for Panama Now.
A. good many people in Washington
seem strongly of the opinion that the
Panama bill has been pushed forward
by Senator Hanna and some of the
men who have supported it merely
for the purpose of defeating all canal
legislation. There are undoubtedly
some people who would be glad to see
no canal bill and some of these doubt
less voted for the Spooner amendment
in preference in the House bill, but
the belief that there will be no final
action is not shared by Senator Nor
gan, who has led the fight for the
Nicaragua route. He is for a canal
get it by the route he considered
the better. After the vote to-day he
said he confidently expected to see an
agreement between the houses and
some bill signed by the President be-
fore adjournment. This means the
Panama bill, for there is no chance
of the Senate receding from the posi-
ton it took to-day. Senator Plat of
New York, a strong advocate of the.
Nicaragua route, expressed the same
opinion as Senator Morgan, and so did
Senator Kittredge, a leading support
er of the Panama route, who is one
of the Senate conferees. Senator Har-
ris of Kansas is not so sanguine; he
fears that there will be a tangle and
no legislation.
How the Senator'S Voted.
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, June 19.-An isthmian
canal, while not yet absolutely as
sured, is nearer to construction than
it has ever been. The Senate to-day
by a majority of eight votes, adopted
the Spooner substitute for the Hep
burn Nicaragua canal bill, the vote
on the substitute being AZ to "a.
The detailed vote follows:
Yeas-Aldrich, Allison, Bard, Bever-
idge Burnham, Burrows, Burton,
Clark of Wyoming, Cullom, Deboe,
Dietrich. Dryden, Fairbanks, Foraker.
Foster of Washington, Frye, Gallinger.
Gamble, Hale, Hanna, Hansbrough,
Hoar, Jones Of Arkansas. Jones of
Nevada, Kean, Kittredge, Lodge, Nc
Comas, McCumber, Mcmillan, Mason,
Willard. Plat of Connecticut Pritch-
ard, Proctor, Quarles. Scott, Spooner,
Teller, Warren, Wellington, Wetmore
AZ.
Nays-Bacon, Bailey. Bate. Berry.
Blackburn, Carmack, Clapp. Clark Of
Montana. Clay, Cockrell. Culberson.
Daniel, Dubois, Foster Of Louisiana.
Harris, Hawley, Heitfeld, McLaurin
of Mississippi, Mallory. Martin, Mitch
ell, Morgan. Nelson. Patterson, Pen
rose Perkins, Pettus. Plat of New
York, Quay, Simmons, Stewart, ITALIA
ferro, Turner, Vest-34-
The following pairs were announced,
the first named in each case being IA
vorable 10 the Panama route and the
second against IL: Depew with Mem
cry. Dillingham; with Tiliman. Dolliver
with Money, Kearns with Gibson, Nc
Laurin OF South Carolina with Simon.
Elkns and Rawlins were absent and
impaired.
The spOOner Bill Adopted.
After two amendments 70 the meas
ure had been adopted. one providing
for q commission 70 supervise the con
GtructiOn Of the canal and the other
providing for the Issuance Of bonds 20
construct the waterway. n was passed
negative being Bate ~ Tennessee.
corkreil ~ Missouri Daniel ~ Nif-
Eiuia, Dubois o. Idaho. Feitus o. Ala