Evening star., 1902-03-19
THE NICARAGUA CANAL
NO EFFORT TO UNDULY PRESS
THE HEPBURN BILL.
Both Majority and Minority Reports
Submitted to the Senate This
Afternoon.


bill providing for canal across Nicaragua,
to unduly press the consideration of the
measure by the Senate. The bill has been
reported to the Senate from the committee
on interoceanic canals by vote of to 4,
and is now on the calendar. 1t has twice
been passed by the House of Representa-
tives by practically a unanimous vote.
Substantially the same bill has been passed
by the Senate when constituted very nearly
as it is today. Senators believe, in view of
these facts, that the steering committee will
provide that the bill be given the right of
way at the earliest practicable day.
The bill to protect the President is now
under consideration by the Senate, and
after that has been disposed of the oleo-
margarine bill win be taken up. The ne
cessity for legislative action to extend the
Chinese exclusion act. which expires by
limitation of law next May, is such that
that measure will probably be given the
right of way as soon as the oleOmargarine
bill has been acted The bill to reduce
the war revenue has been passed by the
House of Representatives, and the COM
| mittee on finance is about ready to report
it to the Senate. 1t will naturally have
precedence over the other measures in re-
ceiving consideration whenever the COM
mittee sees fit to press it to the attention
of the Senate. All these bills are not likely
to lead to undue debate or to long delay.
Members of the steering committee have
already indicated their readiness to give
the canal bill a right of way as soon as
these measures are disposed of
This plan of procedure wiz allow those
who favor the Panama route ample time in
which to prepare for such sopposition as
they desire TO make to the bill authoriz-
ing a canal through Nicaragua.
Majority and Minority Reports.
In the Senate this afternoon Mr.. Morgan
submitted the majority report of the inter
Ry
law relating to the title that could be con-
ferred by the new Panama Canal Company
to it's property at Panama. The report re-
views at length the subject of the title that
could be given by the company and shows
numerous obstacles to satisfactory con-
yeyance of that property to the United
States. 1t says that the consent of the Co
lombian government wp.sld be necessary in
the form of a law enacted by the Colon
bian congress.
Up to the present time the Colombian
congress has not entered upon the consd-
GRAFTON of the subject of thiS question. In
the case of the Panama Railroad Com
pany which holds its charter. under the act
be necessary legislative action by New
York in order that the company could dis
pose of the charter rights or to change
the purpose or the business for which it
was created to conduct. The character of
the men who compose the new Panama
canal company and their relations In the
past with the disastrous effort to build the
canal at Panama are recounted.
Mr.. Morgan also submitted the minority
report of the committee on the same sub
ject, which was prepared by Senator Kit
tredge. In this report a representation is
made of the canal project and 1t Is main
tanned that there are no obstacles in the
way of satisfactory transfer Of the prop
erty at the 1sthmus of. Panama to the
United States. In conclusion the minority
| report says: ITO sum up our conclusions
we repeat that the title of the new Panama
Canal Company is clear and satisfactory,
derived through legal proceedings, regu-
larly conducted in accordance with prin-
ciples Of law common to all civilized ma
tions. and fncumbered by no claims or
questions.
It's right to convey is no less clearly sub
Ject to the consent Of Colombia, and there
is every reason to believe that that consent
will be shortly obtained in satisfactory
form.
The report Of the minority reviews the
legal proceedings that have been taken in
France in order to show that the legal
status of the new Panama Canal Company
is such that it has full power to convey
title to the property.
"Of course" the report says, before any
money Is paid over the law officers of the
government will go over the whole subject,
as they would in any other important legal
transa action, but enough appears to show
that no defects exist. All the proceeding
are regular and Of a sort as familiar to
our court to those Of France. There Is
nothing anomalous or extraordinary about
them.
Proceedings for dissolution are taken
against an insolvent company. The court
DEGREES dissolution and appoints receiver.
The property being Of peculiar nature
not to be sold to advantage in the ordinary
way, the court authorizes q sale to new
company organized to carry out the pur-
poses Of the old company for an interest in
it's profit instead of cash. This authority
IL n all
hearing objectors.
1.-The proceedings are, moreover, exactly
in accordance with special act passed to
cover this particular case. 1t appearing
prosecute It's business the court authorizes
the receiver to join in a sale OF its prop
erty, and to take portion of the proceeds
In satisfaction of it's rights and interests"