The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-06-17

Discusses the Arid Land
Bill.
Washington, June 12.-After consider
ing the London dock charges bill for an
hour and a half today, without COM
pleting it, the senate resumed consider
alton of he isthmian canal question.
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, occu-
pied the floor for three hours and a
half, discussing particularly the diplo-
matte phases of the question. The AL
ALBANIA senator intimated that Minister
Silva, of Colombia, had been recalled
from Washington because the Colom-
bian government could raise no money
on his opinion which was not in ac-
cord with the views of Colombia as to
canal concessions. He said that Co
Iombia, if the United States should pay
$40, 900, 900 for the anama canal would
get 81, 600, 900 down and how many
millions more God only knows-or his
satanic majesty-who, L think has more
to do with this business than the AL
mighty"
He aid the liberal party in Colombia
never woul extend the concessions Of
the new Panama Canal Company and
if the United States should pay $40. 000.-
600 for those concessions and the prop
erty it might as well throw the money
into the sea. He repudiated the idea
tina the Americans could be deceived
by any such foul and dirty scheme"
He declared that there never was a
more mistaken piece of legislation"
thai the Spooner amendment and re-
ferred to it as having been Offered in
the name of the senator from Wiscon-
sin"
Senator Spooner warmly resented the
m that he was not the author
of the mendme
Senator Fairbanks offered an amend
ment to the Spooner amendment au-
thoriZing the secretary of the treasury
to borrow, from time to time, $3.50, 000, 600
for the construction of the canal. bonds
to be issued for the amount borrowed.
to bear interest at 2 per cent, payable
in gold; the bonds to be disposed of at
not less than par.
Senator Morgan Immediately critics.
ed Senator Fairbanks proposition, de-
claring that it was simply another fea-
ture of the methods being employed to
delay the canal construction.
w I SOIlS hSdl OCldlO1 l. ~ dIin
insisted that his amendment was per-
fectly reasonable n proper. He be-
lieVed it to be in accord with the WlSeSt
craftsmanship to distribute the cost OF
the canal over a period of years, instead
of putting the burden of the entire cost
upon the people of the present time.
Later, Senator Morgan suggested that
he was holding the craftsmanship of the
Oceanic canals committee as a place
thrown to the democrats; but Senator
Hoar assured him that he did not holC
the position as a placebO, but because
the republican side had regarded him
as zone of the greatest of living sena-
tors, as one of the greatest of living au-
thorities upon one of the greatest ques
tionS.'
II shall soon be one of the greatest
dead ones" suggested Senator Morgan,
fa~cetiously, unless the republican side
shall take up this question in the view
of William Mckinley who was more
responsible for it than l am, or in that
of General Grant. who was more re-
sponSible still"
House of Representatives.
The house today adopted a special
rule for the consideration of the irriga-
ton bill which passed the senate some
time ago, and then devoted the a to
general debate upon the measure. BY
the terms of the rule general debate
closed at adjournment this evening. To-
morrow the bill will be read for amend
ment under the five-minute rule.
Mr.. Olmsted, of Pennsylvania, en-
liVened the pI oceedings with a hum
erous speech in reply to Mr.. Cushman's
recent attack Upon the ommitte on
rules.
Mr.. Mondreli submitted an extended
argument in favor of the bill. The
amount OF land which might ultimate
ly be reclaimed by irrigation was esti-
mated, he said, between 100000 and
75,000, 900 acres. 1t was estimated, he
said, that the pending bill would pro-
duce a fund from the sale of public
lands of between 50, 900, 900 and 81, 500, 900,
which would gradually increase. 1t was
estimated that the cost of bringing
water to the settler would be about $40
per acre so that at the present rate theI
bill would bring 100000 acres under If
rigation annually.
Mr.. Underwood, of Alabama, argued
that the only method of building up theI
arid land States, was to provide for
their irrigation. The bill would not
take a dollar out of the treasury, he
said; it would only use the proceeds
from the sale of lands in each stateI
for the benefit of such STATE.
Mr.. Olmsted defended the machinery
Of the house.: he argued that present
legislative methods were necessary for
the transaction of public business.
Fourteen thousand bills had been in
troduced at the present session. The
house would nav to sit up night and
day for ten years to consider and pass
upon all of them. He went over the
record TO show that more bills had been
passed and more unanimous consents
had been accorded in the last congress-
than in Forty-nineth inc Fiftieth con-
crosses before the present system went
INTO effect. He concluded by adjuring
members in the language OF a western
music hall notice: Don't Shoot the
Fiddlers, They are Doing the Best They
Il Gam