The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-06-13
MAKES INTERESTING SPEECH ON
THE CANAL BILL
FROM A SCIENTIFIC VIEW
Senator, Being n Civil Engineer
of Recognized Ability. Is Given
Marked Attention in His
of the Nicaraguan ROufe-senator
Simmons Delivers a Speech on the
Appalachian Park Bill-Senator
Morgan's Tribute to President Nc
kinley-HOuse PASSES the Anti
Anarchist Bill.

nv
Anarchist Bill.
Washington, June 9.-Au interesting
contribution to the discussion of the
isthmian n project was made in the
senat today by Senator Harris, of
Kansas. a emb of the committee on
in~ter-ocean canals, who is also an en-
gineer of recognized ability. His dis
cussion of the technical details of canal
construction was listened to with pro-
found attention. He strongly advo-
Gated the selection of the Nicaragua
route. He maintained that it was en-
tirely feasible and practicable from an
engineering standpoint and said that
some of the difficulties presented by the
Panama route were insuperable-nOta-
bly, the construction of the Bohio dam
During the early part of the session
the naval appropriation bill was consid-
cred. All of the committee amend
mentS were disposed of, except that re-
lating to the construction of two addi-
tional battleships, two cruisers and two
| g~unboats.
Senator Simmons. of North Carolina,
addressed the senat in support of the
bill for the establishment of a national
| forest reserve in the southern Appa-
lachian mountains. He explained that
ten forest reserves had been establish
ed in the United States. nom of them
east Of the Mississippi river. He said
the establishment of the ten forest re-
serves in the west was made from the
public domain, while cash would have
to be paid for the proposed reserve. He
did not believe. however, that there
was any difference between appropriate
ing cash from the treasury and appro-
priating property of the government.
Senator Simmons said it had been
suggested tina there might be some
Job" in the pending bill. This he
knew was not true and there was no
foundation in fact for the suggestion.
The measure was essentially national
in character n it was advocated as a
national proposition.
While Senator Harris was addressing
the senate on the isthmian canal pro-
ject Senator Tillman inquired how the
lands necessary for the Nicaragua
route were to be obtained; if they were
owned by private individuals. rs the
government to be subjected to such
private claims?" he asked. In other
words, have Americans gone down
there and fixed up things so that we
will have to pay millions and millions
of dollars for the right of way?"
1.-THE treaty with Nicaragua" Sena-
tor Harris replied, provides for a con-
demnation of the lands where private
rights are involved"
Senator Culberson, Of Texas, in
CURED how much would have to be
paid by the United States for private
rights along the canal.
Senator Harris replied that. SO far as
he knew. no data upon that subject
had been prepared and no estimate
made
In response to Il suggestion by Sena-
tor Tillman that the United States was
likely to be mulcted in millions of dol
lars. Senator Morgan Interrupted to say
that by an arrangement with the Mica
raguan government, in the event OF the
adoption of the Nicaraguan route all
acquisition of land by the United States
would date to the conditions which pre-
vailed in December 1900. That would
preclude absolutely speculation in the
land along the route.
Senator Tillman again expressed his
apprehension that spectators had OBJ
tanned or would obtain title to lands
that would be necessary to the United
States if the Nicaragua route were Sc
lected. He was afraid these claims
would spring up in the pathway of the
United States with hands outstretched
toward the treasury with the demand
to stand and deliver"
Senator Harris replied that in view of
the diplomatic arrangements between
the United States and Nicaragua no
such apprehension as that suggested
was warrented although, in a project
Of this kind and of this magnitude 1t
was impossible, perhaps, to guard abb
solutely against frauds of the kind
suggested.
Senator Morgan discussed briefly the
negotiations between the United States
and the governments Of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica to show that neither Mica
ragua nor Costa Rica could have claims
against this government through the
old Maritime Canal Company. He
pointed out that it was through the
wisdom and foresight of William Nc
Kinley that the United States had ac-
quired the exclusive right to construct
a canal through Nicaragua and Costa
Rica and he declared that this was
one of the most ma magnificent acts ever
performed by a president of the United
States. 1t had. cleared the way for the
construction of the canal and those two
southern nations were bound by the
agreement until this congress should
take action upon the canal question.
House of Representatives.
The house today passed the bill TO
protect the president, vice president.
members of the cabinet and foreign
ministers and ambassadors and to sup
press anarchism, by a vote Of It's to So.
4 motion to recommit the measure
with instructions to strike out certain
sections was defeated-1 TO 122.
The remainder of the day was devot-
ed to the bill to transfer certain forest
reserves from the interior to the agri-
cultural department and to authorize
the creation in such Of game and fish
preserves. This is the bill framed in
response to the recommendations on the
subject which were contained in Presi-
dent Rooseveltt annual message. The
minority Of the public lands committee
offered a substitute for the bill a meas
ure which eliminates that portion of the
bill which transfers the reserves to the
agricultural department. The bill was
discussed at some length but no vote
was cached.