The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-01-16
Congress.
~>o~~oo~N~

Consideration of the Hepburn isthmian
canal bill began on Tuesday in the House
of Representatives. The debae. was of
unusual interest and centered largely on
| the new phase of the question due to the
| offer of the Panama company to sell its
| property to the United States for SiO.-
100000. Mr.. Cannon of Illinois and Mr..
Reeves of the same State. one chairman
] of the committee on appropriations and
| the other 4 member of the committee on
rivers and harbors, asked Mr.. Hepburn n
| number of leading questions. Mr.. Cannon
| wanted TO know why the choice of n route
should not be left to the President in
view of the changed aspects of the Pan
anna situation. Mr.. Hepburn replied that
the Panama route was wholly out of the
question so far rs Congress was concern
ed in the selection of a route for the canal.
Mr.. Morris Of Minnesota gave notice
that at the proper time he would offer an
amendment to authorize the President. il
he could procure the property aud rights
Of the Panama company for SiO.O0OOOO.
if concessions could he procured from
Colombia and if the Walker commission
SO recommended. TO purchase and proceed
to complete the Panama canal
On Wednesday the isthmian canal bill
was before the House for debate. All
the principal speakers recognized the ad-
vantage of the Panama route and an
nounced themselves in favor of it. So
strong had sentiment grown in favor of
the Panama route that the most ad-
vanced advocates of its selection were
talking OF forcing square issue between
it and the Nicaragua route. The more
conservative friends of the Panama route
are urging compromise-not that they
are uncertain of their own strength. but
to escape playing directly into the hands
of the Panama company. The debate
was rather tedious. Several members
who had been among the thirty who vot-
ed against the Hepburn bill when it was
last under consideration announced they
would give ii their support provided an
amendment is attached giving the Presi-
dent power TO make a selection. Mr..
Burton of Ohio. chairman of the commit
tee on rivers and harbors. who voted
against the bill. reviewed the objections
bX the minority when it was last before
the House. to show that practically all
had been removed. Representative Hill
of Connecticut attracted attention by
reading letters from expert engineers in
favor of the Panama route. Representa-
tives Bromwell of Ohio Gillet of MaSsa-
chusetts. Littlefeld of Maine. Gibson of
Tennessee, Lacey of Iowa and other
speakers advocated the Panama route.
The only one TO appear during the day
squarely in favor of the Nicaragua route
was Representative Cummings of New
York.
BY vote which was virtually unani-
nous the House of Representatives on
Thursday passed the Hepburn Nicaragua
canal bill. But on a test of strength be-
tween the rival routes Panama mustered
100 votes against 40 for Nicaragua.
Only two members Of the House voted
against the Hepburn bill on the question
of final passage-Mr. Fletcher of Mime
sofa and Mr.. Lassiter Of Virginia. Mr..
Bishop of Michigan answered present"
and several members from the Northwest
refrained from voting. among them Page
Morris of Duluth. who actively advocat-
ed the Panama route. Mr.. Fletcher has
several times announced his opposition to
government construction Of an isthmian
canal. believing the work should be done
bs Pih ptl-N-- ut Ntlc III Inv OI
of the bill was 30S The proceedings
were enlivened by several passages be-
tween Mr.. Cannon and Mr.. Hepburn.
The feeling between them is well under
stood by members of the House who are
ever watchful for fireworks when they
come together over a bill As the men,
bers responded to their names on the roll
call on the passage of the bill they, left
the House and the chamber was prac.i-
cally deserted when the Speaker an
nounced the result and adjourned the
House.
After an all-day debate in the House
on the Hopkins bill to create a perma-
nent census bureau the matter was re-
committed on Friday to permit the addi
tion of a provision placing the present |
employees under civil service so they could |
be transferred to other departments The |
fight 10 recommit was made under the |
leadership of Mr.. Burkett of Nebraska, |
the new member of the appropriations |
committee. What might be termed the |
first gun in the campaign for the re-es- |
tablishment of the pneumatic tube SER
vice was fired when Representative Rob |
erts of Massachusetts introduced n bill |
providing for the Introduction of this |
service in Chicago. st. Louis. New York, |
Boston, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The |
bill proposes an appropriation of S355. |
600. to be divided among the six cities
as follows: New York AMI Brooklyn.
S126.0O0; Chicago. $4,000: Boston. SGO.-
900: st. Louis. $4,000; Philadelphia,
$4,000. A bill was passed unanimous
ly to give Mrs. Mckinley the free mailing
privileges during the remainder of her
life. The House then adjourned until
Monday.