The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-08

Washington, January 7.-(SpeciaL)-
Representative Richardson of Alabama.
member of the interstate and foreign
commerce committee, was recognized by
the speaker today for a speech in favor
of the Nicaragua canal. Mr.. Richardson's
remarks received the close attention OF
the House, and he was literally applaud
ed by his fellow members. Mr.. Richard
son pointed out the difference between
the Senate and the House bills.
The House bill he declared. to be his
preference because responsibility for the
conduct of the work on the canal was
placed upon the President and the war
department, while the Senate bill desig-
mated a commission. He said the House
bill was superior in another feature to the
Senate bill. 1t authorized the secretary
of war to construct at the termini of the
canal safe and commodious harbors, with
such provisions for defence as may be
necessary for the safety and protection
of the canal and harpor He believed
these differences would be easily recon
ciled, and that a large vote in the House
favoring the canal would Illustrate and
defeat the Vaccinations and schemer now
going on to defeat the measure under
the pretext and guise of necessary delay.
He said for his Investigations that there
are several practicable and unanswerable
reasons why the canal should be Ameri-
can built, owned, and protected by the
United States.
ours Is the only power in the world
that has determined to build a canal
across the American isthmus drawn from
it's own treasury. continued Mr.. Richard
son, and 1t is the only power that could
shoulder such burden except Great Brit
ain. and she has certainly abandoned such
a purpose of government to construct, own
and control the canal The Monroe doc
trine stands today on the only guarantee
that the American republic has of the
preservation of free government.
"A canal constructed by any state for
eign to that in which 1t is located would
have to requil the foreign state to give
guarantee Of protection of the sover-
<<<<><-<>-<->-a-<<<
wise to the United States. II that in
wolves the erection of Notifications at
the termini of the canal or of stockades
at the sites of the complete works, l
have no doubt about the authority of the
United States to do it, and that it would
exercise that authority.
Mr.. Fowler of New Jersey asked II 1t
pass through the canal without charge.
Mr.. Hepburn: I have no doubt that the
United States can use that canal IN
manner more advantageous to It's own
people than it would be to other people,
at all events, government SHIPS Will go
through free, and there is more trend IN
the air on the part of other nations TO-
ward yielding to the desires or the Unit
ed States. That makes me hopeful that
If there was barrier of that KIND now
we would brush 1t out Of the way pretty
soon (applause).
Mr.. Cummings of New York: I should
like to ask whether. in your opinion, If
your bill should be passed under the
treaty that has been ratified by the Sen
ate, England would have any special
privileges in the canal over other ma
tions?
Mr.. Hepburn: 1 think not.
Panama company's Offer.
attention to the statement in the report
of the Walker commission giving the
cost of the Panama canal property as
s109 O0O 900 and the newspaper reports that
the company now offered to sell the
property for s40000,00O If the latter re-
port was true the Panama canal would
cost less lndH TIC ANiS"i "eos' Ss-i'.-N' s~A>>
he asked II Mr.. Hepburn did not believe
with equal cost that the commission
would have reported in favor of Panama.
Mr. Hepburn replied that the commits
sion had st ated the respective advantages
of both routes under conditions then exist
Ing. He could not tell what the commits
sion would have reported under other
circumstances.
ANY gentleman who absorbs the COM
missions report" said he, land weighs
1t. must believe that, other things being
equal, the canal that is 400 miles nearer
our territory. that makes New Orleans
4s0 miles nearer. San Francisco and New
York 375 miles nearer than the other, is
the better canal for us (applause).
Mr. Hepburn declared that the whole
4 Continued on Second Page.l