The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-06
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THE SENATE.

washington, June OH fHrtHer COLI
sideration of the Isthmian Canal project.
the Senate heard today two speeches,
neither of which was completed. Mr..
Hanna (Ohio) spoke in favor of the
Spooner amendment comforting on the
President authority to purchase the
| rights of the Panama Canal Company IL
valid title could be obtained. other
wise he shall decide upon the Nicaragua
route. Mr.. Mitchell supported the Hep
burn bill for the construction OF the
canal by the Nicaragua route.
Seldom has a Senator been accorded a
more attentive hearing than that given
Mr.. Hanna. The Panama route he con-
sidered much to be preferred to the Mica
ragua route, as it provided an inter-
oceanic waterway much shorter and one
that could be traversed at less expense
than the Nicaragua route:
Mr., Mitchell urged that unless the
Nicaragua route was determined upon
definitely by Congress, 1t would mean
the indefinite postponement and perhaps
the ultimate defeat of any canal legiSla-
ton.
The Senate passed the military acade-
my appropriation bill providing for ex-
tensive improvements at West Point.
A bill to ratify an agreement with the
Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians was
passed: also an act providing for free
homesteads in the Indian reservation
in Colorado.
Hanna Begins Argument.
At o'clock the Isthmiau Canal bill
was taken up Mr.. Hanna, member of
the Inter Oceanic Canal Committee. ad-
dressing the Senate in support OF the
Spooner amendment, providing that the
president shall have authority to deter
mine upon the Panama route provided
he can get clear title to the Panama
Canal companys concession and proper
ty; otherwise he shall decide upon the
Nicaragua route.
The Ohio Senator said the American
people had become accustomed to rapid
transit of the railroads. and now de-
manded quicker transportation on the
seas. The experimental stage had passed
and the question now presented was that
of the best route by which the canal was
to be constructed MIR. Hanna said he
had shared at first in the common belief
that the Nicaragua route was the only
one to be considered. The United states
had been deferred from embarking on
that project and in the light of events
the fate seemed to him to have inter-
ferred to prevent us from making mis-
take The Panama route was only 40
miles long, while that of Nicaragua was
1873 miles in length.
You build your canal" he said, ito
provide for the passage of ships from
ocean to ocean. in the least possible time
and at least expense"
The Commercial Side.
A canal constructed on such lines, he
insisted. meant success. He said he was
looking at the propositions for its COM
mercial advantages as well as its adj
Vantages as a means of defense.
- faw. h.,
world he said. we are to build
canal for the commerce of the world; and
we must take into account the business
attracted to 1t from the world
Rv stubborn facts and by the findings
OF the best engineers in the country, he
said he had been compelled to change
his views. which originally had been in
favor of the Nicaragua route. Mr.. Han
ma referred to the seismic disturbances
in the canal region and suggested that
those disturbances ought to cause the
American Congress to pause and con-
slider the suggested dangers seriously.
He referred to the maps arranged around
the walls of the chamber, showing the
number of active and inactive VOLCANOES
in the canal region demonstrating that
there were more volcanoes in the neigh
borhood of the Nicaragua route than In
that of the Panama route. He main
tanned that the cost of the Nicaragua
Canal would be immensely greater in
point of construction and operation than
the Panama Canal. and said he was
prepared to demonstrate that the Mica
ragua Canal could not be operated at
night
Mr.. Hanna said that in many respects
the same conditions applied to both the
Nicaragua ard Panama Canals.
The Spooner Substitute.
Discussing the Spooner substitute, he de-
MED emphatically that IL was subter-
fuge intended to delay or procrastinate.
He explained that if the President were
not satisfied with the Panama Canal Com