The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-10
CANNON LED OPPOSITION
He Fell Into Line When Final
 Ballot Came.
Of the Two Votes Against the Pas sage of the Measure One Was Cast by Democrat and
 One by a Repub- -s--
 lican.

Washington, Jan. 9.-The Hepburn Nicaraguan canal bill passed the House late this afternoon by practically a unanimous vote. Only two members out of 3lo,f Messrs Fletcher (Rep., Minn.) and Lassiter eDem., Va.) voted against It. The opposition to committing the gov erniment to the Nicaragua route attempt ed to secure amendments to lodge with the President the discretionary power to purchase and complete the Panama canal, if it could be purchased for $4o,- ooo,o ,oOO The test came on the first vote, when the advocates of an alternative route polled 102 against 17o votes. Al each succeeding vote their strength dwindled until Mir. Cannon Qlls.) under whose leadership the fight was made, was unable to get the ayes and noes on a motion to rccommit all other amend ments, and the bill passed exactly as 1t came from the committee.
 The debate, which preceded the taking : of final vote, was made memorable by a clash between MT. Hepburn. the author of the bill. and MT Cannon, chairman ol the Appropriations Committee. On several previous occasions they have measured swords over canal legislation.
 Two years ago a similar bill was passed by vote of 224 to 3e. The bill as passed today authorizes the President to secure from the states of Costa Rica and Nica' ragua in behalf of the United States control of such a portion of the territory belonging to said states as may be desira' ble and necessary in which to excavate construct and prospect canal suitable to the wants of modern navigation ane commerce and appropriates such a sun as may be necessary to secure the con trol of suchsterritory- s.., ,.. ,,.-,....,,ygs gs
 Section 2.authorizes the President, after securing control of the needed territory to direct the Secretary of War to con struct such canal from the Csrribean Sea at point near Greytown in Nicaragua by way of Lake Nicaragua to point on the Pacific Ocean near Brito and also to construct proper harbors at the ter mini of said canal and to make neces- sary provisions for the defense of the canal and harbors.
 Sections and 1 authorize the Presi- dent to make such surveys as may be necessary and to employ such persons in constructing the canal as may to him seem wise. and directs that in the con- struction of the canal the river San Juan and Lake Nicaragua shall be used as far as they are available.
 Section authorizes the President to guarantee to the states of Costa Rica and Nicaragua the use of the canal and harbors, upon terms to be agreed upon, for all vessels owned by said states and by citizens thereof. The last section makes present appropriation of Si0,0O0 00O to carry on this work and authorizes the Secretary . of War to enter into proper contracts for material and work as may be deemed necessary therefor, such work and material to be paid for as appropriations may be made from time to time. The section fixes the aggregate cost at $lS0,0OO,OOO to be drawn from the treasury on warrants of the President.
 In anticipation of vote upon the Mica
 
 attendance on the floor when the House met.
 Under the order made yesterday the general debate was to close at ? o'clock when the bill was to be read for amend ment under the five-minute rule,
 Mir. Adamson Ga.), the first speaker today urged the passage of the Hepburn bill without amendment. He argued that the time had come for action and that
 T delaying the commencement of the canal.
 If the Panama Company had an of- fer to make which we could accept" he said. there would be time enough to take advantage of it when the bill was pending in the Senate or later in confer ence."
 MT Wooten (Texas) also argued that the bill should be passed without amend ment.
 "If the Morris amendment was adopt ed" he said. the canal would become conditional project surrounded by doubts and difficulties which might doom it to final complications"
 He declared it was rather a strange CO., incidence that those who now wanted to amend the bill had in the past opposed the passage of any bill lTc regarded the Morris amendment as q modern Trojan horse.
 Mir Watson said he did not favor an amendment to fortify the canal. He be- levcd such an amendment savored more of spurious sentiment than sound and salutary sense. lIc favored neutral canal
 At this point, upon request of Mir. Da- wis tF'la) the time for general debate was extended to 2:30 D. m.
 Mir. Sparkman G'la9 spoke in favor of the Hepburn bill.
 Mir. Cannon UlI) chairman of the Ap- propriations committee. took the floor.
 His remarks were given close attention. The building of the canal. he said. was a business proposition and should be con sidered from business standpoint. Mir. Cannon clashed sharply with Mir. Hep burn. who is in charge of the bill.
 Mir. Cannon criticised the Iowan for withholding his speech from The Record. and MT. Hepburn characterized MT. Can nons criticism as "querulous and for an apropcr purpose" stated that he had