New-York tribune., 1902-01-09
THE SENATE TO DECIDE.
CANAL DEBATE CONTINUED
IN THE HOUSE,
STRONG SENTIMENT DEVELOPED IN
FAVOR OF CONSIDERING THE
PANAMA OFFER
IBv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIEuxE.I

Washington, Jan. S.-The disposition Of the
House to impose on the Senate the settlement OF
all important legislative questions was never
better manifested than it was to-day by various
speeches, which showed a strong feeling that
the Hepburn Ncaragua Canal bill should not
be passed in lis present form. Even the usually
courageous Mir. Littlefeld of Maine. showed by
a notable address, delivered this afternoon, that
he has the feeling which causes the House to
pass up to the Senate important measures for
final decision Mr. Littlefield made a speech
which plainly showed a sentiment for the adop-
ton of the Morris amendment. which seeks to
empower the President 10 accept or reject the
French Panama Canal proposition. and thereby
settle once and for all the dispute as to routes
While advocating this principle, Mr.. Lttletield
was careful to impress the House his willing
TO pass the Hepburn bill if The House in
sisted on that measure in its present form.
Nearly every other speech Of the day indicated
the eagerness of members of the House to shift
the entire responsibility for the selection OF the
route TO the Senate with the -veiled intmation
that the House would not object strenuously to
any action that the upper chamber may take on
the subject So timid and tentative is the feel
ing in the House that il cannot be positively
said, at this stage OF the discus
sion, when the final vote will be taken
Although it agreed to-day to confine
o'clock tomorrow afternoon and to take a vote
at o'clock, it is considered possible that in
their desire to set themselves right with their
constituents nearly all the small fry OF the
House may insist taking advantage Of the
five minute rule TO speak in favor of the Hep
burn BILL with a reservation. of course. that II
the Senate decides in favor of the Panama
proposition they will in the end vote for that
route On the whole, however, it is expected that
tomorrow afternoon, and thus dispose of the
question temporarily. 1t is the general belief
that the bill viii go through with an unusually
large majority. as even so pronounced a doubter
as Mr. Cannon of Illinois, does not appear in
clined TO express his doubts in the concrete
form which would be implied 10y vote against
the Hepburn blk
FOR CONSIDERING THE PANAMA OFFER
The debate to-day developed strong senti-
rnent in favor of giving consideration to the re
cent offer of the Panama company TO sell its
franchise and property for S40,OOOOOO, this SEN
timent taking the form OF advocating the Morris
amendment. OF sixteen members who spoke to-
day nine favored this amendment The speakers
were Messrs. ShackIeford. of Missouri; Parker,
of New-Jersey; Lowering of Massachusetts;
Morris, of Minnesota: Burton, of Ohio; Hill. Of
Connecticut; Bromwell, Of Ohio; Giuett, OF Mas
sachusetts, and Littlefeld, of Maine, in favor OF
the Morris amendment ana MeSsrS- BURGESS Oh
Texas; Bell of Colorado; COoney, of Missouri;
Cummings, of New-York; Gibson, OF Tennessee,
and Lacey. Of Iowa, Tor the bill in its present
form.
The Senate in the mean time awaits with its
accustomed equanifnity the action OF the House.
It is true that the optimistic Senator Morgan
stil insists, both publicly and privately, that the
Nicaragua route will be chosen. But it is sig
nihcant that other members Of the Interoceanic
Canal Committee are either noD-committal or
declare outright their opposition to the hasty
action of the House. So influential a member
Of this committee S Senator Hanna goes TO the
extreme of expressing tentatively a preference
for the Darien route over all other routes. With
such division of opinion in the Senate as is
signified by Senator Hanna's attitude, il is plain
TO be seen that the Senate will be deliberate in
making up its mind to which route this gov
ernnlent should select when il enters seriously
and actually on the task of constructing an
isthuian shin waterway.