The sun., 1903-12-13

rental for the road of $3.50, 900 up to 1857,
when 1t should either surrender to Colom-
bia the absolute ownership thereof or buy
the line at price fixed by the parties
or by an arbitrator; and, finally, WIN
regard to canal, that an easement lh'enV
be created in favor Of the United o.aVee
FOR hundred years, in return for whlcn
the concessonaries should pay sloo'ooV
annually until 1857 and $40O, ,OOo year
from 1868 TO the expiration OF the nun
dred years, after which the privilege
should be renewable on the basis OF All
increase of 25 per cent on the maximum
payment last named.
This precious project of law was re-
ported to the Colombian Senate on oco
8, but without taking definite act'on
upon it that body adjourned at the eho
of the month. Mr.. BEAUPRE's lates'
despatch enables us to understand why
the Bogota politicians deemed II saga
cious to wait about twelvemonth De-
fore reopening canal negotiations. ~
should be remembered that while the
validity of the frs extension OF the
franchise granted to the French Cahai
Company, an extension which would nave
expired next year, was undisputed, the
second extension, for which a million
dollars in cash was paid, has been pro-
nounced null and void by many Coloin-
bians, on the ground that it was con-
ferred solely by Executive decree, ana
not constitutionally sanctioned by the
Colombian Congress,
Bearing these facts in mind, we can
easily understand Mr.. BEAuPREs asser-
tion that the motive for the refusal OF the
Colombian Congress to take any det,nlte
action after the rejection of the Hay
Herran Treaty was evidently the pur-
pose entertained at Bogota to prolong
under dilatory expedients the canal
question until next year; then to declare
the French concession forfeited, and to
demand of the United States the $4O,-
600 900 which, under the Spooner act,
was to be paid to the French company
for it's franchise and for all it's plant upon
the Isthmus.
This was the plan which the Bogota
conspirators had arranged to carry out,
unless meanwhile, by the threat of such
proceeding, they should be able to e1-
tort from the Panama Company salts
factory bribe for permission to sell its
plant to the United States. Mr.. BEAUPRE
points out that report read in the Co
lombian Senate on Oct. "A averred that
the French company's franchise would
remain in force only until October, 1904,
when, without the need Of a judicial
decision and without the payment of
any indemnity, the Republic OF Colom-
bia would, according to the contracts
of 1878 and 1900, become the owner of the
canal and of its adjuncts, The report
added that after the date
named the Republic could make terms
more advantageous legally and ma
terially.'
Such was the scheme. and it might
have been carried out had the Colombian
capital been located on the Isthmus.
Unfortunately for the Bogota politicians,
they left out of their reckoning the party
directly concerned, to wit, the Isthmian
population. Brought face to face with
the danger that the Nicaragua route
might be selected, the people OF Panama
made up their minds that they would
submit no longer to the shameless sacri-
flee of their local interests. Falling back,
therefore, upon a right that they had
often exercised, and never renounced,
they resolved, with practical unanimity,
to secede from Colombia and to pro-
claim their independence.