The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-12-18
THE HOUSE AND THE CANAL TREATY d.
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Is the House Representatives puppet
branches of the government? fit has any independence
own dignity will demand least the privilege OF being
the stages OF the stlman canal affair A survey
gardng the part the House has already PLAYED Illuminating in this
connection.
The legislation which ocaled spooner act was
first passed by the House in the form known the Hepburn BILL which
provided for the construction of canal by the Ncaraguan alone
Only two votes were cast against the bill in the whole House for the
Caagua route at ta time was preferred by the sthman canal com
mission After this bill had reached the Senate
canal company reduced its price $ooooooo and solely
OF that fact the canal commission shifted its preference the Panama
The struggle in the Senate between the parisan
routes close and finally Senator Spooner introduced his
celebrated amendment which was considered kind OF compromise
This commanded the president the rights for the construction
OF the Nicaragua canal he should be unable negotiate
fully with Colombia the Panama
reasonable time And in the section OF the Spooner amend
cesons from Nicaragua and Costa RIGA.
The amendment giving this preference the Panana scheme
der conditions passed the majority Hep
burn bill with its Spooner amendment then back the House
That body nqueonaby favorable the Nicaragua and
1.-THE amended bill conference of the House and
Senate OF the three House conierees Mr. Hepburn and Mr. Daey
tawa advocates the Nicaragua Nor
who conierees block
the Spoonr amendment nt The finally reached by
Senator Mogan detection Mr. Hepburn the House standing
opposition the end The House then receded from its disagree
Senate on the amended BILL although never took
direct the SpoOner amendment itself
The House really followed Senator Morgan who have
shown mised finally
mee permit favorable report the amended bill There be
doubt whatever the sincerity his Monday last
1T this expectation and the faith had in the President that he
would obey the law he insists that every other good citizen shall do
that caused me to agree the committee OF conference between the
houses the the Hepburn bill amended
the motion of the from Wisconsin,
Had Mr. Morgan dmy foreseen the the past
and had the House Representatives foreseen them neither Mr. Nor
the House would have passage
SPooe amendment hey accepted that amendment only because OF
their faith that the law would be enforced in spirit well letter Sen
Morgan believed that Colombia should
the treaty be negotiated with her. the president would promptly
to Nicaragua in obedience to the law.
The House mised with Senator Morgan The question
the House consider whether will itself
ignored without the further of this important bust
The have everything settled by the President and
outstanding the fact that the House has directly and
unequvoay expressed preference the Panama notw
standing that the law which gave expressly
lated Republic Colombia the whose
oized the President acquire by lease and did mention
template dream Of the Republic Of Panama, and notwithstanding
the House has appropriated dollar be paid this
by the grace of the President known Republic
of Panama is captivating theory that when the House appo
President and Senate combined substitute the entirely
different country 1t resembles closely however the which
commercial life altering check without consulting the
drawer of the check Can the House quietly submit such proceed
ngs, which thoroughly understood by the country
Selespect? We have heard much late from
the House about the oversadowng Senate and and
Speaker Cannon has least ocby expressed his belief that the
popular branch OF Congress should hold its prerogav and its
prestige Here opportunity prove that the House really
part of the government.
would members OF the House would be
by the being advanced for their suppression They
said canal legislation without open
ing the Jobs and unbusnesske methods canal
the House should be
and that the House be ignored
upper branch might well occupy the whole capitol and the
government be condensed into Me and the Senate
limited .'-Springfeld Republican
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