The Bourbon news., 1904-04-29
PANAMA CANAL STRIP.
COnfereeS on Bill For It's Gov
ernment Agree.
The Zone Extends From Caribbean Sea
to Pacific Ocean and Five Miles
Each Side of Center Line
of the Canal.

Washington. April 28.-The confer
ees on the bill for the government OF
the Panama canal zone reached ar
agreement late Wednesday night This
agreement incorporates the provisions
Of the house bill with slight verbal
amendments making the presidents
authority more specific and the first
section of the senate bill which pro-
Vides for taking possession of the ca
nal strip and the payment of $10,000,-
600 therefor to the government of Pan
anna. The report will be presented tn
each house Thursday and when adopt
ed will remove every obstacle to the
adjournment of congress.
The first section of the senate bill
which is adopted authorizes the presi-
dent, upon acquisition of the canal
property and the payment of 100000
900 to the republic Of Panama, to take
possession of and occupy on behalf of
the United States a zone of land ex-
tending to the distance of five miles
on each side of the center line of the
canal route The section provides for
the reappropriation of the amount
heretofore authorized to be paid to Co
lOmbia for the canal concession and
was regarded as necessary to authorize
payment to Panama The section de-
scribes the canal zone as beginning in
the Caribbean sea three marine miles
from mean low water mark and extend
ing to and across the ISthmus of Pana
ma into the Pacific ocean to the dis
tance of three marine miles from mean
low water mark and including all is
lands within said zone and in addition
the group Of islands in the bay of Pan
ANA named PelisO, Macs. Culebra and
Flamenco, and from time to time any
lands and waters outside Of said zone
~hich may be necessary and convent
ent for the construction, maintenance,
operation. sanitation and protection Of
the canal or of any auxiliary canals as
prOviGed by the treaty between the
United States and the republic of Pan
anna
The section concludes as follows:
THE payment of the $40 100000 pro
vided by article IA of said treaty shall
be made in lieu of the definite appro,
priatiOn made in the third section Of
the act Of June %, 1902, and is hereby
appropriated for such purposes"
The house provision re-enacts until
the expiration of the 58th congress the
resolution adopted in 1903 for the gov
eInment of the Louisiana purchase
making it applicable to the canal, zone.
The provision gives the president COM
plete jurisdiction over the canal zone.
The River and Harbor Bill.
Washington. April 2S.2The confer
ecs on the river and harbor bill reach
ed an agreement late Wednesday aft
ernoon. By the agreement the amount
carried by the bill as it passed the
house is not increased. The senate
receded from all but four of.its amend
ments and two of those simply amend
ed the pharesoIogy Of the house bill.
One of the senate amendments agreed
upon gives permission to make con-
tracts during the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1905, for levee work on the
Mississippi river to the extent of ST.
000,0 900, the amount to be paid from
the appropriation for the ensuing year.
The appropriation referred to from
which the sum is to be paid is one of
$4,000, 900 a year for six years. Tho
other material amendment accepted
by the house forbids the construction
Of dredges on the great lakes or on the
Atlantic coast north of Cape Henry by
the government unless there is a spe-
cific appropriation made for the same.
The house conferees concurred in this
with the further provision that it
should not interfere with the cOnstruc-
tion of any dredges already authorized
by the secretary of war. All surveys
provided for in the senate amendments
are eliminated.