Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-04-06

In the Senate today after the pas
sage Of unimportant bills, Morgan
call, Il up his resolution, directing the
attorney general to inform the Senate
whether he has made or is making on
behalf of the United States Il purchase
pf rights granted by Colombia to n. B.
NEsc for the construction of an 18TH
:Gian canal. or any interest in the Pam
am;, II. II. He used the resolution as
the foundation for Il speech on the Pan
anna canal situation declaring that the
new Panama canal company is only 4
lessee Of the property rights on the
isthmus and said that when We pay
to the government Of Panama the
S10,0000H0 this gove nment viii b. N
titled to deal with the Canal company
as Il tenant.
He criticised in sharp language what
he denounced as the surrender of the
United States to the neW Panama can
III company. saying that there is some
undist !OSed influence ut work which
has given that company control of all
our, recent actions in connection with
tho canal enterprise"
He r~o dictcd that If there should be
delays the new canal company backed
by France. would he responsible for it
and he kinted at the possibility Of the
comlany's refusing outright to make
ii satisfactory sale. He pointed to
what he called the delay in making
payment to Panama and said it was in
strong contrast with the haste mani
tested in securing ratification of the
Hay-Earill,, treaty and argued that
I, IL,
the canal company.
After concluding his speech, Morgan
asked for u vote on his resolution. but
on motion of KittrcdSe. it was referr-
ed to the committee Oh inter-oCean!c
canals.
A resolution WAS passed authorizing
the librarian of Congress to return to
the state of Vermont the record of the
convention held in Vermont in 1176 and
11.7. for the purpose of organizing a
state.
When the POST Office appropriation bill
was laid before the Senate amendments
were adopted without objection until
the Senate committee provision con-
tinuinS the contract with the Oceanic
Steamship Co.. and appropriatinS S45.-
coo for transporting the mails by its
steamers sailing from san Francisco to
Tahati WAS reached. Objection to the
renewal of the contract was made by
Teller on the ground that it was plain
subsidy"
The Senate amendment renewing the
contract was agreed to.
At the suggestion of Lodge. the SEN
ate adopted an amendment increasing
from to 4 ounces the weight of letters
sent under frank. Lodge saying that
under the present limitation it was
difficult to transmit many important
official documents and that frequently
letters We're returned for want of suffi-
cient postage.
The following bills We're passed:
Revising the regulations for the in
spection of steam vessels.
Providing for the appointment of an
additional assistant appraiser at the
port of Boston.
Consideration of the post office bill
was resumed and Long moved an
amendment increasing to the extent of
- the number of rural free delivery
but when the action was followed by
an amendment to increase the anpro-
priatiOn to the extent of $4,000 in order
10 meet the enhanced expense. German
suggested that the matter should be de-
Iaycd until next December. This amend
ment also was agreed to.
Continued on page 81