The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-15
Senate Spends Four Hours Con- sderIng the Emergency
 Appropriation Bill MORGAN IN FAVOR IF
 HE SAN BIAS ROUTE Says 1t Is a Happy Solution of the Question and the Location of the
 Route Is an Ideal.

Washington, December 14.--The Senate spent four hours today in discussing the Panama canal emergency appropriation bill. and when it adjourned the bill was still under consideration. There were set speeches by Messrs. Teller, Scott and Morgan, and they were followed by a general debate in which all phases of the controversy were exploited concerning the question of salaries, the control of the Panama railroad, and the necessity for general legislation on the canal subject Mir Allison, chairman of the committee on appropriations. expressed the opinion that Congress should take up the question of salaries in connection with other canal legislation. He also said the status of the Panama railroad should be made the subject of legislation.
 Messrs. Teller Scott and Morgan ex- pressed dissatisfaction with the condi- tions in Panama, but all indicated a de- termination to support the supply meas ures necessary to secure the construction of the canal as at present undertaken. MT. Teller advocated a sea level canal MT. Scott spoke in support of the San Bias route as preferable to all others, and MT. Morgan expressed the opinion that be- fore the Panama canal is completed an- other canal will be necessary to do the business required.
 A separate bill regulating the issuance of bonds for the canal and placing them on the same basis as other government !. I1h
 During the day MT. Ekins made a state ment from the committee on interstate commerce. expressing the opinion that the committee would present a report within a reasonable time
 Substitute Reported.
 Mir Aldrich reported from the commit- tee on finance substitute for the Teller Panama canal bond bill. In presenting the report he said that the bill has the effect of giving the two per cent canal bonds the same privileges and rights ac- corded to other 2 per cent bonds, and asked for its immediate consideration. MT. Pettus at first objected to present con- sideration, but a few minutes later with drew his objection and the bill passed without debate.
 Mr Elkins asked and obtained the con sent to the Senate to make a verbal report from the committee on interstate com merce concerning the progress of the committees investigation of the railroad rate question. He said the committee had found 1t impossible to report a bill ten days after the converting of Congress, as directed by the resolution ordering the inquiry.
 We cannot report today" he said, ''but am justified in saying that 1t Is the be- lief of the members that later the com mittee will be able to present a meas ure."
 in session from April to June and again since November 21 last, and was giving all the time possible to the question.
 Emergency Canal Bill.
 The emergency canal appropriation bill was then taken up After the amend ment made by the committee on appro- priations to the house bill had been agreed to, MT. Teller discussed canal mat ters in general. He called attention to the complaints which he said had been made by the commission of opposition in the senate and elsewhere to the canal entersprise. For himself. he did not be- lieve that the canal would be the sue cess which It's friends hoped it would be. and he added that the conditions would be found to be very different from what there are in the Welland canal or the Suez canal, hence the subject of those waterways could not be considered as a criterion for the Panama enterprise.
 Discussing the character of the canal to be constructed he called attention to the report current that while the foreign members of the canal consulting board are favorable to a sea-level canal. the American members will recommend lock canal to save expense. As for him- self while he had favored the Panama route, over the Nicaragua route. he was now prepared to express the opinion that if we are to be compelled to resort to locks, the Nicaragua route would be preferable.
 "I voted for the Spooner bill, he said. with the hope that if an isthmian canal was to be built at all 1t would be of a character capable of accommodating the commerce not alone for the present time' but of the future as well.
 The present plans for the canal. he went on to say, are not such as promise that kind of canal, and he wanted the senate to take hold of the subject and see that enough money is put in the en- terprise to make it a success. He wanted 1 1t understood now that the United States had entered upon the undertaking, he would vote all the money necessary for i Its completion.
 'The man who says the canal cannot be built under the intelligence of the | age," he declared and added that all of 1 his past opposition to bills for isthmian canals was based upon the inadequacy of the canals proposed to accommodate the 1 commerce of the world
 Referring to the attitude of the rail- roads. MT. Teller predicted that in fifteen wears there would be as many more trans 1 continental lines as there are now, and l they would accommodate the business Of the interior.
 May Make Some Mistake.
 He did not mean to charge that there had been fraud in the management of the 1 canal work, but he did believe the work | had been entered upon without due ap- preciation of its importance. "Under these circumstances, he said, i've are liable to make the same mis- takes that the French made and that sent 1 DeLesseps to his grave in disgrace and that without grating or stealing.
 MT. Tillman questioned statement made by MT. Teller to the effect that 1t takes three weeks to get replies from the ScontInuod on Second PaQel