The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-16
Plan to Abolish Canal C0n- mission Meets With a
 StTong Protest
PRESENT CANAL POLICY
 VIGOROUSLY DEFENDED
Conuressman Mann Wishes to Put One Man in Charge on the Isthmus and Change the Courts
 Very Radically.


 Washington, December 15.-Vigorous opposition to the proposed plan to abol- ish the Isthmian canal nmisson and to vest the power of building the Pan anna canal and of governing the canal zone in one director general, appointed by the President, arose in the House today during general debate on the Mann bill, which was reported by the commit tee on interstate and foreign commerce.
 Of scarcely les intensity was the storm of protest aroused when it was learned that the committee had recommended that the judicial power on the canal zone should be vested in one circuit court and such inferior courts as the President may constitute. This would require the aboishment of the existing supreme court on the zone. An appeal direct to the supreme court of the Unit. ed states is authorized, however, in questions arising out of the constitution, treaties, laws of the United States in- volving death sentence or imprison- ment Similar appeal is allowed in civil cases involving more than }50oe.
 Representative Mann of Illinois, author of the bill and chairman of the commit- tee attempted to explain the necessity for a measure that would eentralize re- sponsibility for completion of the work of digging the canal and that would make congressional provision for the construction of the canal and the civil of he r-l1to hn President had been carrying on.
 What are the sources of authority from which the President (Roosevelt) derived the right to claim 10 govern the canal zone?" interrupted Representative Harrison of New York.
 Mann Defends Bill.
 T justify the action of-:he Iresident,f replied Mir Mann, upon the necessity df preventing chaos upon the zone and when Congress in it's wisdom chose not to provide a form of government after the end of the Fifty-eighth Congress by its specific enactment, I think it wrote into the law without language that we believed the President had the power to carry on the government and did not intend that any local government should exist on the zone
 After MT. Mann concluded his explan- ation MT. Harrison denounced the bill in an extended speech. He designated President Roosevelt as dictator and a "despot," and declared that he had assumed authority in governing the ca- nal zone to which he had no right.
 Representative Olmstead of Pennsyl- vania replied to MT. Harrison, defending the former President
 A vigorous defense of the canal poll icy of the administration was made by Representative Adamson of Georgia, who is member of the committee.
 Opposing the dsntegration of the canal commission. which he said was doing good work, Representative Keller of Ohio spoke at considerable length. He insisted that Congress had no constitutional right to vote such legislative power as was pro- posed in the President and urged that the work should be continued under the pres- ent system.
 Representative Sims of Tennessee gave notice that he would seek to amend sec- ton 2 of the bill so as to strike out the clause vestins "al the military, civil and judicial powers of the United States in the canal zone, increase the power to make all laws, rules and regulations necessary for the government of the zone" in the President.
 Speeches Against Bill.
 Speeches opposing the vesting of the judicial powers of the zone in one circuit judge where three now required to do the work were made by Representative Parker of New Jersey, and Sterling of Illinois.
 Representative Madden of Illinois spoke in favor of the bill and Representatives Hardwick of Georgia and Gardner of
  the canal commission. Mir Gardner argued that while 1t was evidently the purpose to continue Colonel Goethals In charge of the canal work as director gen. eral, yet he might die and no other man as efficient might be available whereupon the commission would be we'll nigh indis- pensible.
 General debate on the measure was con- cluded before adjournment and the read ing of it began. It is the purpose of Mir Mann to call up the bill again on Wednes- day, January 5, next immediately follow ing the holiday recess
 Power over the zone was vested in tho President in April, 1904, but that law ceased to be effective automatically with the expiration Of the Fffty-eighth Con been made to pass similar law, but none has been put through the Senate and in the absence of any specific author ity other than that given by appropria- ton bills and the exigencies of the situa- ton. the President has continued to ad- minister affairs on the isthmus.