Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-01-08
PRESIDENT HAS
/. POWER OVER ZONE.
House Passes Bill Placing Full
Control in His Hands.
ACT ABOLlSHES COMMISSION
II Authorizes the President to Have
the Canal Completed and to APP
point Director General Of the Ca
nal and Canal Zone--Invests the Ju-
dicial Power of the Zone in One Cir
cult Court.

NN(fdt 0vsCi VI ZIG <-08S Nv WIG SiF~
cult Court.
Washington, Jan. with the Demo
Gratis fighting every inch Of the way,
the Mann bill providing for the ad.
ninistration of the Panama canal zone
and .centralizing the government
thereof in the President of the United
States, passed the house yesterday by
vote of 119 to 102. The vote was
along strict party lines.
The minority kept the house In ses-
SIGN until o'clock yesterday evening
by offering amendment after amend
ment and demanding tellers on each
vote. A futile effort was made by Re-
preventative Richardson, OF Alabama,
to have the measure recommitted to-
the committee on interstate and for-
eign commerce, an aye and nay vote
resulting 104 ayes and 1876 nays.
Section 2 of the bill, which conferss
on the president military, civil and.
judicial powers, including the power to
make laws was the subject of spirited
attack, Representative Kiefer, of Ohio.
joining the Democrats in the fight
The attitude OF the majority and min
ority on this section may be best de-
scribed by a question propounded to
Representative Townsend, of Michigan,
by Representative Garrett, of Tonnes
see, and by Mr.. Townsend's reply.
do you believe that congress has
any power under the constitution to-
confer legislative power on the Presi-l
dent?". asked Mr. Garrett.
Ordinarily no. replied Mr.. Town
send. "In this instance. yes. We are
in Panama digging canal and it Isl
necessary for the President to have
the power to make rules and regula-
tons for the government of the zone
while that work is in progress"
Representative Mann, author of the
bill. claimed that precedent for dele
cation of such power in the executive
was found in similar action by Demo
cratic congresses at the time Of the
Louisiana purchase and again when
Florida was ceded to the United States
by Spain. Speeches were made by
Representatives Underwood, of Ala
bama; Hardwick, Of Georgia, and
others in opposition to this section. A
motion of Mr.. Hardwick to strike out
the section entirely was lost by the
close vote of IS to 80.
The bill as II gees to the senate, au-
thOriZeS the president to have COM
pleted the Panama canal and to ap-
point director general OF the canal
and the calan zone-thus doing away
with the canal commission. 1t invests
the judicial power OF the zone in one
circuit court and such inferior courts
as the president may constitute and
allows appeal to the supreme court of
the United States in civil cases involv-
ing $4,000 and in criminal cases pun
ishable by death or life Imprisonment.
Trial by jury is granted in all crimi-
nal prosecutions for felony.
Since the expiration of he 5Sth con
gress, there has been no act in termsl
authorizing the government of thel
canal zone. but President Rooseveitl
continued in existence the civil govil
eminent on the zone after the act oil
April %. 1904, because ineffective AM
tomatically. \