Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1899 — CANAL BILL PASSES SENATE. [ARTICLE]

CANAL BILL PASSES SENATE.

Plan for Building the Nicaragua Ditch Approved in Upper House. The Senattr passed the Nicaragua canal bill Saturday. The final discussion of the measure was had on the amendment of Mr. Spooner providing that should the President fail to carry out the instructions in regard to the Maritime Canal Company, he may treat directly with Nicaragua, Costa Rica or any other Central American country looking to the building of an interoceanic canal. The canal bill fathered by Senator Morgan, in a somewhat different form, passed the Senate once before, but failed to receive consideration in the House. The .fight which was made on the bill in the Mtenate was principally due to an attempt lo change certain features of it, some of fcvhieh changes were secured, whereupon the opposition Senators allowed the bill to pass without offering serious protest. One objection raised against the Morgan bill was the recognition given by it to the Maritime Canal Company, which is believed by many to have no valuable rights and little tangible property. As amended the bill aims to protect the Governrtfent from excessive payments in this line. Objection was made also to the part which the United States Government is to play in the matter. The bill provides that the canal company shall have a capital stock of $100,000,000, of which $02,500,000 shall be subscribed by the United States Government. The affairs of the company are to be controlled by a board of seven directors, five to be named by the President of the United States and one each by the Governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. This plan, apparently, would require the modification of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty. Therefore it has been contended by some of the opponents of the Morgan bill that the United States would better proceed to secure the modification of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty and then, build and control the canal directly, instead of indirectly through a subsidiary corporation.