94 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



Senate bill for the construction of the Nicaragua Canal, as a 

 rider, was stricken from the River and Harbor Bill, a clause 

 was substituted in its place as follows : 



The President is authorized to make investigation of any and 

 all practicable routes for a canal . . . with a view to determining 

 the most practicable and feasible route for such canal, together 

 with the proximate and probable cost of constructing a canal at 

 each of two or more of said routes : And the President is further 

 authorized to investigate and ascertain what rights, privileges 

 and franchises, if any, may be held and owned by any corpora- 

 tions, associations or individuals, and what work, if any, ha& 

 been done by such corporations, associations or individuals in 

 the construction of a canal at either or any of said routes, and 

 particularly at the so-called Nicaraguan and Panama routes re- 

 spectively ; and likewise to ascertain the cost of purchasing all 

 of the rights, privileges and franchises held and owned by any 

 such corporations, associations and individuals in any and all of 

 such routes, particularly the said Nicaraguan route and the said 

 Panama route ; and likewise to ascertain the probable or proxi- 

 mate cost of constructing a suitable harbor at each of the termini 

 of said canal, with the probable annual cost of maintenance of 

 said harbors, respectively. And generally the President is au- 

 thorized to make such full and complete investigation as to deter- 

 mine the most feasible and practicable route across said isthmus 

 for a canal, together with the cost of constructing the same and 

 placing the same under the control, management and ownership 

 of the United States. 



To enable the President to make the investigations and ascer- 

 tainments herein provided for, he is hereby authorized to employ 

 in said service any of the engineers of the United States Army 

 at his discretion, and likewise to employ any engineers in civil 

 life, at his discretion, and any other persons necessary to make 

 such investigation, and to fix the compensation of any and all of 

 such engineers and other persons. 



So the session of 1899 closed with the canal question rest- 

 ing easily under the certainty of at least a year's delay. 



The President at once appointed the members of the new 

 commission. They were Admiral Walker and his two col- 

 leagues of the former commission, ex-Senator Pasco of Flor- 

 ida, Alfred Noble, George S. Morrison, and Professor William 

 H. Burr of Columbia University, three well-known nnd 



