100 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



The passage of such a measure in Congress was at that 

 time considered by many to be particularly indiscreet, in 

 view of the fact that the Walker commission, for whose 

 expenses 1,000,000 had been appropriated, was still engaged 

 in the examination of the various routes. An international 

 scientific commission of high authority had recently pro- 

 nounced the Panama project entirely feasible and had placed 

 the cost at only 1102,000,000 ; it seemed, therefore, highly 

 desirable that Admiral Walker's coining report should be 

 received before either Mr. Hepburn's or Mr. Sullivan's bills 

 should become law. 



Both bills were amended in committee, and as amended 

 were reported back to their respective Houses in January 

 and February. Consideration of these bills for the moment 

 was delayed by the stress of other and more important busi- 

 ness, but the friends of both of them felt confident that early 

 action would be taken, and that some sort of a canal bill 

 would receive the sanction of both Houses before the end of 

 ' the term; the sudden appearance of the Hay-Pauncefote 

 treaty, with its unexpected provisions, effectually blocked for 

 a time all further action upon the pending bills. Although 

 it seemed highly improbable that final action on either 

 / measure could be reached during that session of Congress, 

 the Hepburn bill nevertheless passed the House by the 

 i overwhelming majority of 225 to 35 votes (May 2^ __ 



The bill ignored all the private companies, and enacted 

 that the United States Government should " acquire from the 

 states of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, for and in behalf of the 

 United States, control of such portion of territory now 

 belonging to Costa Rica and Nicaragua as may be desirable 

 and necessary on which to excavate, construct, and defend a 

 canal of such depth," etc. It provided for such fortifications 

 along the route " as will be required for the safety and pro- 

 tection of said canal and harbors." An appropriation of 

 810,000,000 was called for to enable the Secretary of War to 

 enter upon contracts for " materials and work that may be 

 deemed necessary for the proper excavation, construction, 

 defence and completion of said canal, to be paid for as appro- 



