1 98 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



procedure agreed upon, the five Commissions had 

 communicated the result of their deliberations, all that 

 the bureau of the Assembly had to do was to co- 

 ordinate these conclusions, in order to draw up and 

 submit to the Congress the resolution which was to 

 be the outcome of them. 



IV. 



" The Congress is of opinion that the cutting of an 

 interoceanic canal with one level, so desirable in the 

 interests of trade and navigation, is possible, and that 

 this maritime canal, in order to give the indispen- 

 sable facilities of access and use which a passage of 

 this kind must be supposed to give, should go from 

 the Gulf of Limon to the Bay of Panama." 



Such was the form of resolution adopted by the 

 bureau and reinforced by the presidents, secretaries, 

 and reporters of the five Commissions. It was put to 

 the vote on May 29th, 1879, and out of ninety -eight 

 members present seventy- eight voted in its favour 

 and eight against, the twelve others abstaining. Such 

 was the majority which declared in favour of the 

 canal, recompensing the bold and persevering efforts 

 of our compatriots, Wyse and Eeclus. If we examine 

 the nature of the voting, we may see that there was 

 something like unanimity, for among those who voted 

 against the resolution, or did not vote at all, were the 

 representatives of the Northern States of Central 

 America, whose local sentiments were enlisted in 



