tes and Great Britain stipulated that neither
of the governments "will ever obtain for itself any exclusive
control over the canal or colonize or assume or exercise any domain
over Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito Coast, or any part of
Central America."

It provided for the exertion of the influence of the two governments
in facilitating the construction of the work by every means in
their power, and that after completion they would defend its
neutrality, with the privilege of withdrawing such guaranty on
notice. It also provided for inviting other governments to come
into the same arrangement, and that each party should enter into
treaty stipulations with such of the Central American states as
might be deemed advisable for carrying out the great design of the
convention. It declared that no time should be unnecessarily lost
in commencing and constructing the canal, and, therefore, that the
two governments would give their support and encouragement to such
persons as might first offer to commence the same with the necessary
capital, and that, if any persons then already had obtained the
right to build it from the Central American government and should
fail, each of the two governments should be free to afford its
protection to any other company that should be prepared to proceed
with the work.

This treaty has given rise to much discussion, and has ever since
been a hindrance to the great work it proposed to advance. The
British government has repeatedly violated the treaty by extending
its possessions and strengthening its influence in that part of
the world. The report made by me, as chairman of the committee on
foreign relations, on the 10th of January, 1891, in response to a
resolution of the Senate, contains a full statement of the results
of that treaty. As this report has been widely circulated and was
considered an important document, it is but just for me to say
that, while I presented it, two other members of the committee
participated in its preparation. The first part, relating to
negotiations, was written by Senator Edmunds; the second part,
relating to the then condition of the work on the Nicaragua Canal
and its value, tonnage and business, by Senator Morgan; and the
residue, in respect to the financial aspect of the subject, the
cost of the work proposed and the aid that should be given by the
United States in its construction, by me. The framing of a bill
to carry into effect the recommend