Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-12-17
IMPORTANT BILLS BEFORE con
GRESS.

ehh>S.
The tariff will not by any means mo-
uopolize the attention of Congress.
Osher bills of deep interest have al
ready been presented, and their merits
and dement's will soon be considered
both in and out Of Congress.
Among these bills the postal telegraph
scheme Of Mr.. EDMUNDS attracts most
attention. Mr.. EDMUNDs would have
the government construct four trunk
telegraph lines connecting Washing
ton with the different sections OF coun-
try. One line would probably extend
from Portland, Boston, New York and
Philadelphia to Washington; another
from New Orleans, Montgomery, At
lanta, Augusta and Richmond; the
third from Galveston, Memphis, st.
Louis and Cincinnati, and the fourth
from San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland
and Pittsburgh. The proposed lines
are TO be concentrated and conducted
10y board consisting of the Secretary
of State, the Secretary of War and the
Postmaster General, who are to estab-
lish rates and extend the lines as Con-
sress may provide. The working and
operation of the lines are, however. to
he under the direction of the Postmas-
ter General. The bill of Mr.. EDMUNDS
sppropriates two million dollars.
The plan of Mr.. EDMUNDs looks, of
course, to the construction of network
of Government telegraphs. He pro-
poses, at the outset, to select all en-
ployes on the plan of the civil service
act, and to enter at once into COMPETE
ton with existing lines. He does not
propose To either purchase lines now in
operation or TO forbid their use when
the Government lines are built. Under
Mr.. EDMUNDS' bill such lines would
necessarily be operated at loss, and it
-, all things considered, very improba-
he that any postal telegraph bill viii
be adopted at this session.
Mr. EDMUSDs has also brought for
ward another bill TO suppress pplycl-
my. His first bill has not suppressed it
to any material extent, and the new
and supplementary bill is supposed to
supply what was lacking in the old
bill. 1t attempts to supply evidence in
prosecutions for polygamy by compel
ling the filing, under severe penalties,
of certificates of marriage, aud makes
the lawful wife a competent witness in
any case in which the husband is
charged with bigamy, pOlygamy or
unlawful cohabitation.
The bill prohibits female suffrage in
Utah, and all elective offices are to be
declared vacant and a board of five per-
sons appointed to execute the duties of
such officers until the legislature con-
forms TO the requirements Of Congress.
Governor MrRRAY has no faith III
This sort of legislation. He says that
nothing short ofau absolute control of
the Territory by commission appoint
III 10y Congress, supported Of course by
the army, will prove etlectual. Mr.
EuMUNpS has great faith, however. III
rsper laws, and it is very likely THAI
the SUI Elementary bill will be adopted.
At least three important bills have
been presented relating TO the public
lands. One provides for repeal of the
presumption laws, but permits second
homestead entry in cases in which title
was not perfected under the first entry.
Another bill proposes repeal OF the
timber. culture law. Still another bill
proposes to amend the homestead act
by prohibiting communication hereunder
until two years shall have elapsed since
the date of settlement. These bills
were all introduced by Mr.. INGALLS,,
who lives near the frontier, and has
given the subject considerable study.
II these bills become laws no man eau
take up more than one hundred aud
sixty acres Of land, and he eau only Sc
cure that much by living on the land
TWO years and then by paying one dol
lar and twenty five cents all acre, or he
can secure it without price by living on
the land five years. At present man
can secure three tracts one each under
the homestead, the presumption and
the timber. culture laws. The practice
Of selling Accomplishments to incoming
settlers would also be stopped. The
laws relating to public lands need re-
vision, and the bills of Mr.. INGALLS,
will be apt to lead to a general bill that
will greatly simplify the operations o.
he land office.