St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-11
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.
A Bill to Increase the Appropriation
for the Minneapolis Building
to 100000.
The Dakota Bill Again Called up Against
Which Senator Vest Makes
Vigorous Protest.
THE FoRTY-E1GHrH CONGRESS.
The Senate.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-In the senate to-
lay Senator Vest, on behalf of the committee
On commerce, requested that the committee
be discharged from the consideration of the
interoceanic ship rate way bill. Senator
Vest stated he had received letter from
Capt. Eads saying certain changes have been
made in the concessions from Mexico which
made it necessary 10 Withdraw the bill. The
com mittee was accordingly discharged from
the consideration of the bill, which was
ordered to be withdrawn from the files of the
senate.
The senate passed the bill authorizing the
Commercial national bank, Of Chicago, to
increase its capital stock to $4,000, 600.
Senator Mcmillan introduced a bill in
creasing the appropriation for the erection of
the public building at Minneapolis to $780,
600
The senate then took up the Oregon Cen
trail land forfeiture bill. At 2 O'Clock the till
was laid aside until tomorrow and the Da-
kota bill taken up.
Senator Vest addressed the senate in oppo-
sIion to the admission of Dakota. There
was nothing partsanship, he said, in his OPP
position. He did not pretend to be free
from partisanship. He was devoted to the
principles Of the Democratic party, but he
was here 10 discuss the question entirely on
its merits. Very few territories, how
ever had been admitted TO the Union
without party struggle and debate. The
territories themselves had always felt the in
fuences of the party dominant in the nation
When the national administration was Dem
OcTatic, the territories were Democratic: when
Republican, the territories were Republican.
IN m fl,f 80
ton, Senator Vest said the constitution had
placed no limitation on the power of con-
gress TO admit states. The action of congress
as to the admission Of states in the past WAS
no criterion for the present. Men who
formed our constitution had never dreamed
that any period short of centuries would
see the American wilderness pen
etrated by civilization. There was
no need TO-DAY for the admission
ofne states in order to strengthen the Union.
and there was no need TO rush this territory
into the condition of a state. The population
was not enough to entitle it to representa-
tive in congress, and it would, to a certain
extent, be disfranchisement to the states
already in the Union to give the present pop
ulation of Dakota two representatives in the
United States senate, as well as a representa-
tive in the lower house of congress. The de-
mands said to have been made since 1870 for
the admission of the territory, had been
the demands of ambitious politicians
Men who were ready to cut each
others Threats, politically and physically,
had been urging these demands" Graut
has been credited, Senator Vest said, with
the statement while president that Dakota
gave him more trouble than all other terri
tories put together; that the trouble there
was, there were two streets in Yankton, and
when one street did anything or got any
thing done, the other street rebelled, and il
would require almost all the civil and mill
tary power of the United States to keep the
peace between the factions. Senator Vest
sent to the desk and the secretary read
number Of petitions opposing the admission
of the territory, and ascrbing the
desire for admission to the am
bition of politicians who wished
TO go to congress. Continuing, Senator
Vest said the project to divide the territory
was unnecessary. There were no natural
barriers, mountain or river of interest, or
sentiment to divide the territory or people
The engineering of the admission scheme he
ascribed TO Gov. Ordway, upon whose indus
try and solicitude it reflected great credit.
The trouble was there were too many states
men in Dakota that were given to calling
conventions, but was the United States SEN
ate a body to record the edicts of political
junctas.
The senate went into executive session and
soon adjourned.