The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-05-08

WASHINGTON, May "A bill wa,
introduced in the senate to-day by
Plumb for opening to homestead
settlement certain portions of the In
dian territory, providing that the
lands in the Indian territory coded by
the Creek tribe of Indians by the
Treaty of 1866, and the lands ceded by
the Seminole tribe by the treaty OF
1866, except such as has been granted
the other Indian tribes by act of con.
gress or by treaty, or been set apart fol
Indian occupancy by executive order
The bill also provides that certain
of said lands shall be set apart for en-
try under the homestead laws, and
that so much of the grant of lands
made the Atlantic s. Pacific railW '
company by act of July 6, 1866, as lies
within the Indian territory, excepting
the grant for right of way and station
purposes, shall be wholly forfeited and
the land restored to the public domain.
1t provides also that the president
shall be empowered to reduce the limits
or any reservation established by the
executive order in the Indian terri
tory where the amount of land is In
excess of the necessities and rights OF
the Indians occupying the same, and
that the land thus taken out of the
limits of any reservation shall be
open to settlement under the home
stead law; that he shall be authorized
to remove the Indians of the Oar
lington agency with their free consent
to lands to be hereafter provided for
them.
The bill further provides that the
president shall be empowered to open
negotiations with such Indian tribes
located in the Indian Territory as in
his judgment are in possession of a
greater quantity of land than their
necessities require, for ceding their
surplus lands to the government in
trust, or otherwise, and at such prices
as may be equitable, for the purpose of
offering said surplus lands for settle
ment under the general land laws Of
the United States.
WASHINGTON, May 2.-IJ is antici-
pated fight will be made in tho
house on the river and harbor appro-
priation bill, began this morning.
The Missouri delegation held a meet
ing and resolved to oppose it unless a
more liberal provision is made for
Missouri river. They want $10,000,-
600 appropriated, while the bill in the
present shape gives them but half
that amount.
WASHINGTON, May 2.-Postmaster-
general Gresham has returned from
Florida. He made careful examina-
ton of the southern Mail service, and
ic no ~ in oh
of the system calculated to materially
improve it.
WASHINGTON, May I'm the house
to-day Van Wyck offered a resolution
which was agreed to, calling on the
secretary of the interior for informa-
ton as to what action. if any, would
be taken in regard to the entries of
public land by the Estes park compa-
ny, organized under the laws of Great
Britain, and doing business in Colo
RADIO, and made in the interest of the
Earl of Dunraven. The Arkansas
Valley land and cattle company is an
English corporation. Sykes & Hughes
is an English firm dong business in
northern Dakota, and Falkner, Bell
& Co. is another English firm doing
business in California. For the bene-
fit of said corporations and companies
all the entries, according to the re-
ports in the general land office, are al
legged to be fraudulent. VanWyck
said the public domain should be pro,
tected, and those foreign syndicates
promptly told just what their rights
are in this country.
WASHINGTON, May 2.-Comfirma-
ton: Henry w. Cannon, Minnesota,
comptroller.
The committee on expenditures OF
the department Of justice will contin-
ue the Star route investigation on
Monday. The testimony will refer
more particularly to the Kellogg case.
Walsh has been subp9ned to ap-
pear, as have a dozen or
more witnesses from Louis
lana who were here to give
testimony in behalf of Kellogg, had not
his trial this week SO suddenly ended
The latter were Subp9n8d at the re-
quest of Kellogg. The testimony of
j. B. Price, which was taken in court
Tuesday last, will be presented for the
use of the committee, and Price will
not again be examined.
w WASHINGTON, May I'll Guo SELL
ate to day the chair laid before the
senate a Geographic communication
from Wicker, late collector at Key
West, Fla, asking that an investiga-
ton be made into his conduct in con.
nection with the discharge of his Off
cial duties.
WASHINGTON, MAY 2.-The senate
committee on territories, in reporting
adversely the House bill providing nc
person be appointed governor of ter.
ritory who has not been two years in
the state, says the bill is opposed to
the usage, because it seeks to limit the
president in his selection of gov
errors of certain territories, and
it is extremely doubtful whether
any law can limit the constitutional
power of the president to appoint
such officers. The committee say fur
ther they are of opinion law could
as well restrict the president in thi:
matter to persons of certain heighth
or weight, or particular complexion
as to the residence of his oppointee.