Omaha daily bee., 1885-02-13
The Steamer "AlGTt" Il be Rttlrntd
II the
British Government With the
Thanks Of Uncle Sam.
Signs of a Storm Brewing in the
Democratic Camp.
The South Want Most Of the Cab
met Offices.
The Senate Trying to Oheckmate
the Land Grabbers.
Dir. Horr's Remarks-Passage of the
Army Appropriation Bill
in the Sc nate.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, February 1.-THE chair laid
before the senate the house concurrent reso-
luton providing for the joint committee from
the house and senate to notify Cleveland and
Hendricks of their election. Ga motion OF
Garland it was referred to the committee on
privileges of elections.
authorizing the president to return to the
government of Great Britain the steamer
Alert with the thanks of the United States.
The resolution ,tfered yesterday by Ingalls,
aud Hoar relating to the electoral count were
on motion of Hoar referred to thu committee
on privilege of the elections.
The resolution offered by Sherman author
iziug the president of the senate to appoint a
committee of three to make the necessary
arrangements for the Inauguration of president
elect. Agreed TO.
bill to forfeit the Texas Pacific land praut
had bsen displaced from ITS position at the
head of the special order. Ednunis lin the
chair SAID the bill had been placed before the
senate as q special order, and the senate by a
vote refused to consider it and proceeded to
consider another bill. That refusal sent the
bill back to the general calendar. Van Wyck
asked the unanimous consent that the bill be
restored to its place among the speciI orders.
His request was acceded to aud the hill was
restored to its place among the special orders.
The bill repeating the presumption and tim.
Der culture laws was taken up.
Vest read o letter from a gentleman re.
siding in Michigan, whose responsibility had
been Youched for by the senator from that
state.
The letter stated that the amendment of
fered by Senator Palmer, apparently for the
benefit of bona tids purchasers of public ands,
wa not in reality in their interest, bnt in the
interest Of q few persons who, through col
fusion with government land agents, had been
enabled to buy great tracts of public lands at
private sale, contrary to law, thus getting for
81 % an acre lands worth $25 or SOD an acre
With the letter were newspaper clippings
stating that Barnhait, Hill and Freeman Of
Grand Bapids, Case and Mckinney OF Mar
uuette, and Others now in Washington, owned
100. 900 acres of those lands.
Vest telt warranted in declaring that there
had been stupeudous speculation in pablo
lands on the part of the men who hoped to
come in and pose as innocent purchasers. y
Palmer said no doubt spectators and lum-
bermen had invested II. lands, but the men he
would help were poor farmers. who had put
their sweat and toll into their lands.
The amendment of Palmer now pending
to toe bill would con6,m and declare valid
the latter lapds Withdrawn from sale by
reason of railroad grants, or where lands had
been reduced in price to 81 % pee acre, and
purchased in good faith, without the land
having been offered at public auction.
Conger said the mission would relieve thou
sands Of poor men, and If in doing that /
helped also a few rich men, he would not OF
that account vote against it.
Palmer's amendment agreed to-yeas, %
nays, %. -,
for the settlement of alEoQnestions Of conflict
ing claims by the department of the interior
and giving bonafide settlers under the home
stead and pre- emption laws preference owe
previous entries made at $l.25 an acre Nor
gan said he did not like the aspect of the BIZ
a., tba aa,ata II 1nnkaA tn him ton mi1ph n
il some private enterprise was beng carried
forward.
Pending the debate, Van Wyck submitter
the joint resolution making it unlawful TO
railroad companies to attempt to trade in an,
portion of the land grant while the bill TO
forfeiture of the same is pending in congress
or before II patent shall have bael
issued, making the person violating !
subject to o fine not exceeding $1,000, or i'm
prisonment not exceeding one year. Referret
to the committee on public lands.
The army appropriation bill was thei
passed.
The consideration of the bill for the repsa
of tho ~pte-empuon and timber culture law
was resumed
Morgan expressed surprise at the opposition
of the senators from Michigan. He said i
had become obvious that the object and iii
tent Of the bill was to con firm men who ha,
not acquired land by proper means.
Congsr declared that such an assertion wa
unworthy of the senator from Alabama (Mor
gam and of the senate.
A mod fication of Morgan's amendment
offered by Harrison was accepted by Morga
providing that the United States court
should have also jurisdiction of contictin
claims.
Morgan's amendment was then agreed tc
Yeas, %, nays, ii.
An amendment offered by Sherman wa
agreed ito, providing that public lands nc
. heretofore offered ut public sale, shall be sol
at public sale, or be subiec. to private sale ex
ceps military reservations and mineral landt
The bill then passed - yeas 26, nays 20, I'D
muuds voting with the democrats against tn,
bill and Brown with the republicans for it.
The chair laid before the senate the Paci6
land grant bill.
Blair attempted to bring up the anti -foI
eign contract labor bill, but Oh learning thi
d ould displace the forfeiture bill, Van Wye
declined to yield.
Executive session adjourned.