The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-27
House..

W ASHINGToN, FeDruary ZO.-A con-
current resolution was agreed to, ten
dering the thanks of Congress to Col.
Casey, of the corps of engineers, and his
assistants and workmen, for the ad-
mirable manner in which he and they
had performed their respective duties in
the completion of the monument to the
name and fame of Washington.
Thomas moved to reconsider the vote
by which the resolution was adopted, in
order to oppose the resolution. He
called attention to the fact that its
effect would be to extend the period of
duration which Colonel Casey would be
on the active list ten years. He did not
wish to detract from the achievements
of Casey, but did not want the thanks
of Congress to be laid too cheap. He
did not think it right that Col. Casey's
term should be increased ten years for
achieving this simple civil enterprise
while no honor was given the officers
fighting on the frontier ~
The motion to reconsider was agreed
to and the resolution laid upon the
table. '
Forney submitted the conference re-
port on the army appropriation bill.
Adopted. "el ts--
An agreement was reported on all
amendments, except that relative to the
hours during which courts martial may
hold their sessions, a further confer
ence was ordered. q 3 so tt- -
Cobb moved to suspend the rules and
take from the Speakers table, for refer
ence to the committee on public lands,
the House bill repeating the -pre-emp-
ton, timber culture and desert land
laws, with the Senate amendments
thereto. In supporting the motion,
Cobb said that no greater evil had been
done to the future of the country than
had been done through fraud and per-
jury under the laws which it was pro-
posed to repeal. 81 z
Converse asserted that more fraud
had been committed under the home
stead than under the presumption laws
and instanced the case of Estes Park,
Colorado, which had all been taken up
by Lord Dulraven under the homestead
law. II tfl }f''
Payson contradicted this statement
and stated that he had papers in his
possession showing that Estes Park was
taken up under the pre-emption law.
Valentine thought he voiced the senti-
ment of the people of the west in pro-
testing against the repeal of these laws.
The demand for repeal came from two
sources, from great railway corporations
which could not raise the price of their
lands as long as the presumption law
remained in force, and second, from the
great cattle kings who wished the
timber culture act repealed in order
that their herds might roam over
the prairies, undisturbed by settlers.
Perkins took the same view of the
question and characterized the bill as
ingenious legislation in favor of large
cattle organizations west.
Converse opposed the repeal OF what
he considered beneficent laws. Ii there
was fraud committed under the laws let
the rascals who committed them be
turned out and honest men put in their
places.
Maginnis thought the bill should be
entitled an act in the interest of cattle
kings and to double the price. of railroad
lands" tNA
Holman summed mp the issue pre-
scented as being whether public lands
should be disposed of to actual settlers
or to Spectators.
Payson referred the House to the fact
that for the past few years every sundry
civil appropriation bill had contained an
appropriation of not less than $50, 900 to
ferret out frauds under the> pre-emp-
ton laws, rs proof that such
frauds existed, and he Indignantly
denied that the proposed legislation was
in the interest or cattle kings.
The motion to suspend the rules and
refer the presumption land bill'was lost,
yeas 166, nays SO, not the necessary two
thirds in the affirmative.
The postoffice appropriation bill with
the Senate amendments was taken from
the Speakers table and referred to the
committee on appropriations.
Hancock from the committee on appro-
priations, reported the Notification APP
preparation bill. Committee of the whole.
Randall moved to suspend the rules
so that the sundry civil appropriation
bill may be considered for four hours,
on the clauses relating 10 the suspension
of silver coinage and the Worlds In
dustrial and Cotton Exposition-three
hours to be DEVOTED to debate on the
first named item and one hour to the
latter. The bill shall be subject to
amendment, to strike out amended
clauses, after which the previous ques-
ton shall be considered as ordered.
Bland demanded a second, and the
motion was seconded-105 to SO. A
half-hour's debate under the rules was
not asked for, and the House proceeded
Immediately to vote on the motion.
A motion to suspend the rules was
lost, yeas lis, nays 149.
The announcement was received with
applause by the silver men.
Randall then said: Recognizing the
significance of the vote just taken, and
knowing the issue was distinctly made
as against the silver clause, and being
aware that the majority has declared
against that proposition, 1, therefore,
assume to myself the responsibility
believing that the members of the ap-
preparations committee, if opportunity
were offered, would unanimously sus-
tain me in my position) of moving to
suspend the rules, in the manner stated
in the resolution, with everything con-
nected with coinage eliminated both
from the bill and the resolution
: Randall then moved to suspend the
rules SO as to take up the sundry civil
bill and consider, for one hour, the
clause relating to the New Orleans e1.
position: This was objected TO, as not
specifically eliminating the silver ques'