The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-03-13
PRoCEEDINGsoF CONGRESS,

WASHINGTON. Special Telegram, Feb. GA
lively contest occurred in the house over tho bill
sorepealthe presumption, timber culture and des.
ert lands acts, This bill is on the speakers table
with amendments made by the senate. There is
a decided majority in the house favorable to con-
currence IN the senate amendments, but the
Northwestern members are very generally hos
tile to the repeal, and have been diligently
watching to prevent final action on the bill. 1t
cannot be reached out of the regular order, ex-
cept by unanimous consent or by n suspension
Of the rules. This latter motion was made
to-day by Cobb of Indiana, his object being to
have the bill referred to the committee on pub
lie lands. The effect OF the passage OF this mo-
ton would have been TO give the mmit the
privilege of reporting back the bill at any time
for concurrence in the senate amendments. The
members actively resisted this,
and twas rejected by a vote of 166 to 93--not
VIII VII re die on 'M she speaker + Is sa BFsoao It, the p slll
son made n strong effort before the com.
mittee on rules this morning to amend the
house rules 80 Us to allow a majority vote to take
a bill from the speakers table for reference to
comi..ittees. This proposed rule was intended
to give opportunity To get at tho presumption
sired amendment, and hence the desperate at
tempt to suspend the rules and pass the pre-
elnption bill.
bill was read q second time, and referred to
the committee on commerce, which, on request
of MIR. Mcmillan, got permission to sit during
sessions of the senate.
Mr.. Mitchell offered a resolution: That the
committee on finance be and hereby is instruct
ed forthwith to prepare and report to the sem
! ate u proper bill to provide for the immediate
suspension of tho coinage of standard silver
dollars, and for the resumption of such coinage
whenever the commercial value of the standard
dollar aforesaid shall rise to within 5 per cent
OF par with the standard gold dollar of the
United States. The resolution was laid
over. The senate then on motion of MI. VIII
son, took up the house bill to forfeit the I'M
earned lands granted to the state of Iowa to
aid the construction of the Sioux City & st
Paul raiload The bill as passed by the house,
declares such unearned lands forfeited; re-
quires the attorney general to institute legal
proceedings to ascertain and determine their
quantity, and provides that actual bona tide
settlers already on tho lands shall have prefer
ence OF entry at the land Office, etc.
Mr.. Mcmillan opposed it. 1t was a prop
osltion. he said, which, in the name of popular
prejudice, sought to do violence to pubic pri-
vare rights. The grant had been not to a rail-
road company, but to the state of Iowa, and
was an entire grant. Pending debate on this
bill, house bills providing for the erection Of
public buildings at various places were taken
ZIP and passed:
The debate on the Sioux City 4 st Paul for
feiture bill was resumed. Mr.. Hoar said citi-
zens of Massachusetts had invested $500, 900 at
6 per cent in that enterprise. He thought
such men were entitled to justice at the hands
of the senate. The land was ali those people
would have for their money. They were en-
titled to lands coterminous with the completed
portion of the road.
HoUsE.-A long debate took place on the late
silver letter of President Cleveland, the fortif-
cation bill being under consideration. The
debate was OF a partisan character and of little
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