Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-22
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Nominations Sent to the Seaate-Opinion
OF Justice Observation-Disclosures Goa.
frmed-A Bill For a New Territory
BiEany Bill Introduced.

WASHINGTON, Dec 2l.
The President sent the following nomina-
tion to the Senate, Monday:
II. Stevenson of Illinois, to be first assist
ant postmaster general.
L. K Church Of New York, associate ius-
tice Of the supreme court OF Dakota.
w. W. Porter of California, associate JUS
tice Of the supreme court of Arizona.
j. T. kimball of Pennsylvania, director of
the mint.
VIM. S. Hagar, to be postmaster at Rich
mond Me.
To be collectors of internal revenue-Cal-
vim Page, for the district OF New Hampshire :;
Eben F. Pillsbury, for the district of Massa-
chusetts.
To be marshal of the United States for the
district of Vermont. John Robinson.
The supreme court of the United States
today affirmed the decree of the court of
claims in the case of Hattie A. Burnett,
| against the United States. Mrs. Burnett,
subsequent to the death of her husband, filed
an application for widows pension and was
allowed pension of $50 per month She
claimed to be entitled to S72 per month, the
rate of the pension of her husband receiving
| at the time of his death. The commissioner
of pensions refused to allow her that amount
and she appealed to the secretary of the in-
terror. The latter officer transmitted the
matter to the court of claims for adjudication
and the court held that the degree of disabi-
ity by which her husbands pension was rated
made no difference with her right; that after
death all degrees of disability, irrespective
of real facts, are considered by law ''total
disability" and the rate of pension given that
grade becomes the rate of pensions for the
widow. Opinion by Justice Harlan.
The Senate today confirmed the nomna
| ton of John Bigelow to be assistant treas
urer at New York.
Senator Van Wyck to-day introduced bill
| TO organize ''Indian territory" and public
land strip" into territory to be known as
the territory of Oklahama, and provide a
| temporary government therefor. 1t provides
| for unoccupied lands ceded to the United
States by Creeks and Seminoles BY the treat
les of 1866 and public land strip will be de-
| clared part of the public domain and open
| to settlement: that the land can only be taken
up under homestead law and that there shall
be no combinations of claims of case. All
Indian leases IN the territory except those
for cultivation of soil are declared void aud
contrary to public policy. The bill provides
for a commission to negotiate with In
dians with view of assigning them lands in
| severalty and purchasing all relinquished and
unoccupied lands. 1t repeals that portion of
the act of 1866 which grants land to the ATTAIN
tic and Pacific Railroad through the territory.
Bgamy bill reported by Senator Edmunds
from the Judiciary committee today provides
that the lawfnl husband or wife of the ac-
cused may testify in the prosecution under
the United States statutes for bigamy, poly
gamy or unlawful cohabitation; that every
marriage ceremony in the territories shall be
certified in writing by the contracting parties
and the person performing the ceremony,
and the failure to procure such certificate in
court when required, shall be punishable by
fine and imprisonment. 1t abolishes entirely
female suffrage in Utah annuls all the Utah
territory laws which provide for numbering
or identifying votes; provides that no illeg-
itimate child born in Utah, after the passage
of this act, shall inherit any portion of its
fathers property and annuls all laws of Utah
which provide that prosecutions for adultery
can only be commenced on complaint of the
husband or wife; provides for the appoint
ment, by the President, of IA trustees of the
corporotion known as the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints, who shall have
equal powers with the trustees and assistant
trustees provided for in the laws relating to
said corporation and who together with the
other trustees shall annually, or oftener,
make full report to the secretary of the in
terror of the operations of said corporation;
provides for the institution of suits by the
attorney general for the forfeiture of prop
erty held by corporations in violation of the
polygamy act of July ], 1862, said property
to be sold and the proceeds applied to the
benefit of the public schools in the territory
in which such property may be; makes it un-
lawful for the Utah legislature to create or
authorize in any way any corporation or as
sociation for the purpose of bringing persons
into the territory for any purpose whatever.
and annuls all laws inconsistent herewith; !;
provides for redstricting of Utah by
governor, secretary and U. S. judges; pro-
vides for the punishment of an adulteress by
imprisonment not exceeding three years; of
fornication by Imprisonment not exceeding
three months, or by a fine not exceeding 500,
and grants additional powers to U. S. mar
shals