The Portland daily press., 1886-02-06
KLlXth CONGRESS FIRST SESSION.
Senate.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.
In the Senate, today, amOngs the petitions pre-
sented and referred were number by MeSsrs.
Hoar, Frye, Cullum, C0nger Dawes and Allison,
from various assemblies of Knights of Labor,
praying Congress to open up the Oklahoma lands
to settlement, and to establish Territorial govern
ment over these lands
The chair laid before the Senate resolution
heretofore submitted by Mr.. Dawes calling on the
Interior Department for copies Of all papers i'll
the possession of the department, or that had
been received by any officer of that department,
as to the performance Of the duties of Henry
Ward. while Indian inspector. Agreed to with
out debate
OF entry, was taken up and passed. Mr.. Allison,
however, gave notice of a motion to reconsider.
The Dakota bill was then taken up, and MI.
Butler took the floor.
Mr.. Butler charged that stbe opposition 90 the
admission of Dakota had first come from the Re-
publlcans, and he quoted from q speech made by
Mr.. Hale in a former Congress. Referring to the
reflections of the Indiana and Illinois Senators
upon his State, he declared that never until the
political friends OF Senators on the other side had
camped upon the fair bosom of that State had
her officials been tainted with a blemish of cor
officials had been compelled to fly from her bor-
ders to escape the State prison; and while the de-
grading, disgraceful and humillating spoliatiun
had been going on not one word of protest had
come from the honorable Senators on the other
side who had arraigned South Carolina.
Mr.. Logan said his attention had been directe
to the vote OF South Carolina because the Senators
from South Carolina (Mr. Butler) and Missouri
(Mr. Vest had complained that Dakota in 1884
UdU pOll6u OD,UUU VOLeS, Wnlle on auOpLlOl OF the
proposed constitution only 81 900 votes had been
polled. He (Mr. Logan had then called atten-
tion to the Senator's own State South Carolina) ;
population had polled 81 900 votes, while South
Carolina, with population OF million had only
thrown 81 900 votes and he (Mr. Logan had ia
CURED whether If an explanation was required
for Dakota, an explanation was not also required
for South Carolina?
Mr.. Butler replied that the explanation was that
at the last election in South Carolina the political
friends and allies OF the Senator from Illinois (Mr.
Logan were industriously neglected They had
not been instructed or even approached by that
Senator.
In conclusion, Mr.. Logan repeated that what
ever pretense may be made as to the reason for
excluding Dakota and however the Senators may
''higgle' over words, the real reason was that it
would have Republican majority.
Mr.. EdmundS inquired whether MeSSrS. Call,
Butler and their associates would vote for the
bill If an amendment were made to it providing
for the submission of the new constitution to the
people for their approval before it should go into
operation; or would they vote for n bill which
would be submitted to the people of the whole
Territory for them to say whether they wanted a
division or not?
Mr. Butler-Will the Senator from Vermont be-
fore submitting this bill to the people eliminate
of election Of Senators. Congressman, etc?
Mr. Edmunds-I will not After all these years
Of effort and application by these people the mat
ter should be now disposed of. Here was a con-
stitution like the constitution of the other States
in respect to the security of property, admiinstra
tiOn of justice, equal levyng of taxes, and every
thing that goes to the makeup of a State consti-
tuition. would not therefore, say to those peo-
pie that they must be again put of for one, two or
afraid that the people of Dakota had been over
awed or oyerborne by the officials they had nom-
mated. The people Of Dakota, he said, had been
born and raised in situations that made
them independent men, able to take care of them
selves and their liberties. The people Of that
Territory, Mr.. Edmunds continued, had no right
to remain Territory forever. The United States
paid very large part of the Territorial expenses,
and it should be relieved of that burden as soon
yITsc anne giSf with thn rnAh fK1G
misfortune of fate for the Senators on the Demo-
cratic side that Dakota did not have political
opinions with which those Senators could agree,
and that was what the MATTER was.
The debate then closed, and Mr. Buffers sub
stitute was put to vote and lost-yeas %, nays
33.
The bill reported from the committee was then
passed-yeas 80, nays 22,-the only Democrat
voting in the affirmative was Mr. VOORHEES,. The
negative votes were all Democratic.
The bill divides the Territory of Dakota on the
line of the 46th parallel of latitude and provides
i9r the admission 1it OF the southern portion as
tion of the northern portion into separate Terri
tory under the name OF Lincoln.
Mr. Payne presented the credentials of re-elec-
tlon OF Senator sherman, which were read and
filed.
Mr Blair moved that the Senate take up the
educational bill, the bill heretofore introduced
by him and reported favOrably from the commit
tee on education and labor, but on motion of Mr..
Plumb the Senate, at $40, adjourned till Monday
next,
HOUSE.
The House went into committee of the whole at
IL. 30 on the private calendar.
The committee remained In session until 3.40
when it rose and reported various bills to the
House leaving the Fitz John Porter bill standing
at the head Of the calendar
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania, from the commit
tee on appropriations, reported the pension appro-
priatlon bill and it was referred to the committee
of the whole.
On motion OF Mr.. Laird of Nebraska, resolu-
ton was adopted making the Fitz John Porter
bill continuing special order from Thursday the
18th inst until Thursday the 18th inst. including
the night session of Tuesday evening.
The House then at Ase adje1rred untff MoH-
day.