Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-19
CONGRESSIONAL.
Statehood of Washington
Territory.
PANHANDLE ANNEX DISCUSSED.
Progress of the Mills Bill Delayed
by Republican Obstinacy.
Washington Waits.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, July 1S.-In the Senate
to-day a resolution instructing the Com
mittee on interstate Commerce to in.
quire into the propriety of extending
the Interstate Commerce law to telegraph
and express companies, and to railroad
companies not now subject to it, during
the recess Of Congress and appoint a
clerk and stenographer, was offered by
Cullom and referred to the Committee
on Contingent Expenses.
The Senate proceeded to the consider
alton of the Senate bill for the formation
and admission into the Union of the
State of Washington, to be composed OF
part of Idaho Territory.
Cullom offered substitute fer the bill.
combining the area of the new State to
that OF the present territory of Washing
ton.
Stewart supported the bill. The only
controverted point in the hill, he said.
was as to the inclusion within the new
State OF that portion of Idaho, known as
north Idaho or the Panhandle. He
stated the reasons why the annexation
should take place.
Vest doubted the power Of Congress
to refer the matter of annexation of
Northern Idaho to the people thereof.
There had been, he said, vast amount
of adjudication in the question. and the
weight of authority was decidedly
against such relegation of the legislative
power, for this was nothing else. If it
was right that part of Idaho Territory
should be cut off and annexed to Wash
ington State, it should be done by Con-
gress, and not subjected to all the
chances Of popular election.
Dolph supported the bill.
Cullom favored the immediate admis-
sion of the new State, but opposed the
annexation of a portion of Idaho. He
quoted resolutions of the conventions of
both political parties of the Territory
against the proposed dismem berment,
and also resolutions of thanks of Idaho
county to President Cleveland for veto
ing (by pocketing) the bill of the last
Congress adding the four northern coun-
ties of Idaho to the Territory of WASH
ington. He also read letter from the
Governor of the Territory Of Idaho to
himself, expressing the conviction that
the Senate would not attempt to divide
that Territory against the memorial of its
Legislature and against the protests of
both political parties, backed by at least
-tenths of the population of Idaho.
He declared it was not right after the
ong to frontier life to say to the people
h0 CT h4x.
ming to see daylight dawn in the East
State, "We will take off $4,000
square miles of your area and 10000
Of your population, and we will attach
hem to some other Territory and put
you back twenty years longer" He
hoped the bill reported by Stewart from
the majority of the Committee would not
pass the Senate, but that the substitute
offered by himself on the part of the mi
nority (Which simply proposed to admit
Washington Territory with its existing
would be passed.
Stewart read large number of resolu-
lions and letters and statements in sup
port of the annexation of North Idaho
and said nature had made these four
(Which are in the great Colum-
bia basin) part of Washington, but that
in view of the suggestion that the ma
iority of their people were opposed to an
nexation, the bill provided for submit
ling the question to them, they being the
only people interested.
Without action on the bill the Senate
to the consideration of execu-
i've business and soon adjourned.
NOTES.
The bill introduced at the request of
large number of civil engineers for the
of a Bureau of Harbors
and Waterways was reported by Senator
Cullom to-day from the Committee on
Commerce without recommendation and
placed on the calendar, the Senator stat
ing that the Committee had not been
able, in the press of other work, to give
the matter full consideration.
Hoar gave notice at the request of
Frye, who has the Fishery treaty in
charge lin the absence Of Sherman) that
he would next Friday ask the Senate to
proceed with the consideration of the
treaty, and would urge the Senate to con-
tinue the discussion until it was ended,
and then that vote be taken without