Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-15
CONGRESSIONAL TOPICS.
The Oklahoma Bill Causes Considerable
Discussion in the House.

DlSCuSSiOH HI bhC houSC'
WASHINGTON, December 13.-ln the
House, Spinola OF New York, from the COM
mittee on military affairs, reported a bill
authorizing the retirement Of John G. Ere
mont, as major general.
On the private calender, Peel. Ark, called
up and the House passed bill for the ad-
jucation by the court OF claims OF the old
settlers of west Cherokee Indians claim.
The amount involved is 100000.
The House then proceeded in COMMITTEES
of the whole, to a consideration OF
THE OKLAHOMA BILL.
Payson, H., offered an amendment pro-
vidfng that the rights OF honorably dis
charged union soldiers to make homes on
the public lands under the existing home
stead laws, shall not in any degree be i'm
paired by the bill, and their rights under
those laws shall extend to lands open to
settlement under it's provisions.
Weaver, Iowa, inquired who was to pay
for the land.
Payson replied that the government
would pay for it. This was the first time
in land legislature that the rights OF sol
diers under the homestead law had been
sought to be impaired. He made the pre-
diction that if the yea and nay vote were
taken on the amendments, the gentleman
from Illinois (Springer) would not dare to
vote against it.
Springer-'I will vote against it here,
and on the yea and nay vote. L never
heard proposition mora demagogical and
inconsistent than your proposition is, and
you know it.
Payson said his collegue was glib in i'm
putations OF motives of other gentlemen,
He proposed to insist on the rights not
only OF Union soldiers but OF
THE LANDLEss POOR EVERYWHERE,
to have free homes if they endured the pri
vations they would have to undergo in
settling on land. But he insisted that be-
fore the general question was passed upon
Union soldiers should have free homes upon
this last great body OF land to be opened to
general settlement.
Weaver yielded to no member in his de-
yotion to the men who carried the flag in
the late war, but his amendment was
proposition to stab the bill in the name ol
the union soldier. He protested against
dishonoring the soldiers by placing them In
the attitude OF mendicants.
Warner, Mo-, believed the men who
fought the battles of the country simply
asked justice at the hands OF Congress
They were not here as beggars, and he
hoped to God they never would be. Dem
ocratic applause.]
Cutcheon, Mich, inquired whether the
gentleman was opposed to granting the
Union soldiers the same rights in Oklahoma
as they enjoyed in other portions OF the
public domain.
Warner replied that when the Sioux res.
ervation bill was before the House, he had
not heard the voice OF the gentleman from
Michigan, (Cutcheon) raised in behalf ofthe
Unien soldier. He was opposed to the
anne 1dment In the interest OF the Union
he was opposed to it.
Peters, of Kansas. said he had larger
soldier constituency than any other mem
Der of the House, and he had never heard a
request from any soldier that such au
amendment should be placed upon the bill
Henderson, ILL.,. thought the soldiers die
not understand the provisions OF the bill
and would be disappointed ifthe bill passed
in its present shape, to find they
WOULD BE PREVENTED
from going on the Oklahoma lands as the,
did on other public lands. 1t looked tt
him sometimes as il the lano speculation
had more to do with this bill than th'
bonafide settlers did.
hn oyt1on rnonf nQYnt