Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-07
The Features of Springer's Report on
His Omnibus Bill.
The Nice Things He Will Have to Say of
the Four Territories.
Gegent Reasons Why Dakota Should
+ Not Be Divided.
Truthful Character of His Brief Re-
marks Concerning Montana.

WASHINGTON, March 4.-Representativ
Springer, on behalf OF the majority of th
Committee on Territories, has prepared
report which ne will present to the Hous
re sommending the pas ge OF what
| T. .1oe d as The omnibus bill, TO enable tn
people of Dakota, Montana, Washington
Territory and New Mexico to form Stat
Governments and be admitted into tn
Union.
DAKOTA,
it says, has an area of 96,596, ,4SO acres
an estimated population in 1887 OF 56S,
ATT, and taxable property valuation o
$157, ,O84, 1865. It is conceded that il
point OF population, agricultural and min
eral resources and all other matters which
constitute State. Dakota is fully prepared
for admission, and in fact no other Terri
tory equally prepared for Statehood hal
heretofore
FAILED OF ADMISSION
into the Union. This failure is attributa
heretofore made in the Territory have hao
division in view. Regret is expressed that
even now there are some we'll disposed peo
pile in the Territory who will insist that
Dakota should not be admitted into the
Union as one State, and who prefer there
should be no mission until division is ac-
complished.
ATTENTION is CALLED
to the fact that 26,947,11 acres compris-
ing more than one-fourth of the entire
area OF the Territory, is Indian reservation
land and excluded from the jurisdiction of
the proposed State. The climate in the
northern portion of the Territory and the
character Of the lands west OF the Missouri
River are also stated to be euch as to pre-
clude the possibility Of dense population in
those regions. II, however, the Indian
titles should hereafter be extinguished and
the population become so great as to make
a single State Government uDwieldy, Con-
gress may provide for division into two
States.
MONTANA
has an area OF 92,O16,648 acres. Her
population is estimated at IT'S, ZOO and
her taxable property valuation in 1886
was computed on low basis at $55, ,O76,-
S71. The Indian reser ations which at
present exist in the Territory comprise an
area of 20, ,574 ,64S acres. The area Of
WASHINGTON TERRITORY
e placed at 44,796,16O acres OF which
t, t,17O,55S are Indian reservation lands.
The population in November last vas esti-
mated at 16O, 900 and the taxable property
n 1887 is given as about $50, ,OOO, 900, not
including railroad property. Reference is
llsO made to its great mineral and lumber
'esOurces. The area of
NEW MEXICO
s placed at 1885, $40 acres, OF which
J, ',574, ,225 is comprised within the limits of
indian reservations. The official census of
S85 showed population OF 1874, 141, and
he taxable property in 1886 amounted to
;56, ,OOO. 900. The growth OF the Territ ory
las been much retarded by the unsettled
ondition of land titles. The
REPORT CONCLUDES:
'The four Territories whose admission is
provided for in this bill have population,
yrea and resources which entitle them to
admission into the Union. 1t should be
he policy of Congress to admit Territories
nto the Union whenever these conditions
re realized. The committee therefore
ecommends the passage OF the bill re-
'orted.'