Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1888-05-04
Several Amendments to the Land
Grant Forfeiture Bill Offered
in the Senate.
Mr.. Vest Reads the Riot Act to the
Chicago Combination of Beef
and Pork Packers.
MI. Wilson of West Virginia Wakes
Eloquent Over the Tariff Debate
in the House.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
The Senate.


WASHINGTON, May 3-The senate to-
day resumed the consideration OF the
railroad land grant forfeiture bill, the ques-
ton being on the amendment offered yes.
terday by Mr.. Hoar. Mr.. Hoar withdrew
his amendment with the explanation that
Mr.. Palmer desired to offer what he (Hoar)
intended to accomplish and something
else. Mr.. Palmer thereupon offered an
amendment providing that the act should
not be construed to prejudice any right of
the Partage Lake Canal Company or On
uoniagon & Brule River Railroad Company
or anybody claiming under them. Adopted.
Mr.. Spooner offered an amendment to
insert new section declaring that when
any of the forfeited railroad bonds which
have been disposed of by the proper Off
GERS of the United States under order of
the public land laws, the right and title of
all persons holding under such disposals
(and who have purchased without fraud)
shall be confirmed. Mr.. Palmer moved to
amend the amendment, that it shall not
apply to sales or entries of land upon
which there were bonatide pre.emption or
homestead claims on the 1st of June, 1883.
Agreed to. Mr.. Palmer moved further to
amend Mr.. Spooner's amendment by de-
claring that no sales or entries shall be
confirmed to the prejudice of any pre-
cemption or homestead claims now valid
under the laws of the Unitee States and
which were existing on January !, 1883.
After a long discussion the bill went
over without action on the amendment.
ANIMAL. BUREAU.
The senate resumed the consideration of
the bill for the establishment of bureau
of animal industry to facilitate the exporta-
ton of live stock and their products. Mr..
Palmer addressed the senate in support of
the bill. Mr.. Vest said the cattle pool of
Chicago is the most Infamous tyranny that
ever existed in the United States. They
have got their collar on the producers of
the entire west. Mr.. Plumb said the worst
combination in the country was the COM
bination of beef and pork packers, having
its headquarters in Chicago. There was no
trust or cOmbinatiOn-the Standard oil
trust, the sugar trust, the copper trust or
any other trust-that had so powerful or
SO baleful an influence as that combination.
For years the prices of cattle to the pro-
ducers had been going down. They had
gone down, he thought, 50 per cent. In
the same time the price of meat to the con.
sumers had gone up. and every single
dollar of difference had gone into the
pockets of that combination. 1t was safe
to say that on every steer of 8 years old
and upwards, raised west of the Missis-
sippi river during the past five years, the
market valuation had been by this COM
bination reduced not less than $40 head.
When he considered that they then pro-
posed to have congress rivet finally the
chain ON the cattle industry in their behalf
he was lost between admiration and in
dignation at their audacity. He believed
that the commissioner of agriculture would
do as well with the powers given in the bill
as anybody else. he would trust him
thousand fold before he would trust any
one in the Combine"
After an executive session the senate ad-
journed until Monday.
The House.