Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-31

whether it will again be considered by
the Senate as at present constituted.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, January 3d. The House
went into Committee of the Whole on
the Oklahoma bill, the pending amend
ment being the one to prevent impair
ment of the homestead rights OF veteran
soldiers and sailors.
!. Payson advocated the amendment.
Symes, Colorado, said that, as MEM
Der of the G. A. R., he rose to oppose
the amendment. Some gentlemen who
advocated the amendment must excuse
him for saying that their actions showed
they were more anxious to defeat the
bill than to grant special benefits to a
few G. A. r. soldiers. The members of
the Grand Army did not come before the
House asking that the 200 or 300 of them
who might be able to go with the
boomers into Oklahoma should have
present of 5000 to $500 each,
while thousands who were unable
to go there, and who we're in want,
would receive nothing at all. While the
dependent pension bill remained vetoed,
healthy, ablebodied members of the
q. A. r., who were able to go the wilds
of Oklahoma and redeem the country,
did not want present of $500 from the
Government. After further dsbate, the
| amendment was agreed to pro forma,
and it was agreed that vote should be
taken in the House. Holman, of Indi-
ana, offered an amendment providing
that nothing in the act be construed to
authorize the extinguishment of Indian
titles to any land in Indi n territory
which, by virtue of an existing law,
would enure to the benefit of any rail-
road corporation, or the title to which
would vest in any such corporation on the
extinguishment of the Indian title
thereto; but all such lands will be held
by the Indians in tribes or in severalty,
or by the United States in trust for the
benefit of the Indians. Agreed to; as
was an amend ment offered by McRae, of
Arkansas, for forfeiting all lands and
rights granted to the Atlantic and Pacific
railroad for the construction of branch
road from the Canadian river to Van
buren, Ark. On motion of McRae, the
clause was eliminated which subjects
lands to taxation after the first INSTALL
ment of the purchase money has been
paid. On motion of Payson, an amend
ment was adopted providing that no
entry shall be allowed of any homestead
except to actual settlers, and no pre-
ferred right Of entry shall be
given to any person by reason
of claim of occupancy prior to the ap-
plication to enter land, except ir' cases OF
actual occupancy and continuous resi-
dence on the land at the date of applica-
ton.
Pavson then offered substitute for
the townsite section, and it was agreed
to-. 1t authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to reserve on any public lands in
the Territory town sites in areas not ex-
ceeding GAO acres, in compact form, and
prevents the allowance of any applica-
ton to enter tract of land until ap-
proved by the Secretary of the Interior
first, where any exterior line of the land
is within half mile of any railroad
second, where the land at the
date of application is town
or village settlement. No settle
ment in advance of a survey by
the proper authorities shall give any
right against the power to reserve town
sites. The Secretary is authorized &c
sell lots in any site as provided by stat.
ute. The money received from the sale
of lots Oess the amount paid to Indians
shall be held by the Secretary as a
separate school fund for the benefit Of
the inhabitants of the town. The con.
troll of sites shall continue with the Sec
retary until the legal incorporation Of
any city, town or village, when the title
to the unsold portions of the site shall
rest in the municipality.
The Committee rose and reported tn c
bill to the House. The first vote wa
taken on Payson's soldiers homesteads'
amendment. Agreed to. Pending fur.
ther votes the House adjourned.