St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-31
A Delegation Swoops Down
Upon Bismarck to Cap
ture the Capital.
The Statehood Convention
Tackles the Shank End
Of Its Task.
Uncle Sam Asks for Exclusive
Jurisdiction Over Mill
tary Reservations.
Single Tax Buell. Dumps His
Georgian Ideas Into
Statesmen's Laps.

BISMARCK, N. D, July 30.-The con-
stitutional convention of North Dakota
has again got down to business, the
members all being in their seats at roll
call this afternoon. A lively week has
been opened, and from now until the
final adjournment the proceedings will
be spicy. A large number of James
town citizens arrived to-day to put the
capital on wheels, if possible. They
have come to believe that jamestown
may win the seat of government and
are willing tt enter into most any sort
of a scheme to get it. However there
are many jamestown people who do
not approve of the scheme, and among
their representative citizens are men
who admit that their town will gain
nothing by the fight, The committee
on public institutions has not
reported. but it is understood
that the report will be submitted in a
few day. Whether or not the committee
will recommend the locations of the
public institutions Isl question of much
interest, and, while it is claimed that
such recommendation will be made,
nothing authoritative can be given on
the subject until the report is submitted.
The memorial to congress praying that
the general government take steps to-
ward establishing a system of irrigation
through artesian wells has excited
much comment, and facts are beng
brought forth to prove that the scheme
is feasible. Admitting. as scientists do,
that the supply for the artesian wells in
the James River valley comes from the
Rocky mountains, it is shown that the
Rocky mountains basin can also sup
ply wells throughout the entire
Missouri valley. Bismarck and
Mandan being about 1,700 feet
above the sea, while BOSeman, Mont,
Is 4,752, thus giving a fall of over 5000
feet in a distance by rail OF 5S1 miles.
With regard to the Jurisdiction over the
military posts and reservations, Cen
Ruger, of the department of Dakota.
has sent the following communication
to the convention:
Ihave the houor. in accordance with in
%structions received from the war department,
to request that consideration OF the conven-
ton be invited 10 the proposition that a
clause be inserted In the constitution Of the
state Of North Dakota by which juridiction
shall be reserved to the United States as pro-
vided III section eight OF article one, OF the
constitution, over the military reservations
of forts Abraham Lincoln, Buford, Pembina
and Totten, heretofore declared by the presi-
dent.
Gen. Ruger also submits the follow
ing proposed section for the conStitu-
ton:
Jurisdiction is ceded to the United States
over the military reservations Of Fort Abra-
ham Lincoln, Fort Buford, Fort Pembina
and Fort Totten, heretofore declared by the
president of the United States, provided
legal process, civil and criminal, of this state
shall extend over such reservations in all
cases of which exclusive jurisdiction is not
vested in the United States, and crimes not
committed within the limits of such reserva-
tons.
In committee of the whole the ques-
ton of selling the school lands occupied
most of the time. 1t was finally settled
by providing that school lands shall not
be sold in tracts of less than 100 acres.
The purchaser pays one-fifth down and
the remaining four-tifths in five. ten.
fifteen and twenty years. Gray, OF
CasS, wanted to amend so that persons
located on school lands On or before the
day of sale shall have the right to pur-
chase the same within three days from
the date of sale at the price named by
the highest bidder. This amendment
was defeated on the ground that the
trespassers should not be given an adj
vantage. Rolfe, of Benson county,
THREW A FIREBRAND
by Offering an amendment to the article
on suffrage, providing that after FIVE
years no man who is not a full citizen
of the United States shall have the right
to vote. This brought the orators to
their feet, and many oppose the amend
ment. Moer, of La Moure, could not
see why men who in conversation ia
vored such a proposition should not
favor it publicly and intlmated that they
were afraid of the foreign vote. Buell.,
the Minneapolis single tax advocate,
arrived to-day, and addressed the con
the constitution provide for that system
of taxation. The theory that all tax
should be collected from the lands and
improvements and personal property be
exempt IS popular with many of the
delegates, who are DESTROYS of adopting
some plan to reach the spectators who
hold improved land and check the de-
velopment of the country. The major
ity and minority reports of the judiciary
committee will be considered to-mor-
row, when the question of establishing
county courts will be settled. The con
ventiOn has been informally invited to
take a trip to Standing Rock to visit
that agency while the commission is
comforting with the Sioux for the
opening of the reservation. The joint
committee is at work placing the
agreement between North Dakota and
South Dakota for the division of prop
erty and adjustment of debt in legal
form. To-day the territorial records
were disposed of by dividing them into
4xuA nrOnn mn onntaininn fhn ranOrdc
of the governor and secretary and the
other containing the records of treas
urer and auditor and other territorial .
officers. North Dakota won the toss
and took the records of governor and
secretary. All other details are being
arranged in accordance with the agree
ment entered into several days ago.