Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-21
Ve,reGroViing West.
The Chain Of States Stretching
to the Pacific.
CONGRESS SAYS THE DOOR rs OPEN

To the Two Dakotas, Montana and Wash
ington-Synopsis of tho Act as Agreed
Upon and Pnssed-The Direct Tax Bill
Goes to the President-wright's Book on
Marriage and Divorce-nllnois Ten Thou
sand Ahead on Divorces.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb 2.-There was
q short running debate in the senate before
the final vote was taken on the most i'm
portant bill the two houses acted upon
yesterday-the territory admission bill,
which provides for four new states to be rep
resented in congress next December, as fol-
lows: North Dakota, South Dakota, Mon
tana and Washington. Plat explained the
action of the conferrees to questioners and in
reply TO one question said it was not the in
tention OF the conferrees TO permit the new
states to tax lands held In severalty by
Indians during the time that the United
States had agreed to hold the lands in trust
for the benefit Of such Indians AS TO thu
reason the conferrees had not insisted on the
right of women In Washington territory to
VOTE and hold office, in spite of the decision
of the supreme court of the territory, Platt
said it was a question of expediency. The
decision of the supreme court of Washington
territory had been appealed 10 the supreme
court OF the United States, aud he hoped that
the case would be advanced on the calendar.
He would be very glad if the supreme court
should find that the Judgment should be re-
versed
Vest inquired why the proposition to ad-
NIT New Mexico as state had been elimi-
mated from the bill
Cullom said that there was very great
difference in the social conditions and general
situation between the territory of New Mex
leo and the territories included IL the bill
A large portion of the people OF New Mexico
were termed Mexicans in contradist motion
TO Americans, and only small proportion o.
them mot over 5000 or 10000 could speak
he English language.
The bill as finally passed by both houses
provides for the admission TO the Union of
North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana. and
Washington, and the provisions as TO the two
former are as follows: The territory OF Da-
kota is to be divided on the line of the seventh
standard parallel produced due west to the
western boundary of the territory. The dele
gates elected to the constitutional convention
north Of this parallel shall assemble at Bis
marck. and those eeG-s5 ~ Il ~ the paral
lei. at Sioux Falls ne delegates a. the con.
vention IN each Of the proposed new states
shall be elected on the Tuesday after the first
Monday in May next, and shal meet on the
4th Of July and declare that they adopt the
constitution Of the United States They are
authorized thereupon TO form constit ations
and state governments
1t is provided that at the election for dele
gates 10 the convention Ia South Dakota the
electors shall vote for or against the Sioux
Falls constitution. If a majority OF the votes
shall be for the constitution the convention
shall resubnit to the people OF South Dakota,
for ratification or rejection, the constitution
framed at Sioux Falls, and also the articles
and propositions separately submitted in
Guiding the question Of locating the tempo
rary seat OF government, with such changes
only as relate to the name and boundary of
the proposed state, to the reapportionment OF
the judicial and legislative districts, and such
amendments as may be necessary in order to
comply with the provisions of this act and II
a majority Of the votes cast on the ratifca-
ton or rejection Of the constitution shall be
for the constitution irrespective of the articles
separately submitted, the state Of South Da-
kota shall be admitted as a state Of the Union
under said constitution as hereinafter pro
vidsd; but the archives, records and books of
the territory OF Dakota shall remain at Biz
mark, the capital Of North Dakota, until an
agreement in reference thereto il reached by
said states
But II at the election FOR delegates to the
constitutional convention in South Dakota q
majority OK all the votes cast shall be against
the Sioux Falls constitution, IL shall DO the
duty of the convention to form q constitution
as II that question had not been submitted to
the people. 1t is made the duty OF the presi-
dent 70 admit the four new states by proclama-
ton, II the constitutions formed are ratified
at the election to be held on the first Tuesday
In October. Each OF the new states shall be
entitled to one representative IN congress, ex.
capt South Dakota, which shall be- entitled to
two representatives
Section II provides that all lands herein
granted for educational purposes shall be
disposed OF only at public sale, and at a price
not less than SO per acre, the proceeds to
constitute permanent school fund, the in
terest OF which only shall be expended In the
support of said schools But said lands may,
under such regulations as the legislature shall
prescribe, be leased for periods OF not more
than FIVE years, in quantities not exceeding
| ons section to any one person or
company; and such land shall not be
subject to presumption, homestead entry, or
| any other entry under the land VS. of the
United States, whether surveyed or unsur-
veyed, but shall be reserved for school pur.
poses only.
All mineral lands are exempted from the
grants made by the act The two Dakotas
are to bs added to Justice Miller's circuitg(the
eighth, and Washington and Montana to
Justice Fields the tenth Complete provis-
ions are made in the bill for the admission of
Montana and Washington
THE BUSINESS IN CONGRESS.