Thomas County cat., 1890-03-27
FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
FOR IRaIGArroy.

FOR IRRIGATION.
The senate added to the emergency apnrc.
priation bill $4,000 for preliminary investi-
cations for artesian wells for irrigating pur-
poses within the area west of the 97th meridian
and east of the foothills of the Rocky noun.
tains.
OKLAHOMA IL THE SENATE.
The house amendments to the Oklahoma
bill were non-cOncurred in, and conferences
ordered.
TRANSFER OF PENSION BUREAU.
Or motion of Mr.. Morrill,, of Kansas, a
resolution was adopted by the house callins,
on the secretary of war and the secretary of
the interior for information as to whether q
saving of public expenditure can be made by
transferring the bureau of pensions from the
interior department to the war department.
FOR CONVENIENCE OF EosIEsTEApERs.
The house passed O bill authorizing affida-
wits and depositions, under the public land
laws. to be made before commissioners of
United States courts, or before the clerk of a
court of record in the county In which the
land Is situated.
Senator voorhees, made his speech on the
depression of the agricultural interests. He
drew a sad picture; or, a view from a sad
standpoint; as you will.
THE BLAIR BILL. KILLED.
The senate defeated the Blair educational
bill by a vote of 81 to 81: or more properly
81 to 36, as Senator Blair voted no so as to
| have the right to move a reconsideration.
Both of the Kansas and both of the Missouri
| senators voted no.
SHEEMAN'S ANTITRUST BILL.
The senate spent session discussing Sem
ator Sherman's bill, to declare unlawful trusts
| and combinations in restraint of trade and pro-
duction. Senator Ingalls, gave notice that he
| would offer an amenment aimed at dealing
| in futures or options.
THE PENSION APPROPRIATION BILL.
The house had before it the pension appro-
| priation bill. in the discussion of which DEM
| ocrats and republicans We'd with each other
in its support, and it was passed.
| GENERAL FREMONT.
The house passed the bill to retire General
Fremont with rank of major general.
THE TIMBER CULTURE LAW.
The house has BASED bill repeating the
timber culture law.
| THE SUGAR BEET.
Senator Paddock, from the committee on
| agriculture and forestry, reported a subSti-
tute for two bills referred to the committee
| for the encouragement of the cultivation of
the sugar beet and the manufacture of sugar
| therefrom, with a request that 1t be referred
| to the committee on finance. The bill pro-
| poses bounty of 81 for ever ton of beetS
raised in the United States, delivered to
| factory and made into merchantable sugar,
| and a bounty of 81 for every hundred pounds
| of sugar manufactured from beets raised in
the United States. the bounty to be paid only
during the fiscal years 1891, 1892 and 1893.
1t also proposes to admit free of duty during
the same period all machinery imported for
the manufacture of beet sugar.
| FIFTY DOLLAR BOUNTY.
| Senator Ingalls,, by request, introduced a
| bill to give every soldier or sailor, who served
ninety days or longer, bounty of $50 year
| for every years service, or part of year. IL
the soldier is dead, the money shall go in the
| order named, to his widow, minor children,
father or mother. In case soldier or sailor
was discharged for disability he is to be paid
| the bounty for the full time of his enlistment.
Any soldier who served as substitute Tor
pay is excluded from the benefits of the bill.
THE RUSSIAN TREATY.
Petitions against the ratification of the
| Russian treaty multiply. They are based
upon Russia's inhuman treatment of polit-
| ical prisoners in Siberia. The senate has
discussed the propriety of receiving the petit
| ions in open session, but the senate decided
that they might be SO received.
sHERMAN's ANTITRUST BILL.
Senator Teller criticised this bill, in that it
| Farmers Alliance and the National Farmers
League, which were organized for increasing
the prices of farm products: and Senator
! George suggested that the Knights of Labor
organization would come within its scope.
Senator Sherman objected to Senator In
gals amendment, aimed at dealing III
FIXTURES" and Options" as not germane to
the bill. Senator Vest opposed the entire bill
for many reasons, including the reason 1t
wss "sound and frey, signifying nothing"
ANOTHER CONFERENCE.
The house voted to concur in certain senate
amendments to the general deficiency bill,
and to not concur in certain others, and q
| conference was ordered.
RAILROAD LAND GRANTS.
The house committee on public lands, after
| trying in vain to reach an agreement upon
a general railroad grant land forfeiture bill,
decided to shift the controversy to the house
by reporting the two bills embodying the
principles at issue. They are the Payson
bill, which proposes to declare a forfeiture of
lands opposite uncompleted portions of the
aided railroad, and the Stone bill, which, IN
addition to the forfeiture, proposes to cause
suit to be brought against the railroad com-
panies, if found TO be legally liable, to re-
cover to the United States all lands opposite
any constructed psrt of the road which was
not completed within the time specified III
the grant.
TWO GENERAL PENSION BILLS.
The house committee On pensions ordered
two general pension bills to be reported to
the house with favorable recommendations.
The first of these is the Richardson bull,
granting pensions TO the survivors OF the In.
dian wars and to the surviving widows OF
those men who were married prior to their
discharge, and who have not renarrled, at
the rate of So per month. The second bill
was introduced by Mr.. Horton, and proposes
to amend the Mexican war pension act so as
to include the soldiers who served sixty days
in the Mexican war, or were engaged In q
battle, and those personally named by con,
gress for specific services IN that war, ana
the widows of such soldiers.