Thomas County cat., 1890-03-20
FIFTY-FIRsT CONGRESS.
THE TERRIroRrEa.


wait until the Oklahoma bill was disposed Of.
Mr.. Perkins, of Kansas, who is in charge Of
the Oklahoma bill, had given his consent that
the Wyoming bill should be proceeded with,
and it was placed on unfinished business in
committee of the whole house.
| In the debate over this matter il vas
charged that Mr.. Springer desired to DELAY
the Wyoming bill until he could prepare an
omnibus bill for all the territories.
WHISKY IN OKLAHOMA.
In the house an amendment to the Oklaho.
ma bill was voted down, which prohibited the
: Introduction OF Intoxicating liquors into the
territory until otherwise provided by law.
Then Messrs. Kelley and Funston, of Kan
sas, tried an amendment to extend the gener-
al statutes of Kansas over the new territory.
instead of the statutes of Nebraska, as the
bill provides. They were assisted in the
effort by other temperance advocates in the
house, but were defeated.
NO LANDS FOR RAILROADS..
On motion of Mt. Holman, of Indiana, an
amendment was adopted providing that none
of the lands embraced in the new territory
shall inure to the use or benefit of railroad
corporations except the right of way hereto
fore granted.
Mr.. Peel, of Arkansas, offered an amend
ment to the Oklahoma bill, that nothing
herein contained shall in any way change the
legal or equitable title of that part of the In
dian territory known as the Cherokee outlet.
Lost-SS to a.
MUST BE LANDLEss.
On motion of Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, an
amendment to the Oklahoma bill was adopted
providing that no person having fee simple
to 16O acres of land in any state or territory
shall be entitled to enter the land covered by
this act.
NO LIQUOR THERE.
The amendment adopted in the committee
of the whole providing that section 2,139 re-
vised statutes, prohibiting the introduction
of intoxicating liquors into the Indian terri
tory shall he in force in Oklahoma until
after the adjournment of the first session of
the helegisative assembly, was agree dto. Yeas,
l34; nays, lob.
THE BILL AS PASSED.
The Oklahoma bill passed the house, 160
to 25.
1t is substitute for the senate bill. The
bill contains provisions which in substance fix
the boundaries Of the new territory 90 a. -
include the Cherokee outlet, with provision
that no lands which the Indians occupy unGer
treaty or by by Law shall be included without
their consent, except for judicial purposes.
They extend over tie new territory the con-
stitution and laws OF the United States, and
the code of Nebraska, without interference
xith the local Indian governments acting
}
are established. The county seats are to b
I at Guthrie, Oklahoma City, Norman, Lisbon
or Kingfsher, Beaver, Saltwater, and one
more to be fixed by the secretary of the inte-
ror. The country known as No Mans Land
is declared to be public land and open to set
tlement under the homestead laws, and bona
! fde settlers and occupants are given prefer
ence right. The sections after No. - arc
devoted to the establishment of a judicial
system in the Indian territory, which Is to b
divided into three districts, and courts are'to
be held at Muskogee and Vinita, Atoka and
Ardmore and Purcell.
GATHERING IN ODD ENDS.
The senate committee added the following
| item to the urgency deficiency bill: Court
house, Leavenworth, Kan, 1886; publica-
ton of official war records, S5O,OUO; agrlcui-
tural experimental stations, Arizona, New
Mexico and Utah, $4,000: surveys to locate
sites for artesian wells, S2O,OOO.
| OLD WAR CLAIMS.
! Representative Thomas, from the commit
tee on war claims reported favorably to the
house bill authorizing the secretary OF war,
upon application, to reopen the claim of any
local organization for quartermasters stores
and subsistence supplies during the late war
which have been filed heretofore and disal-
lowed by the quarterInaster general or the
commssary general under act of July 4, 1854
FEDERAL ElECIIOS BILL.
Representative Lodge introduced his fed
eral election bill into the house. The bil! Is
a combination of the Australian system with
federal control of elections. The Australian
system, as in force in Massachusetts,, Is
adopted, and applied to the whole country
in all congressional and presidential cleo
tions. Each polling place is put in charge OF
six judges, or supervisors, three representing
/ each political party. Voters who cannot.
pp1 Tn1r
cts, may have the tickets marked for them by
one of the supervisors in the presence OF an
other representing the opposite party.
RELIEF OF FARMERS.
Senator Voorhees, offered the following
resolution and gave notice that he would
speak upon it later:
Resolved that it is the highest duty of con-
gress in the present emergency to lay aside
all discussion and consideration of mere par
attention to the preparation and adoption OF
such measures are required for the relief or
the farmers and other overtaxed and under
paid laborers of the United States.
PROTEST AGAINST RUSSIA.
A protest from a St. Louis labor organiza-
ton was presented in the senate against the
ratification of the Russian treaty. Ihe rea-
SONS given for the protest are that the signers
consider that the ratification OF the pending
treaty would De mistake, DecStuSc a bedsc
without any regular system of justice, a state
in which exile without the least Judicial pro-
cess is a governmental institution, can ofier
no guarantee for an honest use for an extra
dition treaty.
TO HELP CRIPPIEs TO GET WIVES.
Senator Ingalls, introduced bill providing
that soldier who has lost both eyes, or one
arm or leg may get married at any time he
may 50 desire to get some woman to take
care Of him, and ut his death the soldiers
widow shall receive S12 month as long a.
she remains single. If the soldiers wife re-
fuses to live with and care for him, he may,
after her absence of six months, procure q
divorce from any county court upon payment
of IS.
HARRISON KzILEY's PLAN.
Mr.. Kelley, of Kansas, introduced a bill In
the house to provide for the election of mem-
bers of the house. It declares that no state
law or constitution shall deprive a citizen
once duly authorized to vote for member Of
the legislature of his right to vote except upon
conviction of felony. Congress is to fix the
congressional election districts in each state
Immediately upon the publication of the CEN
sus returns and the determination of tho
basis of representation.