Omaha daily bee., 1890-02-19
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
Mortgage Statistics Addsd to Por-
ter's Duties.
PENSION APPROPRIATION BILL
Over Ninety-Six Million Dollars Called
For The Blair Educational
Measure-Debatc on the
Oklahoma Bill.
CONGRESSIONAL Proceedings .

WAsuINGToN, Feb. 1S.-There was no OBJ
lection from the minority side Of the house
this morning TO the approval of yesterdays
journal. Saturday afternoon, March ID, was
set apart for the delivery of e~nlogies upon
the late Representative Kelly of Pennsyl-
vania. .-.s co.,
hi appropriation committee reported the
pei sion appropriation bill and it was referred
to the committee Of the whole.
A conference committee was ordered on
the bill TO direct the superintendent OF the
census to collect statistics of farm mort
cages and indebtedness.
The speaker laid before the house a mes
sage from the president, transmitting with.
out comment a communication from the IN
terror department proposing an amendment
to the act providing for allotments OF lands
in severally to the Indians.
The senate bill providing for the appoint
ment of an assistant secretary of war was
laid before the house and the house went
into committee of the whole on its consider
alton. The discussion continued until / 30,
when the committee rose without action and
the house resumed consideration of the bill
to provide a temporary government for OH
lahoma.
Bills were introduced IN the house today
as follows:
BY MIR. Wade--To establish a government
postal telegraph. 1t ~appropriates $4,000, 900
for that purpose.
BY MIR. Flick-For a public building at
Creston, Ia.
BY Mr.. Plckler-For a public building at
Pierre, S. d.
BY Mr.. Gest-Making Rock Island, ILL.,, o
port of delivery.
The pension appropriation bill for the next
fiscal year, which was reported to the house
today from the committee on appropriations
carried with it S9S. 427, 900, being 500, 600. 900
less than the estimates and Sl6,6S0, 900 more
than the bill for the current fiscal year.
pPepding that Mr.. Perkins asked con-
sheraton of the senate bill for the relief of
the Sioux Indians at Devils Lake agency,
N. D., but MIR. McMillin objected, and the
house went into committee of the whole on
the Oklahoma bill. TIL general DEBATE was
limited TO three and one-half hours, despite
the appeal of Mr.: Barnes and others for five
hours time, aud in retaliation for the en-
forced limitation they called for the reading
of the original senate bill and the house
substitute, altogether 500 printed pages, one
hour and twenty minutes reading, and 1t
was after 3 o'clock before MIR. Struble
the bill. He criticized the senate bill
!, because it failed to include all Creek and
Seminole land purchased under the last ad.
minlstration. The house bill embraced all
Of the territory not occupied by the five civil
| LIKED tribes. This tract in area compared IA
vorably with the surrounding states; IL was
In the heart of the country, well watered,
with 1,300 miles of railroads, with business
| enterprises, coal lands, ag rlCulturat INDUS
| tries and a population Of $4,000 people. The
| house bill proposed to organize it into a ter
tory. The first part of the bill related to
| territorial officers and was similar in that To
| the senate bill. For convenience six coun.
ties were to be established. Provisions were
| made for the establishment of the supreme
| court and for the trial of cases. National
| banks could be- established. No-Man's land
was to be opened to settlement and town
| sites would be reserved. A section. OF the
bill provided for the settlement of the con
| troversy between the United States and the
| state of Texas respecting the ownership ol
Green county. What might be called the
second division of the bill related soleiy &c
Indian territory exclusive of Oklahoma anc
created u supreme court and three district
courts TO administer the law of Arkansas &C
far as applicable to chat territory. Mr.
Barnes advocated the senate bill in prefer
ence TO the house substitute.
ally tried to misrepresent the scope Of thu
bill. Under the treaty the United State!
had as much right to legislate respecting tn,
lands of the Cherokee outlet as it had u
l~egislate on any subject. Mr.. Hare haC
read as q part OF his remarks "A protes
from Governor Bird of the Choctav
nation against the passage of the bill as
violation of the treaty made at Dancing
Water in 1880. Messrs. Mansur and Per-
kins both insisted that they had had com
munications from Governor Bird asking t
have n court established at a certain point
The committee rose before the debate ha
concluded and the house adjourned.