The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-02-20
NO-MAN'S-LAND
BILL PASSES THE SENATE TO ATTACH
IT TO THE TERRITORY OF
OKLAHOMA.
gs-
REMARKS BY SENATOR REAGAN.
@ss---
tinued-Crisp's Amendment Author
Izing Appeal Voted Down.
REMARKS BY SENATOR REAGAN.
SENATE.


Man's-Land within the new territory.
Mr.Vest then spoke in its favor. While he
agreed with Mr. ingalls, as to the improved
condition of the five civilized tribes, sena-
tors ought, he said, as practical Legislators,
to look deliberately to the inevitable and
what was taught by past experience in re-
lation to the region lying west of the Indian
reservation. He had never said, as Mr.. In
gals intimated, that No-Man's- Land was
refuge for outlaws, but he
asserted now that so far as the laws of
property were concerned No. Mans Land
ondition, and so, indeed, was the whole
| Indian Territory which had been charac-
terized by the supreme court as ian indie.
| pendent dependency" whatever that might
| mean. Without injustice to the Indians,
without any proposition to despoil them
with the full intention to pay them fair
price for the Cherokee strip, he thought
| that the best thing that could be done was
to add No-Man' s-Land to the territory of
Oklahoma. HIe favored the appointment
| of new commissioner, renewal of the
proposition of slips an acre, and the au-
| thoriZlng of the commission to negotiate
with the Indians and to pay them a fair
price for No-Man' s. Land, and that the
| Cherokee outlet be added to the territory of
Oklahoma. Then there would be state,
| for it would be a state with fair dimen-
sions.
Senator Reagan stated some considera-
tons which induced him to favor the
| amendment.
Mr.. Plumb advocated the amendment
and said that while people living in No
Man s-Land were as abiding and level
| headed as the people Of any other part of
the country, still that did not relieve con-
gress from its duty in the premises. The
condition in which No-Man' Land was
left was scandal on the legislature of the
country. He expressed his Arrangement
that the committee on territories had set
itself so streDuously and so totally without
reason against bis proposition of inclusion.
Referring to statements made in discussion
that the title of the Indians to these lands
was the same as the title OF any man to his
homestead, Mr.. Plumb declared that any
man who said so was entirely mistaken.
Then" said Mr. Teller, "the supreme
= curt is mistaken"
Mr.. Plumb went on to say that any title
to land which limited its sale to one party,
as the Indians were limited, being confined
10 the disposal of it to the United States,
was not such title as men usually had to
their property.
Finally discussion on the amendment
was closed and a vote was taken on it. The
vote resulted-yeas q, nays Is. SO amend
ment to include NoMan' Island within
the territory of Oklahoma was agreed to.
Senator Plumb also offered an amend
ment declaring that all that part of the In
dian; territory west of the seth degree of
longitude known as the Cherokee outlet
shall be attached to the territory of Okla
homa for judicial purposes, but that the
law of procedure shall be the same as that
which obtained in the remainder OF the In
dian territory. After discussion Senator
Plumb's amendment was rejected.
Senator Vest offered an amendment pro-
| hibiting the Legislative assembly from au-
| thorizing the issue of any bonds, scrip or
evidence of debt by the territory or by any
| county, city, town or township for any pur-
| pose except certificates for services rem
dered. He explained the object of the
amendment to be the prevention of frauds
| in the issue of railroad and other bonds by
county or city corporations.
Arguments against the amendment were
made by Senators Plat, Jones, of Arkan-
ses, and Ingalls, on the ground, first, that
there was general law limiting the ratio
of indebtedness in territories. and second,
that such an exhibition would retard or
prevent improvement in the shape of roads,
bridges, court houses and school houses.
Senator Reagan moved an amendment to
/.
the following:
Except for the necessary state and
county public buildings, roads and bridges,
and for that purpose no tax shall be levied
and collected for more than 25 cents on the
500 for state improvements, or for more
than so cents on the 500 for county i'm
prOvements.
Senator Spooner suggested to Senator
Vest he should limit the prohibition to
bonds in aid of railroads and Senator Vest
accepted the suggestion and modified his
amendment accordingly.
Senator Reagan then withdrew his
amendment, and that offered by Senator
Vest was agreed to.
Some further amendments, merely for
NAL were agreed to and the bill was passed
after the remark by MIR. Mcpherson that
he would adyise the Indians that, they
ought to raise the price of their lands,
ought to double it, or quadruple it, If ne
cessary, because with territorial govern
ments on each side of the Cherokee outlet,
the land was worth ten times more than 1t
was before the annexation of No-Man's-
Land The government could take the In
dams land from him by force or by fraud.
He ought to be able to get his piice for it..
After executive session the senate ad-
journed till tomorrow.
AS usual, tno DeIlDCTdLS OuJeClcu W lhe
approval of the journal, and as usual roll
cali was needed. As usual the Democrats
RETAINED from voting, and as usual, the
speaker counted a quorum and declared
the Journal approved by vote OF yeas l4l,
nays (Mr. Buckalew)
Mr.. Cannon. of Illinois, from the com
mittee on rules reported an amendment re-
curing the titles of committee reports to
be entered on the journal and printed in
the Record. Adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Hill, (Rep.) of Illinois,
the senate joint resolution was passed.
unanimously congra,ulating the people OF
the United States of Brazil on the adoption
of a republican form of government.
Consideration of the code of rules was
then proceeded with.
Mr.. Crisp Den:) of Georgia, offered an
amendment providing that the speaker
shall not in any case refuse to entertain
any appeal from his decision.
In the course of debate upon this amend
meht Mr.. Taylor (Rep.) OF tennessee, al
dressing the speaker, said: You by. your
| action placed Yourself in the line OF pro-