The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-08
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS-.

WASHINGTON, July Tin the senate the
conference report on the diplomatic and
consular appropriation bill was agreed TO.
Merrill moved to take up the tariff bill,
saying it could be then laid aside informal
ly until the shipping bills were disposed Of.
The senate refused, yeas 20, nays, ~, az
follows: Yeas-Aldrich, Allison, Davis,
Dixon, Dolph. 'Edmunds, Farwell, Faulkner,
Frye, Hale, Hawley, Hiscock. Manderson,
Merrill, Platt. Pugh. Quay, Sawyer, Sher-
man, Stockbridge-20; nays-Allen, Bate,
Berry, Carlisle, Cockrell, Gibson, German,
Hampton, Harris, Jones of Arkansas,
Mitchell, Pasco,. Payne, Plumb, Ran
som, Squire, Stewart, Teller, Turpie,
Vest Voorhees,. Waltham-22. The senate
bill to provide United States land court.
and provide for the settlement of private
land claims in New Mexico, Wyoming,
Arizona. Utah. Nevada and Colorado, was
discussed until 2 o'clock. when it was laid
aside without action ard the shipping bills
resumed. Reagan spoke against the bills.
At close of his remarks the election bill
was received from the house and, on motion
of Frye, ordered to lie on the table until
the return to Washington of the chairman
of the committee on privileges and cleo
tions, Mr.. Hoar. Morgan opposed the
shipping bills and Frye made some addi-
tional remarks in their support. Sherman
presented the conference report on the sill
yer bill. After it was read he gave notice
that he would call it up for action to-mor-
row morning. After an executive session
the senate adjourned.
In the house to-day Bland, rising to a
question of privilege, had read a dispatch
stating that he was absent from the silver
70 Natu un o1c
read a note from Chairman Conger stating
that there would be no meeting Saturday.
He did not desire t. be advertised as not
attending to duty when he was notified
that his presence was not required. After
the transaction of some other business the
consideration of the bill to
forfeit certain lands heretofore
granted for the purpose of aiding
the construction of railroads, with the
house substitute therefor. Pavson ex-
planned that the bill in its general pro-
the public domain all public lands where
ever situated which had been granted in
aid of construction, where the railroads
had not been completed at this time. There
had been thirty y-seven railroads aided by
acts of congress which had not been complet-
ed within the time fixed bv congress; Twelve
of those roads had been forfeited, COM
prising nearly fifty million acres. That
left twenty-five roads which had not been
acted upon. Nine had been fully COM
pleted, that left sixteen roads now uncom-
pleted. and the house substitute recon-
mended the forfeiture of all lands lying
opposite such portions of the roads as are
not now constructed. 1t was his opinion
no bill of broader character than this could
ever pass the senate and become law. A
careful estimate was to the effect that the
bill would restore 100000 acres to the
public domain. Stone of Missouri took
the position that the forfeiture
been earned by railways at the time fixed
i'll the granting acts for the completion of
the roads. The Northern Pacific road, he
said, was most vitality interested in this
measure. HE quoted from speeches by
Payson in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth
aress to forfeit lands unearned at the time
! fixed by the granting acts, and attacked
that gentleman for what he declared was a
change of front. The speaker (Reed) in
the forty seventh congress. when chairman
OF the judiciary committee, reported that
congress had no power to forfeit an acre of
Northern Pacific grant. Since then Thomas
Is. Reed had been recognized the fond and
Jealous companion of that great arrogant
and corrupt corporation on the floor of the
house. This corporation knew its founder
and stood by him most loyalty. 1t was
more potential in the reorganization of the
house than that exerted by the Northern
Pacific railway. The passage of the bill
under consideration was a matter of first
Importance to this corporation. The bill
would pass: the bosses must insist upon it.
They could not do otherwise, and the rest
of the poor fellows on the other side of the
aisle, with their hands tied and their lips
silent except when the parliamentary joss
united one that they might clap their ap-
plause to his utterance and attend others
that they might chant servile chorus to
the commanding tones of his majestic
solos, must follow blindly whesever they
We're led. But beyond that parliamentary
autocrat was great constituency, the peo-
pie of the United States, and to that forum
would be carried this cause, which the ma
jority stood ready to betray. Lacey, o.
Iowa, favored the pending bill. Pending
further debate the committee rose and the
house adjourned.