The National tribune., 1892-05-12

sion, against the appropriation OF Sl0O,O00 by
Congress to aid in the entertainment of vet
Grams ut tho Eucampment, they believing that
it will be made by tie General Government.
In this, the COMMANDMENTS Chief says they
forget the relation of Congress to the people of
the District of Columbia; that Congress is 10
Washington as .he Mayor ana Common Coun-
Gil IS to every other city in tho Union, and that
the people Of Washington willing to make
the appropriation rs other cities have done, but
| that Congress must first give its consent before
| this appropriation can be made. Gen. Palmer
says he knows of no opposition to the appro-
| priation save that which emanated from Lin
coin, Neb. He hopes and believes that his
order will clear away this misapprehcnsion and
| stop the opposition to this appropriation, which
can DC made in no other way than by Congress.
sas
bill WAS introduced in the Senate last week
by Senator Mcmillan, of Michigan, to abolish
the legal identity of the City Of Georgetown,
ID. C. The bill is accompanied by a petition,
which recites that by act Of Congress of
1871, the municipality of Georgetown was
abolished, and all rights, privileges, powers,
and immunities of separate city wers en-
lshed in the District of Columbia; and that.
by said act, the City Of Washington became
the governing power, and that Georgetown,
while subject to all the burdens imposed on
the Capital City of the Nation, had never
enjoyed the benefit of being a part thereof
de jure, although they were a part de tacto.
The petitioners therefore pray that an act be
passed abolishng the legal identity of George
town as separate city, and that Georgetown
be constituted a part of the Federal City of
Washington.
majority of the House Committee on Ju-
dietary have reported adversely to the propo-
| sition to amend the Constitution so a5 to pro-
vide uniform laws governing marriage and
| divorce The Committee in this report say
that they are unable to see the necessity for
| amending the Constitution as proposed. The
| jurisdiction of Congress is already so extended
| that if the two Houses were to sit in continu-
ous session it would be quite impossible to pass
upon all the bills which are now presented.
There would be more wisdom in an amend
ment to the Constitution RENTING to the
| States some Of the powers exercised by Congress
rather than enlarge them. If this amendment
was adopted it would open up another large
| and fruitful field Of legislation, and once Con-
| gress came to exert the right to regulate mar
riage and divorce it would, Judging by past
experience, soon extend the power by con-
strnction to the regulation of inheritances and
descent of property. In other words it would
soon undertake to legislate upon the main
body of domestic and local interests Of the
people which have always belonged to and
| have been exercised by the States A minority
| report On the question has also been submitted,
which is signed by six members Of the Judi
ciary Committee. 1t says that when the Con-
stitution was adopted 1t was not contemplated
that such diversity of statutes on the SUBJ
jects Of marriage and divorce as are now found
would exist in the various States. Under the
laws of the various States the report says it is
possible for one man to have as many lawful
wives as there are States In the Union, as.
Stunning that the statutes in each case differ.
In the several States the law differs as to the
causes or grounds of divorce. and the result is
that we have constant tide of emigration
from one State to another to eyade the obliga-
ton of the marriage relation.
,,,,. t....t..-
Representative Otis Of the Fourth Kansas
District, produced resolution before the
House Committee on Private Land Claims, on
Thursday, May 5, which recites certain al
legged wrongful acts On the part of Secretary Of
the Interior Noble aud Commissioner Carter,
of the General Land Office, and calling for
special committee Of seven members of the
House to investigate the charges made
against these gentlemen, which are alleged
to have been made in the interests Of the
conspiracy Of 1877 of Hon. s. B. Elkins, now
Secretary of War; but at that time q delegate
to Congress from New Mexico; Hon. r. B. Cat
ron, then United States Attorney for New
Mexico and Gen. James A. Williamson, then
Commissioner Of the General Land Office,
which resulted in the deprivation to home
stead and pre- -emption settlers in Colorado and
New Mexico of their vested rights The reso.
lutions were discussed for q time, but no action
was taken ON them. 1t is probable that an in-
yestigHtion will be ordered.
-
"Protection or Free Trade" the copyright
book of Henry George, about which so much
fuss was made in the House of Representatives
a few weeks ago, is now being printed in PAM
phlet form, it having been printed free in the
Congressional Record, as parts of the speeches of
several Congressman, and have been joined
together thus making the complete pamphlet
A circular is being sent out which says tina.
From now on, so long az the funds last, these
books will go out ut the rate of 10000 copies q
day. Three hundred thousand copies have
been already ordered and further subscrip-
tions are rapidly coming in to Congressman
Johnson, of Ohio. The books are sent out
under Congressmen's franks.
x#a
The Committee on Public Lands of the House
of Representatives, which is inquiring into the
Yellowstone Park leases, had E. G. Waters, for
merly General Manager of the Yellowstone
Park Association, before them last week. A
letter was produced which was written by Mr..
Waters to a Director Of the Park Association,
about setting aside $4,000 of the Associations
stock for Mr. Russell Harrison, and Mr.. Waters
was asked to tell whether the stock was in
tended as a gift or consideration Mr..
Waters said he wanted Mr. Harrison to have
the stock, as he felt that he might want 8r.
Harrison to do something for him; but what he
did was right aud proper. Mr.. Harrison, he
said, when he heard that the stock was to be
given him, said that he was very sorry to hear