The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-26
TO PRESERVE SEALS
The Fur Will Fly if a Modus Vivsndi
Isn't Concluded.
VAN HORN-TARSNEY CASE
Ii Consumes Most OF the Time In
the House-The Majority Re-
port Was Favorable to
the Contestant.

Washington, Feb. 25-The house has
passed the Dingiey bill to exterminate
Alaskan fur seal herds in case a modus
vivendi cannot be concluded for the
protection of seals pending the adop-
ton of proper and effective regulations
by the countries interested.
The house to-day promptly passed
the Indian appropriation bill as
amended. No one demanded a sepa-
rate vote in the house on the Linton
sectarian school amendment as agreed
to in committee of the whole.
Dingley. chairman of the ways and
means committee. called up the bill re-
ported yesterday authorizing the presi-
dent to conclude negotiations with Rus
sia, England and Japan or either, for a
commission to inquire into the habits
of Alaskan fur seals and the best
method of preserving the seal herds,
pending which the president was au-
thorized by the bill TO conclude a mo-
dus vivendi, to terminate Jan. /, 1898.
for the protection of seals and in case
such modus vivendi could not be con-
cluded before the opening OF the pres
ent season. the secretary OF the treas
ury was authorized to kill all seals
while on their feeding grounds on
Pribyloff islands. Dingley read the re-
port OF the committee, already pub
lished, stating that the necessity for
immediate action arose from the fact
that Canadian pelagic seaIers whose
ravages the bill was TO prevent. were
already fitting out vessels and will be
ready to sail in the course of a week
The bill passed without debate.
Under the arrangement made yester-
day Babcock. republican, Wisconsin,
chairman OF the District OF Columbia.
committee, claimed the floor in behalf
OF his committee.
After several bills of local import
ance had been passed Johnson, chair
man or the elections committee No ..
called up the contested election case
OF Van Horn VS.. Tarsney from the
Fifth Missouri district There were
three reports in the case. The major
ity report was signed by all the repub-
Aicans' on the committee save one, Tay-
Tor of Ohio. who was In favor of the
contestant. On the face OF the re-
turns. Tarsney had a majority OF "a
but allegations of fraud. ballot box
49, NNit dbdlflSI the
returns in several precincts in the
Ninth and Second wards of Kansas
City, which the majority regarded as
so completely proved. they favored
throwing out these precincts which
gave Tarsney a plurality OF 1,120 votes.
thereby giving Van Horn, republican.
a plurality Of 375 votes. The three
democrats on the committee admitted
the existence of fraud, but claimed the
vital question involved was whether
the returns from the fraudulent pre-
cincts should be purged or thrown out.
The minority reported n resolution to
recommit the case with instructions to
the committee to segregate the Illegal
from the legal ballots. and recount the
latter. Taylor. republican, Ohio, in the
third report. concurred In the conclu-
sions of the majority. but favored re-
opening the case. II that was done
he argued, the title TO the seat would
not rest on conjecture and inference.
Strobe, republican, Nebraska. opened
the debate I'm favor of the adoption OF
the majority report. Strobe spoke for
more than two hours. He was follow
ed by Taylor. the dissenting repub-
lican on the committee. who. in n
sensational speech, urged
that nothing could justify the house
In throwing out the entire precincts at
the congressional election and dlsfran-
honest voters.
At o'clock the house adfOurnad