Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-04
OMAHA GETS THE BENEFIT
Nice Slice Of The River and Harbor Bill
Comes Here.
MERCER SECURES A BIG APPROPRIATION
United states VIII Expcnd Fifty
Thousand Dollars ut Once on Mis-
souri, River improvements at
This Point.

HA' INV
WASHINGTON, April 3.-lSpecial Telee
gram.)-Congressman Dave Mercer OF Omaha
won another victory today in the success of
his efforts to secure an appropriation for the
Improvement Of the Missouri river at Omaha
and Council Bluffs. The river and harbor
bill was completed by the committee today
and reported to the house. OF the money
appropriated by the bill for the improvement
OF the Missouri river the commission Is d.
rected to set apart tho sum of $50, 900 to be
expended ca the river at Omaha and Council
Bluffs.
Congressman Mercer he'd made a persistent
effort to accomplish this result. Owing to
the fact that the total amount set apart for
the improvement of the Missouri river Is
comparatively small, and the great length OF
the river creates 30 much competition from
hundreds of points along the stream, Mr..
Mercer won his point only after a hard fight.
He was further handicapped by the fact that
only about a year ago he succeeded In a
similar fight and had SIS, 900 set apart for
expenditure at Omaha.
b. C NJ. SUITS TO BE DROPPED.
The secretary Of the interior today in
formed the attorney general that within the
province Of law, II the attorney general
thought proper, he could discontinue the suits
against holders of b.. & M. railroad land In
Nebraska. This opinion has been the sub
ject of a controversy between the heads of
departments here. Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land Office LamoreauX has taken the
ground that the suit commenced by theUnited
States against settlers on b. G. M. lands
was without warrant under the law of March
2. 1896; that the question of bona 1des is a
legal question. to be determined by the
courts, and under such consideration he
thought the suits begun against the holders
of b. & M. lands in Nebraska and Iowa
should be discontinued, and that If the at
torney general thought fit, new suits should
be commenced against the railroad company
direct. 1t Is believed here that the suits be-
gun In Nebraska Will be discontinued imme-
diately.
Settlers on the Ponca Indian reservation in
Nebraska have been greatly agitated over
the question Of divisional lines marked by
surveys prompted by the government of the
United States. These lines have been mis-
understood, according to white settlers, and
the Indians on one side and whites on the
other have had many disputes as to theiE
rights. On Monday Senator Allen will in
troduce a bill to have corrected the several
markings of various United States surveyors
who have prepared field notes Of this tract
of country and to establish an official sur
vey Of fractional townships 81 and 80, north
of ranges 6, z and 8, west of the Sixth prin-
Clpdl meTluldH, III tne Stdle vi iNeDidshd
north and west Of the Niobrara river, and
~quieting the title of settlers thereon. The
confusion arises from a portion of the set
tiers locating according to of the
survey of G. p. Meyer, which differ from
the official field notes and plats by a Jog of
one-fourth mile to the east.
STILL WAITING ON CHEESE.
The Transmississipp exposition bill is still
subject to the filled cheese bill, which occu-
pies the attention of the ways
and means committee. Chairman Ding
ley said to The Bee correspond
ent this afternoon that he thought the
filled cheese measure would be disposed Of
at tomorrow's session of the COMMITTEES and
that the field would be free for a report upon
the exposition bill at the next nesting,
which has not yet been called.
The supervising architect today sent out
advertisements inviting bids for the interior
finish of the public building at Sioux City,
Ia. They are to be opened May /.
Acting Secretary of the Interior Reynolds
today rendered decisions in the following
against Albert G. Barnes, Alliance district,
commissioners decision affirmed; land
awarded to Bacon as the prior settler.
South Dakota-Kaspar Niklassen against
Charles M. Carpenter, Watertown district,
decision affirmed; Carpenters timber cul-
ture entry held for cancellation for failure
to comply with the law as to planting.
The following transfers in the Eleventh
infantry are made: Captain Henry o. d.. Hell
stand, from company G to company 1; Cap
tain Robert j. G. Irvine, from l to G.
Leave granted First Lieutenant Joseph 3.
Bachelor, Tewenty-fourth infantry, is re-
voked and he is ordered to report to David's
island, New York, for temporary duty. Cap
tain Charles G. DeRudio, Seventh cavalry.
is ordered to San Diego, Cal, to await re-
m
Leave for FIVE days is granted First Lieu
tenant Henry C. Fisher, assistant surgeon.
Leave for fifteen days is granted Second
Lieutenant John P. Haines. Third artillery.
A board Of examining officers is appointed
to meet at st. Paul, Mimi. with Colonel
John II. Page, Third infantry, as president,
the other members being Lieutenant Colonel
Henry r. Tilton. Major John Simpson, quar-
termaster; Major John ]. Claque, commits
sary Of subsistence; Captain William C.
Borden, assistant surgeon; First Lieutenant
James III. McRae. ~adjutant Third infantry,
recorder. Captain Charles III. ingalls, is Or
dered to report to this board for examina-
ton.
Robert C, Anderson has been appointed
postmaster at Nelson, Guthrie county, Ia,
vice j. ID. Gill, resigned.
Representative William Il. Andrews leaves
Tor Nebraska tomorrow evening to be in
attendance upon the district convention,
which meets at Minden April g..
Representative Hainer succeeded in mass
ing today a bill for the relief of Francis
Walsh of Stockham, Neb., carrying $72 per
month, and also a bill to remove the charge
of desertion against the military record of
w. Fl. johnson of Ceresco.
Blow at the Divorce Colony.
WASHINGTON, April 3.-The house bill
requiring a residence of a year in suits for
divorce in the territories was received with
favorable endorsement by the senate COM
mittee on territories today. The
amended the bill so as to provide that 1t
snail not affect suits already begun.