The record-union., 1896-06-10
TEE MINERAL LANDS BILL.
Congressman Johnson Explains His PO-
SitiOn Fully.
he Worked Faithfully For the Passage
of the Measure From
First to Last.

Monday Hon. Grove L. Johnson rose
TO question of personal privilege IN the
House of Representatives and de-
noupced as malicious and false and
slanderous statement published in the
San Francisco Examiner" regarding
his action upon what is known as the
Mineral Lands bill The article stated
that he had not sought to pass the min
cral lands bill and that he had been
forced to introduce it
Il introduced the bill,'' said Mr.. John
son, exactly as it was given to me by
the California State Miners Associa-
ton when another member declined to
introduce it, and when they desired to
amend it 1 introduced the bill as
amended. l endeavored to secure its
Passage; and l may say without ego
tism that had it not been for my ex-
ertions this bill never would have
passed the House; and / can refer to the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Nc
Mlllen), who was opposed to the bill,
In proof of that assertion. The article
then says that the bill went to the Sen
ate and was amended, which is true. l
had nothing to do with the amendment.
1 opposed the amendment of the bill. l
stated that if it was amended it would
have difficulty in getting through the
House, because l realized the ability of
the distinguished gentleman from Ten
nessee, and knew that he would make
strong opposition to it, But the bill
was amended in the Senate, it having
applied only to California, by adding to
1t Jurisdiction over the State of Oregon
or part of it, thus increasing the ex-
pense and the amount appropriated.
NhE hi Il 80 L
House, and the Examiner says that it
was amended and that it did not pass
the House. Now, 1 have to say in refer
ence to that that every member Of this
House knows that when the bill as
amended in the Senate increasing the
expenditures, creating new offices and
putting upon the bill something which
was not germane to the original, was
returned to this House it was absolute
ly necessary under the rules that it
should go either to the Committee of
the Whole House on the State Of the
Union, or to the Public Lands Com
mittee. If it had gone to the Commit
tee of the Whole House on the State of
the Union the trump of the Archangel
Gabriel would have been needed to
resurrect it on this floor
i went to the Chairman of the Pub
lie Lands Committee and asked him
what was the best way. He said that,
under the rules, the bill with the SEN
ate amendment could not be called UP
for concurrence and could not be called
up for non-concuTence; that it had
either to go to the committee of the
House on the State of the Union and
there sleep the sleep that knows no
waking, or else go to the Public Lands
Committee, where it had a majority of
friends. 1t went there under the rules
OF the House and the Chairman of the
committee, Lacey of Iowa, is present
and knows that | speak the truth 1t
went to that committee and it reported
1t favorably, but owing to the rules the |
Speaker was obliged to hold that it |
was not privileged matter. and there |
fore we had no right to bring it before |
the House
The Speaker of the House knows |
that have bothered him in season and |
cut of season about this bill. I have |
been to him in the corridors and have |
asked and begged and impIored him |
to allow the bill to come up but he |
could not see his way to let it come up.
except in the regular manner under the |
rules
when the bill came back from the
Senate the gentleman from Nebraska |
Ar. KEN, had already engaged in that
warfare which has earned for him the
title of Assistant Speaker of this House. |
and was making objection to the con-
s.deration of bills of all kinds by unani- |
nous consent. / knew of no way to 81 |
Ience KEN except to kill him, but I had /
not money enough to pay my fine if l |
did that, though perhaps I would have
been justified in doing it under the cir |
cumstances. l could not bring up the |
bill by unanimous consent and the au-
thor of this article knew that as well |
as | do; yet he attempts to say that I |
have been in favor OF the bill. when |
every member of the Public Lands |
Committee knows that l have made |
myself a perfect nuisance to that COM
n1ittee in asking and urging them to |
take it up and pass it through the |
House, and I am sure that all the men, |
hers of that committee would sign a |
letter to that effect.
80 far as the bill of last session was |
concerned, the whole truth connected |
with that bill was, as L am informed |
By the gentleman from Montana (Mr. |
Hartmann, the author of the bill, be- |
cause my predecessor did not keep his |