Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-15
senate Passes the Free Homestead Bill by Q
Decisive Majority.
THIRTY MILLION ACRES INVOLVED
All Public Lands Acquired from In
dinns Thrown Open to the Pub
lie without Money and
without Price.

the west, and the interest in it was shown
by the fact that a plank concerning 1t was a
feature of several national platforms
The effect of the bill is to open to settle
ment all the public lands acquired from
Indians free OF any payment to the govern
ment beyond the minor Office fees and to
release from payment those who have hereto
fore settled on these lands.
The number OF acres involved, according
to an estimate made by the commissioner
OF the general land office, is 80, ,552, Sal, which
would have yielded the government at the
prices heretofore established, S35 006.
To Offset this statement it was brought
out during the debate that the lands were
mainly arid and that those who had settled
upon them were unable to make payment
by reason of the scanty products of the
soil
The western senators, in the main, ia
vored the bill as extension OF the gen.
eral homestead policy OF the government.
The opposition was directed mainly by
Mr. Platt of Connecticut and Mr.. Villas of
Wisconsin. As the bill passed in the house
1t covered only the lands acquired from In
dians in Oklahoma, but as passed today the
bill includes Indian lands. The vote was
taken by agreement at 4 o'clock with de-
csive majority in favor of the bill.
Following the decision of this bill, which
had held the advantageous position of the
unfinished business of the senate, Mr.. Nor
gan sought to have the Nicaragua canal
bill made the unfinished business. This pre-
ciptated a vote, which, to some extent, was
a test Of strength OF the bill itself. In Mr..
Morgan's motion to take the bill up the vote
was 33 to 6, or less than a quorum. so the
motion did not prevail, although 1t disclosed
the strength of the measure.
During the day Mr.. Morgan secured the
adoption of a resolution for an inquiry by
ha Judiciary commit n n Whpthar thp
properties of the Union and Central Pacific
companies now belong to the United States
by reason of alleged defaults in the pay
ment of bonds
resolution by Mr.. Cullom, calling on
the Civil Service commission to explain the
delay in making annual reports, was adopted.
The senate adjourned over to Monday.
MoRGAN'S RESOLUTION.
Mr. Morgan's resolution relating to the
Pacific railroads is as follows:
Whereas, 1t is alleged that certain bonds
issued by the United States in aid of the
Central Pacific railroad and also the Union
Pacific railroad have fallen due and remain
unpaid. and that by reason of default the
property held and owned by said companies
at that time became the property of the
United States and that said property of
every description so held and owned by
said companies at the time of such default
now rlghtfully belongs to the United States
Resolved, That the committee on judi
ciary is directed to examine into and report
whether such allegation Is true in fact and
In law, and that they report the nature and
character of the right and title OF the
United States in and to said property and
the description or class of property that
has so Injured to the United States under
the law, and whether either Of said railroad
companies has any lawful right or equity
in redemption Of said property"
The resolution was ordered to lie on the
table Senator Morgan announced that he
desired to address the senate upon 1t.
The bill for free homesteads on public
lands acquired from the Indians was taken
up with a view to taking the final vote at
4 o'clock. Mr.. Jones, democrat OF Arkansas,
supported the bill, saying it was for the
benefit of the body of the people, whereas
most OF the legislation of congress was for
favored interests.
HELP BUILD UP THE WEST.
Mr.. Teller. republican OF Colorado said
that the bill would help build up the west,
while the defeat of the measure would re-
suit In the humiliating spectacle of the
United States taking everything these set
tiers had made from their lands
Mr.. Allison OF Iowa, speaking for the first
time this session, made inquiries as to the
extent of lands covered by the law in that
state.
Mr.. Pettigrew of South Dakota explained
that it did net cover Indian lands not yet
acquired.
''But another bill will come in," inter
posed Mr.. Cockrell of Missouri, giving away
the rest of the land"
81 have no doubt Of it, conceded Mr.. Pet
tigrew. The latter explained that the meas
ure was restricted TO agricultural lands and
did not cover the timber portions of Min
nesota and other states.
Mr.. Teller. resuming his remarks. spoke
in impassioned tones on the tendency to
grant millions TO a favored interest and
withhold this small plttance from the set
tiers. Congress wasted more than the sum
involved annually on the army, on rivers and
harbors and on naval expenditures which
brought vast profits to the makers of armor
And yet this bill. in effect giving a settler
$500, was resisted and the settler was to
be turned out as tramp. The great dan
ger to the republic, declared Mr.. Teller was
In It's not encouraging the great farming
community. There were too many people in
the cities and the factories The idea OF our
forefathers that the people should not be
crowded into shops was being forgotten. Mr..
Teller then referred to the free homestead
planks In the various national platforms and
criticised the course OF senators in opposing
this principle OF platforms. which they pro-
fessed to accept.
Mr.. Platt, republican of Connecticut said
the logical result OF this bill was that the
United States should embark on the policy
OF donating lands to the landless and homes
10 the homeless not only through the ben
efcent terms OF the homestead laws, but by
buying lands and then giving them away"
Mr.. Plat declared that the question of the
east against the west was not involved
MEASURE TOO BROAD.
Mr.. Allison said the bill appeared TO be too
sweeping and too general 1t had come from
the house relating to lands In Oklahoma and
was now broadened TO cover all lands thus
far acquired from the Indians. He did not
believe in going into this wholesale manner
OF dealing with these lands, some OF them
near towns and worth up TO $50 and possibly
$500 per acre, He might vote for the bill,
but II should be limited to those agricultural
lands actually held by settlers and not those
valuable lands near towns held by specula-
tors
Mr.. Cockrell, democrat OF Missouri. de-
clared that this bill was a perversion OF the
homestead laws. 1t was in the interest OF a |
comparatively few as against vast number
OF people who were unable to get homestead
The senator related the circumstances OF the |
scramble for homesteads In Oklahoma. show
ing that a small proportion of those who
sought homes got them.
Mr.. Allison moved an amendment limiting
the operation Of the bill to lands acquired
from Indians prior TO the passage OF this act |
After further debate, Messrs. Stewart of
Nevada, Allen OF Nebraska Carter OF Mon
tane and Pettlgrew Of South Dakota speak
ing for the bill a vote was taken. The
committee amendment extending the bill TO
all lands acquired from Indians and also
obligating the United States to pay the In |