The record-union., 1897-04-24
i'm Limited Areas.

! WASHINGTON, April 23-The House
! to-day completed the consideration of
| the Senate amendments to the Indian
| appropriation bill, and sent the bill to
| conference The main contention, as
! on yesterday. centered about the Sem
ate proposition to open the Uncompa-
| hagre Indian reservation under the
mineral land laws. Finally an amend
ment was recommended to the effect
| that no corporation should be allowed
| to obtain possession of these gilsonite
deposits, but that the Government
should lease the lands in limited areas
and for limited terms of years.
| The Senate amendment striking from
the House bill the provision for the rat
| ification of the oil and gas leases made
| by the council of the Seneca Indians
| last December, after a sharp debate,
was disagreed to.
| Bland of Missouri attempted early in
/ the session to secure action on a reso-
! luton relating to the Union Pacific
mortgages, which he tried to offer last
week. but the Speaker ruled that the
resolution was not privileged.
| A resolution was adopted by which a
committee of twenty-five was appoint
ed to attend the dedication of the Grant
tomb in New York on Tuesday, and the
! House aSreed to a programme of three
/ day adjournments for next week
! The desk of the late Judge Holman
was to-day covered with a black pail
of mourning, upon which were strewn
lilies of the valley and hyacinths.
| Immediately after the reading of the
! journal, Bland CD of Missouri offered
! a resolution relative to suits to fore
| close the first mort gage on the Union
! Pacific Railway, and calling on the
| Attorney General as to what steps
! had been taken to protect the interests
, Of TIC Government The resolution
was so modified as to strike out the
clause directing the Speaker to appoint
| Immediately a committee on Pacific
Railroads. He presented the resolution
/ for a privileged question, on the ground
| that as there was no committee to
which the resolution could be referred,
this was the only way it could be
! brought before the House.
The Speaker ruled that it was not
privileged, whereupon Bland appealed,
and Dingley promptly moved to lay
/ the appeal on the table.
The Chair ruled that the motion was
not debatable, but a brief debate new
ertheless was INDUCED in, Bland say
| ing:
I'VE want to know whether the liens
on the Union Pacific are to be liquidat-
ed as the law requires, that the Govern
ment may take possession of the road
We desire to ascertain the policy of the
Government"
Dingley pointed out that all the in
! formation which the Attorney General
could furnish on the subject had al
ready been transmitted to the Senate.
The Attorney-General could by law
only give his legal opinion to the Pres
ident.
Bailey supported Bland, contending
that the Attorney General might 90
further than he did in responding 10
the Senate resolution
me debate was brought to an abrllpt
close by the interposition of a point of
order that the motion to lay the ap-
peal on the table was not debatable
Richardson CD of Tennessee sharplv
commended that an appeal was ALWAYS
debatable, and it would not be cut off
unless the floor was yielded for the mo-
ton to lay it on the table. but the
Speaker resolutely reaffirmed his decis
ion. The House could not. he declared
be placed at the mercy of one member.
If there was desire to hear the appeal
debated the House had it in its power
to vote down the motion.
The appeal was laid on the table-S7
to -; - present not voting.
on motion of Robinson of Indiana
Bland or Missouri was added to the COM
mittee to attend the Holman obseouies
the House then went into Committee
of the Whole and resumed considera-
ton OF the Senate amendments to the
Indian appropriation bill The pending
amendment was that relating to the
opening of the Uncompahgre reserva.
ton.
Cooper (R.) of Wisconsin contended
that members of Congress sat here as
trustees of the interests of the Govern
ment, and that they would be derelict
to their duty if they gave away these
deposits, worth millions of dollars for
practically nothing
cooper read letter from an Indian
agent in Utah, who said the Governor of
Utah, the Secretary of State the State
| ITtdSuleI, senator Brown and other
public officials had, through the State
Mining Inspector, as agent, filed claims
on the reservation March 4th. when it
was presumed the Indian appropriation
bill had been signed by President CIeve-
land. These spectators Were he said. all
ready to jump the moment the reserva-
ton was opened. And yet, said he. gem
lemen talked about depriving the poor
prospector of his opportunities.
Lacey R.) of Iowa offered a Senate
substitute proposition to instruct the
conferrees to insist upon a provision to
Ilease the gilsonite lands with such limi-
tations as would prevent its control by
combinations.
Shafroth (S. R.) of Colorado protested
against a change of policy toward min
eral lands, and said that the value of the
deposits were greatly exaggerated.
Mcguire CD of California opposed the
amendment The policy pursued to-