The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-07
Senate SO Far as Lies in Its Power, Sets Aside
the Reservations rlade by Mr.. Cleveland
in February.
Senator PettigreW Leads the Onslaught.
All Discretion in the Matter Denied to President
Mckinley by the Terms of the Sundry Civil
Bill Amendment.

| doth the senator assert that the presi-
| dent made such threat?"
"It was so stated in committee" Mr..
| PetigreW answered 1t was we'll
known, he said, that during the last
four years the president menaced con-
gress by threats.
| Mr.. Gray remarked that when the
senator had been challenged for his
authority he had. repeated the gossip
| of the senate chamber and had as
sumed this to be a threat by the presi-
| dent. Mr. German made point of
| order against the amendment on the
ground that it was general legislation.
| ORDER REVOKED.
Mr.. Allison moved to strike from the
bill the provision suspending the presi-
dents order of February %. The mo-
! tion was defeated IA to 32
| On the announcement of the vote, Mr..
Allison withdrew all objection and re-
marked that it had become evident that
| a majority Of the senate was in favor
of this legislation and were not even
willing to trust the president and sec
| retary of the interior to revoke the
order. The presiding officer submitted
to the senate Mr.. Gorman's point of
order against the entire amendment
and it was held to be in order 25 to 90.
This left the amendment in order and
amendment is as follows:
To remove any doubt which may exist per-
tanning to the authority Of the president
thereto, the president of the United States
is hereby authorized and empowered to re-
woke, modify OF suspend any and all such
executive orders and proclamations, designat-
ing forest reserves or any part thereof, from
time to time, as he shall deem best for the
public interests.
Provided, that the executive orders and
dQfo Col
apart and reserving certain lands in Wyoming
Utah, Montana, Washington, Idaho and South
Dakota as forest reservations, be and they
are hereby suspended and the lands en-
braeed therein restored to the public domain
the same as though said orders had not been
issued.
Provided further, That lands embraced in
such reservations, not otherwise disposed OF,
shall, when surveys of said reservations are
completed, be subject to such orders as
the president may make in reference to the
same so as not to disturb the right of any
actual settler or claimant now residing upon
any of the lands embraced in said reservation.
The amendment further appropriates
$150,O00 for surveying these forest re-
serves and establishes a general plan Of
administering such reserves.
Mr.. Berry offered an amendment,
authorizing contracts for the improve
ment of the Mississippi river, in ad-
vance of appropriations by congress, to
Tie amount Ol 9l,0o0,UUU lOI Lie llSCdi
year ending June 80, 1899, and of a like
sum for the following year. After
some discussion the amendment was
agreed to-. The amendment is in ex-
ecution of provisions of the last river
and harbor bill. -:
A Bering sea debate occurred when
Mr.. Allison offered an amendment ap-
propriating $4,000 for continuing the
investigation of the fur seal fisheries.
Mr.. Pettigrew proposed a substitute,
providing commission to negotiate
with Great Britain, Russia and Japan
r 'relative to the protection Of the seals
and in the event Of no agreement then
for the killing Of all the seals. The
senator said such action would bring
speedy action by the British govern
ment and it would put an end to the
barbarous butchery Of the seals. The
Pettigrew substitute went out on q
point Of order and the Allison amend
ment was agreed to.
The provision as to a Nicaraguan
canal commission was left as in the
original BILL the amendment by Mr.
Hale increasing the commission to five.
of which three were to be civilian en-
gineers, being defeated.
The sundry civil bill was then passed
An argeement was reached that the
adjournment be until Monday. Mr.
FRYE of Maine, reported the bill pro-
viding regulations for the avoidance Of
collisions on island harbors, in ac-
cordance with the agreement of the
marine congress. The bill was passed
At 6:15 the senate adjourned to Mon
daV