Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-01-21
PRIVATE BILL DAY.
The Proceedings In the House on
Friday Embarrassing.
FREE HOMESTEAD BILL REFERRED.
Friends Of the Measure Think It VIII BE
Killed by Being Sent to an Adverse
Committee-Dropped from
the Indian Bill.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The proceed
ings in the house yesterday were very
tame. 1t was private bill day. A res
olution Of inquiry, calling on the secre-
tary Of the interior to issue patents to
lands sold by the Union Pacific in the
state Of Utah, was adopted. A resolu-
ton was adopted empowering the COM
mittee on election to proceed immedi-
ately with the consideration of the
Benoit-Boatner contested election case
from the Fifth Louisiana district At
two o'clock the regular order was de-
manded, and, it being Friday, the
house proceeded with the considera-
ton of bills on the private calendar.
The bills favorably acted upon by the
committee Of the whole on the last
private bill day were taken up An
attempt was made to reduce the
amount, 500, carried by the bill
to pension Fanny Gibbon, but it
failed. Mr. Blue, of Kansas, Mr..
Crowther, Of Missouri, and others ar
gued against granting pensions of more
than $50 per month to the widows of
general officers, but Gen. Curtis, of
New York, and Mr.. Grosvenor, of Ohio,
took the view that the distinguished
services of Gen. Gibbon entitled his
widow to recognition. All the unfin-
ished business was disposed of, but the
calendar was not reached. The speak
er referred the free homestead bill
with senate amendments to the public
lands committee. At five p. IN. the
house took recess until eight o'clock,
the evening session being devoted to
pension legislation.
THE FREE HOMESTEAD BILL REFERRED.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The support
ers Of the free homestead bill fear that
measure has been killed, so far as this
congress is concerned, by the action Of
Speaker Reed in referring it to the
house committee on public lands for
consideration Of the senate amend
ments The house committee is not
strongly in favor Of the plan. That
committee voted to report the bill to
the house by majority of only one
when it provided only for free homes
for the Oklahoma settlers. Vigorous
work by Delegate Flynn brought the
bill through the house in that form.
The senate amendments greatly widen
the scope of the bill, extending its pro-
visions to all public land states, and it
is doubtful whether the house commit
tee will sanction the changes. The
bills supporters fear that if the com
mittee does not make an adverse re-
port it will keep the bill and take no
action on it before adjournment, which
course would effectually dispose of it.
DROPPED FROM THE INDIAN BILL.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The house In
dian committee has dropped from its
appropriation bill the proposition to
ratify the treaty for the requirement
of the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache
Indian lands in Oklahoma. This
treaty called for payments of 81, 900, 900
to the Indians, and would have been
subject to point of order in the house
which would have stricken it from the
bill. On reconsideration of the sub
ject, the committee decided that It
could more properly be brought before
the house as separate bill, the form
in which it was originally proposed.