Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-05-14
THE SENATE AND FOREST RESERVES
Amendment Demanding That the Or
der BE Set Aside.

Washington, May 7.-When the consid.
Grafton of the sundry civil bill was re-
sumed by the senate yesterday, the pend
ing question was on Senator Pettigrew'
amendment suspending the order of Presi-
dent Cleveland creating extensive forestry
reserves. The presidents order was Sc
verely criticised by senators from the
states affected, including Pettigrew, Will
son and Carter. Senator Wilson char
acterized the Cleveland proclamation as
'dastardly blunder," 100000 acres hav-
ing been taken out of his state so that
no man could cut a stick of timber with
out being denounced as a thief. The peo-
pie affected by these orders were not 10
be restrained, he said, by scientific
gentleman from Harvard college" They
were going to have the timber which
they needed, law or no law, and what
are you going to do about it?'' he asked.
Senator Turner said that for three
months appeals have been made to the
executive authority, but as yet no relief
has come. The senators from the states
affected were not to be made to kick
their shins" in the corridors of the exc
cutive branch of the government. 1t was
the duty of the executive branch to cor
rect this wrong. Senator Clark said the
west was deeply concerned in the preser-
walton of the forests and streams, but
what they protested against was the alb
solute ignorance inspiring this order for
the privation of forests. Cleveland's or
der, he said, had struck the greatest blow
to forest reservations that it had ever
received. 1t had arrayed the people of
the west against the entire policy of forest
reserves. Yielding to the president s
threat, the provision had been abandon
ed.
And president that would make such
a threat" exclaimed Senator Pettigrew,
lis a disgrace to civilization and a dis
grace to the republic"
The presiding officer sounded the gayel
sharply.
Senator Allison moved to strike from
the bill the provision suspending the
presidents order of February o. The mo-
ton was defeated, IA to 80.
On the announcement of the vote, Sem
ator Allison withdrew all objections, and
remarked that 1t has become evident that
a majority of the senate was in favor of
this legislation, and was not even willing
to trust the president and secretary of
the interior to revoke the order. The pre-
siding officer submitted to the senate
Senator Germans point of order against
the entire amendment, and 1t was held
to be in order, Is to 49, This left the
amendment in order, and it was agreed
to without division.
The amendment provides that to re-
move any doubt which may exist pertain
ing 10 the authority of the president
thereto, the president of the United
States is hereby authorized and empow-
cred to revoke, modify or suspend any
and all such executive orders and procla-
nations designating forest reserves, or
any part thereof, from time to time, as
he shall deem best to public interest.
Provided, that the executive orders
and proclamations dated February p, 1897
setting apart and reserving certain lands
IN Wyoming. Utah, Montana, Washing
ton, Idaho and South Dakota as forest
reserves, be and they are hereby suspend
ed, and the lands embraced therein re-
stored to the public domain, the same as
II the said orders and procl,mations had
not been issued.
Provided further that lands embraced
in such reservations not otherwise dis
posed of shall, when the survey of such
reservations are completed, be subjected
TO such order 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
he lands embraced in such reserva-
ions"
The amendment further approprIates
l50,OOO for surveying these forest reserves
IND establishing a general plan of admin
STEERING such reserves. protection against
hre, sale of dead timber, etc.