Abilene weekly reflector., 1897-12-16
HOMESTEAD ENTRIES
The Senate Passes a E,ll to Allow
Settlors q Second Chance.
The CIVIL SERVICE Law QUESTION.
Trying to shape Hi.l to Please Divergent
Eiements--The Federal Habaas Corpus
Law-Letter CHrriers' bonds
indian Congress scheme.

Massachusetts, made an effort in the
senate to secure an immediate vote
upon his immigration bill, which is sub
stantially the same measure that was
passed by the Fiftv-Fourth congress
and vetoed by President Cleveland Mr.
Allen, Of Nebraska, objected to an i'm
mediate vote and suggested that the
final vote on the amendment and the
bill be taken on Monday, January II,
at three p m. This suggestion was
accepted by Mr.. Lodge, and the order
for vote at that time was made.
Mr.. Pettigrew called up the bill
granting to settlers the right to make
second homestead entries of 100 acres
and it was passed.
Mr.. Butler, OF North Carolina, spoke
at length upon amendments he had
offered to the bill which he had previ-
ously introduced providing for postal
savings bank system. Such system
would, in his opinion, insure greater
comfort in the homes Of the plain peo-
Pile Of the land, as a great majority OF
them would certainly become deposit.
ors In such banks. This would culti-
vate among them thrift and economy,
and enable them easily to provide for
themselves in illness and in old age,
which was another argument in favor
of such a system. Mr.. Butler said that
If the system were established there
would never be another issue Of bonds
by the government in time of peace.
Excepting the reporting Of the leg.
islative and executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill, which is to be consid-
cred to-day, the house did no public
business yesterday. The entire ses-
sion was consumed in adjusting per-
sonal dispute between Mr.. Hepburn,
Of Iowa, and Mr.. Norton, Of Ohio.
1t involved the renewal Of con.
troversy that occurred between the
two ogentle emen during the debate on the
pension appropriation bill last week
over the word most" or many" in
reference to soldiers on the pension
roll. 1t was claimed that most" was
used, but the speech when printed
was changed to many" Mr.. Hep
burn insisted that the use of the word
many" placed him in false light and
he was sustained after two hours de-
bate.
THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW QUESTION.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-The outlook
for changing the civil service law is
being actively canvassed among re-
publican members of the house as
result of the conference held Saturday
night The members Of the special
committee having the matter in charge
are trying to so shape bill that it
will command the support of num-
ber Of divergent elements Mr.. Pear
son, Of North Carolina, who inau-
gurated the movement and is MEM
ber Of the special committee, says the
essential notifications of the law
likely to be considered by the commit
tee are as follows: Excluding from the
operations of the law cases in which
one government officer is responsible
for the acts of his subordinate, as a
public collector of revenue; examina- \
tions Of those already covered into the
classified service without examination,
SO as to put them on footing with
new applicants; change of examina-
tions, SO as to make them more prac-
tical and less theoretical; distinct pro-
vision against life tenure and for a
stated term of service; affirmation of
the rights of heads of departments to
remove, reduce or promote in the in
terest of the public; a limitation of the
law to specific departments bureaus,
ETC., and an exclusion Of those not emu
THE FEDERAL HABEAs CORPUS LAW.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Ex-senator Per.
kins, Of California, yesterday intro
duced bill to amend that paragraph
of the revised statutes relating to the
appeal on habeas corpus of criminal
cases to the supreme court Of the
United States. The object is to do
away with numerous appeals by at
torneys Of prisoners made with the
sole view Of gaining time. Senator
Perkins cited the Durrant case as a
particularly strong example Of this
sort.
LETTER CARRIERS BONDS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-Postmaster
General Gary has amended the regula-
tions SO as to require that, after April
1 next, the bond supplied by letter
carriers for the faithful performance
Of their duties shall be that supplied
by surety companies AT the present
time about half the carriers have
surety company bonds and the other
half private individual bonds. BY the
death of bondsmen and for other
reasons the individual bonds are often
found to be worthless.
INDIAN CONGRESS SCHEME.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.--The senate
committee on Indian affairs yesterday |
reported favorably on bill providing
for a congress of Indian tribes, to be |