The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-01-15
FREE HOMESTEAD BILL
Passes the National Senate by a
Vote Of 80 to IL,
MILLIONS OF ACRES INVOLVED.
The Measure VIII opon Up for settlement
All Public Lands Acquired from Indians,
a Total Of 80, 2Be, 5ft Aores-Oleomarga-
rlne Bill Passes the House.

n Total Of 33sHhS,54l Aores-Oloonarga~
rIne Bill Passes the House.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-Tho senate yes
terday passed tho measure known as the
free homestead bill. which has been under
discussion since the holiday recess It is
q measure of far reaching Importance,
particularly to the west, ana the interest
in it was shown by the fact that a plank
concerning 10 was "a feature of the several
national platforms. The effect of the bill
is to open to settlement all public lands
acquired from Indians free of any pay
ment to the government beyond the minor
Office fees, and to release from payment
those who have heretofore settled on these
lands. The number Of acres involved, ac-
cording to an estimation made by the
commissioned Of the general land Office, is
1889, 54t, which would have yielded the
government, at the prices heretofore es-
tablished, $35, 3i3, 0O6.
To offset this statement It was brought
out during the debate that the lands were
mainly arid, and that those who had set
tied upon them were unable to make pay
ment by reason Of the scanty products Of
the soil. The western senators, in the
main, favored the bill as an extension Of
the general homestead policy Of the gov
eminent. The opposition was directed
mainly by Mr.. Platt of Connecticut and
Mr.. Villas of Wisconsin. As the BILE passed
the house 1t covered only the lands ao-
quired from Indians in Oklahoma, but as
passed yesterday the bill includes all In
dian lands. The final vote taken by agree
ment at 4 p. m. showed a decisive major
ity in favor of the measure, ii being passed
by 30 to II.
Following the disposition of this bill,
which had held the advantageous position
of the unfinished business of the senate,
Mr.. Morgan sought to have the Nioarau-
guam canal bill made the unfinished busi-
ness. This precipitated n vote, which to
some extent was a test of strength of the
bill itself. On Mr.. Morgan's motion to
take the bill up, the vote was 80 to 6 or
less than a quorum, so the matter did not
prevail, although it disclosed the strength
of the measure.
During the day Mr.. Morgan secured the
adoption of a resolution for an inquiry by
the judiciary committee as to whether the
properties of the Union and Central Pa
ci1c Railroad companies now belonged
TO the United States by reason of alleged
defaults in the payment of bonds.
Other resolutions adopted were by Mr..
Chandler, instructing the interstate COM
MERGE commission to inquire into the re-
ported combination of lake vessels inter
ests to maintain rates and by Mr.. Cullom,
calling on the civil service commission to
explain the delay in making annual re-
ports. The senate adjourned ove to Mon
day.
The house spent almost the entire day
debating the Grout bill, which was under
consideration for a time on Wednesday, to
subject oleomargarine and other imita'
ton dairy products to the laws Of the
states into which they are transported.
The advocates Of the measure took the
view that the states should be allowed to
regulate the sale of a product sailing I'M
der false colors and the opponents that the
bill would establish a dangerous precedent
and invade the power Of congress to regu-
late interstate commerce. The bill wa:
finally passed by a vote of 1926 to SO.
The bill provides that all articles known
as oleomargarine, butterine, imitation
butter or imitation cheese, or any sub
stance in the semblance of butter or cheese
not the usual product Of the dairy, and
not made exclusively Of pure and unadul
terated milk or cream, shall, upon arriva'
in any state or territory be subject to the
operation and effect of tho laws Of such
state or territory, and shall not be exempr
by reason of being introduced therein il
original packages or otherwise, provided
that nothing in this act shall be construed
to permit any state to forbid the sale o.
oleomargarine except in such a ann al
will advise the customer of its real char
acter