The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-15
FREE HOMES.
The Fee Will Hereafter Be EX-
.,sa acted
From Settlers ON Lands Ac-
quired From Indians.
OFFICE FEES ONLY
Senate Voted 35 to- Ill For the
Bill.
Nicaragua Canal Bill Called
Up by Morgan.

Washington, Jan. 15-The senate
yesterday passed the measure known
as the free homestead bill, which has
been under discussion since the holiday
recess.
1t is a measure of far reaching i'm
portance, particularly to the west, and
the interest in it was shown by the
fact that plank concerning it was a
feature of the several national plat
forms.
The effect of the bill is to open to
settlement all the public lands &C
quired from Indians, free of any pay
minor office fees, and to release from
payment those who have heretofore
settled on those lands. The number of
acres involved, according to the esti-
mate made by the commissioner of the
general land Office. is 30, 252, TAI, which
would have yielded the government at
the price heretofore established, $50
343, 0O6. To offset this statement, it
was brought out during the debate that
the lands We're mainly arid, and that
those who had settled upon them We're
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
mainly by Mr.. Platt Comm and Mr..
Villas (Wis.) As the bill passed in the
house it covered only the lands ac
Quired from Indians in Oklahoma, but
as passed today the bill includes all
Indian lands. The final vote, taken by
agreement at 4 o'clock, showed a deciS-
i've majority in favor of the measure.
Following the disposition of this bill,
which had held the advantageous pO-
sition of the unfinished business of the
senate, Mr.. Morgan sought to have
the Nicaragua canal bill made the I'M
finished business This precipitated a
vote, which to some extent was test
of strength of the bill itself. On Mr.
MOrgan'S motion, the point of no quo
A resolution by Mr.. Cullom calling
on the civil service commission to ex-
| plain delay in making annual reports,
| was adopted. The senate adjourned
| over to Monday.
During debate on the homestead bill
| Mr.. Cocl1rell (Dem. Mo- declared that
| the bill was a perverSiOn of the home
| stead laws. It was in the interest of a
| comparatively few. as against a vast
mum Der of people who were unable to
| get homesteads. The senator related
| the circumstances of the scramble for
| homesteads in Oklahoma, showing
| that a small proportion of those who
| sought homes, got them.
Mr.. Allison moved an amendment
| limiting the operation of the bill to
| lands acquired from Indians prior to
| the passage of this act.
After further debate in which Mr.
| Stewart (NeV.), Allen (Neb.) }, Carter
| (Mont.) and Pettigrew Is. d., speaking
| for the bill, a final vote was taken. The
| committee amendment extending the
| Dill TO ali IanQS acquired from INDIANS,
and also obIigating the United States
! to pay the Indians the sums of money
released by the change from existing
| laws were agreed to. The amendment
| of Mr.. Allison limiting the bill to lands
! acquired prior to the passage of the
4 act, was agreed to.
The bill as amended was then passed.
| yeas, 50; nays, II. Those voting against
| the bill were: Democrats-Bate, Berry,
I3rice, Cockrell. Faulkner, Gray, Hill
| Vest, Villas, Walthall-10.
| ublicanS-Platt-1.
In favor: Republicars-Allison, Ba-
ker, Brown, Carter, Clark, Cullom, Da-
| Wis, Frye, Gear. Mcbride, McMillin,
Shoup. Thurston, Wetmore and Will
| son-19.
| Democrats-Bacon, Blackburn. Call,
Gordon, Morgan, Murphy, Pugh, Smith,
| White-9.
Popuhsts-Allen. PETER, stuart-s
ependents-Cannon, Pettigrew,
| Mantle, Teller.
| Total-35.
The bill as passed is as follows:
! That all settlers under the home
| stead laws of the United States upon
| the public lands acquired prior to the
! passage of this act, by treaty or agree
| ment, from the various Indian tribes,
| who have or who shall hereafter reside
| upon the tracts entered in good faith
| for the period required by existing law,
! shall be entitled to a patent for the
| land so entered, upon the payment to
| the local land officers of the usual and
| customary fees, and no other further
! charge of any kind whatsoever shall
| be required from such settlers to enti-
| tie them to a patent for the land COW
| cred by their entry; provided that the
| right to commute any such entry and
| pay for said lands in the option of any
| such settler and in the time and at the
| prices now fixed by existing laws shall
| remain in full force and effect
! Provided, however, that all the sums
| of money so released, which, if not re-
| leased, would belong to any Indian
| tribe, shall be paid to such Indian tribe
| by the United States
| Buckingham,s Dye for the Whiskers
can De app1ed when at home, and is