The times., 1897-05-11
sUNDRY CIVIL BILL IN HAND
Honse Republicans Make Little
Opposition to Taking 1t Up.
DEBATE WILL CLOSE TO-DAY
Senate Amendments Rega riding the
Forest Reservations First Under
On-CIevelaLd's Order
Isxempting These From Settle.
ment Very Severely Criticised.

The Sergeant alarms Of the House, OF
behalf OF tie COMMITTEE on Rules and ti,
q. .. T. generally, corialed a big ciuwt
Of Representatives yesterday morning il
the hall Of the House. The object ot ih.
industry was TO permit the House to con
| sider the Senate amendments TO tie stn
| dry civil bill
The Rules Committee met IN tie II orn
ing. the Speaker presiding. Soon after
the reading of the Journal Mr. Daizcll
| reported a resolution fIom the Comnitte,
ON Rules that the House in Comii.ttee OF
! the Whole proceed to consider the amend
inents To the sundIy civil bill, the general
! debate To be limited 10 two houis and that
| it be continued today If the amendments
/ had not all been considered at . p. N. yes
terday. Previous to this, however, Mr..
| Simpson made the point of 10 quoium,
| whereapon the Speaker counted 1856 mem
bers present.
| Mr.. Cannon was given an hour for the
| resolution, and Mr.. Bailey of Texas, of
the Appropriations, an hour for the other
side, he, however, yielding to Mr.. Savers,
| member of the Appropriations Committee.
| The Democrats protested vigorously
against the short time allowed by the COM
| mittee, among those who were heard be-
| ing Mcssrs Savers, Dockery, Wheeler, Nc
Mllin and Bland.
Mr.. McMillin spoke emphaticalIy, point
Ing out that there were at least two of
the amendments whose importance de-
manded full and careful consideration
One OF these was the Senate anendm ent
relating TO forest reserves, and the other
the amendment providing that this Gov
erninent shall appropriate money for the
Improvement OF a harbor in foreign
country-I'eafl Harbor, in Hawaii
Mr. McMiiIin, while speaking 10 the reso-
luton, again took occasion 10 score the
Republicans for the extraordinary and un-
necessary manner in which these amend
ments were to come before the House, in
stead OF through the channel Of the appro-
pirate committee.
Mr.. Bland followed, he reminding the
other side that il was inconsistent They
had declared to the country that the Re-
pUblicans desired TO legislate only on the
tariff. Yet when the party, so pleased,
it took up the Indian appropriation bill
and now the sundry civil bill. They Sc
lected matters which they could rush
through under the whip, and spur OF the
Committee on Rules, ard other bills which
were rushed through before the appoint
ment OF that committee.
Mr. Cannon assured Mr.. Bland sar-
casticaIly that all the time would he
given to the present amendments that was
thought necessary ''by the majority"
Mr. McMiIlin desired a categorical an
swer from Mr. Cannon, If he thought twenty
minutes a sufficient time for the considera-
ton of either of the amendments he had
designated Mr. Cannon replied defiantly
that twenty minutes might be too much
or TOO little.
Further debate was cit off by motion
to pass the resolution, the vote being on
division III ayes, 15 nays Mr.. Bailey
voted for the Republicans TO go on with
business, his position heretofore being that
1T We're better that the Republicans should
no; legislate.
Mr. Simpson made the point that there
was no quorum, but the Speaker counted
1856 Nearly all the Democrats, it viii
be observed, refrained from voting
The amendments were then taken up,
Mr.. Payne OF New York in the chair
Mr.. Lacey, of Iowa, opened the debate,
addressing himself TO opposing two OF
the Senate amend ments to the forest
reserve legislation, one the right of ex-
change OF lands on the reservation for
new patents anywhere. Mr.. Lacey held
that the provisions of the McRae bill on
this question were better than the results
reached by the Senate,
Mr. Hartman made al argument to show
That there was very little danger OF fraud
on the Government because the transfers
of holdings il made for that purpose would
show for themselves.
Mr.. Lacey also spoke against the Senate
amendment, which made the restoration of
lands by the President practicable only
after a survey of the same. That would
of the law of 1891.
Mr.. McRae. replying TO criticisms made
of the rights of miners to cut timber, had
read the statutes in which their rights
were specified, the acts being those of
1873 and 1891. The first act gave the
rights to miners, the latter to timber dealers
and all other persons.
1t was now proposed to extend that
law into the very heart of the reserve
tions and against that he protested. Last
year. for instance, the Anaconda mine got |
"a permit to cut 4, 900 900 feet Of lumber
men vote to give that company the right |
to go into the public lands and cut as much |
timber as it wanted? In Arkansas, If a |
man cuts timber on public lands, be is |
arrested and put In Jail. 1t was mani |
festly unjust to make mill owners in one |
part of the country pay for timber and /
give it free to corporations like the Ana |
conda mine.
Mr. McRae favored tie position of MI |
Lacey twas time that those who wanted |
timber from public lands should submit to |
some national government Of the lands |
The plan of exchanging holdings, as ex
planned by Mr.. Lacey, he held also to be
bad Iu due time he would offer an amend |
ment which would give the rights OF TAX
ing lumber away from mining and lum-
bering corporations, but giving it to pros
pectors, and settlers for their own use.
1t was also apparent that the amend |
ment would give the miners and saw-mill-
srs of the West an advantage over similar
Industries In the East. He closed with
strong appeal for the preservation Of the
,imber on these public domains
Mr.. Hartman of Montana favored the
Senate amendment. He replied to the
ng that it had added to the product OF the
country copper to the value of $26 ,000, 900.
Mr. Lacey-Don't you think that such
might have paid for it's lumber?
Mr.. Hartman went on to say that the
hearings on this matter had not been ad-
yertised in the State Of Montana, and that
he Cleveland proclamation went out with
nut such opportunities for promised hear