The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-01-09
THE HOUSE AND SENATE
LAND BILL MEETS WITH SERIOUS
OPPOSITION.
Hearing Before the Ways and Means
Committee Devoted to Cattle
and Fruit Interests.

Washington, JAM 5.-The following reso-
luton was adopted on the motion of Mr..
Frederick of Kansas, after the house met:
Whereas, There are large and valuable
tracts Of lands in Kansas embraced in the
grant to the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany. to which patents have not yet been
issued; and
Whereas, Most of these lands will be
sold by the said company to the said pur-
chasers, who are in possession and who
have made lasting and valuable improve
ments thereon; and
Whereas, The land office at Topeka has
allowed and is allowing homestead entries
to be made upon these lands without APP
parent legal authority; therefore
Resolved, That the secretary of the in
terror be directed to report to the house
the cause of omission~to issue patents 20
the said land. and the authority under
which the land officers pretend to act in
permitting these entries to be made"
Then, under a sepcial order adopted be-
fore the recess, the house went into COM
mittee of the whole for consideration of
the Loud bill to amend the law relating to
second-class mail matter.
Mr.. Loud already having made the open
ing argument, Mr.. Quigg of New ork
took the floor today to reply. He directed
his argument chiefly as to the provisions
OF the bill which cut off serial publica-
tons and newspaper sample copies from
the malls, denying emphatically that the
transmission of books as serial publica-
tons was an abuse of the present law. lie
argued that it was impossible to approx
mate the saving to the government in
1,f11 ENria dc of Ia
claimed it would effect a saving of $1,000. GOO
and upward, while eX-Postmaster General
Wanamaker estimated the saving at only
100000.
Mr. Kyle of Mississippi followed Mr..
Quigg in advocacy of the measure. He
said he was unwilling to differ in such case
with the Judgment Of successive postmas-
ter generals, who had studied the abuses
of the present law, and each of them had
recommended some measure for their cor
rection.
MIR. johnson Of California made char
acteristic speech in opposition to the BILL
ridiculing Mr.. LIQUIDS statement that the
bill would effect a saving of $40 100000 an
nually. and scoring the arguments of other
advocates of the measure. The cheap dis
tribution of the English classics, he said,
would outweigh all the injury that could
be done by the dissemination OF bad BOOKS
II people wanted bad books, they would
get them He did not care, he said, IL II
did cost $1S5 to send a letter to Alaska. II
there was an American citizen in Alaska
the government should get his mail to him
at anv cost. He said every country news
paper and every cheap magazine in the
country was opposed to the pending bill.
Mr.. Bromwell of Ohio advocated its pas
sage on the ground that the postothce de-
partment should be run within its income
and that its passage would be in the inter
est of public morality.
Mr.. Cummings of New York, in a vigor-
Gus speech antagonizing the measure, de-
ciared the newspapers favored the bill. lie
presented a petition signed by over l'V'
newsdealers of New York against the bill
This bill" he said lis drawn in the IN
terest Of de luxe publications and express
companies, and 1 warn every member rep
resenting an agricultural district uhat
he votes for this bill his constituents viii
remember him.
At this point the committee rose, ana a.
4:4O o. m. the house adjourned.
In the Senate.
washington, Jan. 5.-The senate re
assembled at noon.
Senator PETER introduced several DilN
to Improve the banking business"
Senator Shoup introduced bill on alleI
ownership Of land in the territories.
Senator Call introduced two resolution
on the Cuban question The first re
ouests the president to send to the senat
all reports relating to the condemnation
RI life Imprisonment in chains by tn
Snanish authorities at Havana of san
anillv. an American citizen. The secon'
resolution directs the secretary of stat
TO demand Sanguilly's immediate release
The resolutions went over.
Senator Pettigrew offered resolution
which was agreed to, asking the secretar
of the treasury for information as to tn
Bering sea fisheries
Senator PETER then addressed the sen
ate on his resolution for commission o
five senators to investigate the monetat
subject and report within one year.
AT the close Of Senator PETERS speech
his resolution was referred TO the tnanc
committee A message from the pres
dent was received, transmitting the re
mort of the secretary of state concernin
the death of Charles Goving in Cuba.
The bill providing for free homestead
in oklahoma for bona fide settlers, whic
has the right of way as unfinished bus
ness. was laid aside until tomorrow.
Senator Hoar then called up the bill st
reduce the cases in which the penalty {
death be inflicted" After a brief dis
cussion the bill was passed as reported.
Senator Proctor gave notice that
would speak next Monday on his resolt
tion. extending the presidential term
eix years and fixing the term of member
of the house of representatives at thrc