The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-24
INDIAN APPROPRIATIONS.
Senate Amendments Sent to Con.
ference Committee.
EIGHT OF EIGHTEEN AMENDMENTS
AGREED TO.


Uncompahgre Reservation and Opening
Thereof Debated Commi te 9: Appointed
to Attend Grant Monument Ceremo-
nies and Three Days Adjournments
Arranged For.
Washington, April 23.-Immediately
after the reading of the journal in the
House today, Mr.. Bland, Democrat OF
Missouri, offered the resolution which he
| attempted to offer last week relative to
the suit to foreclose the first mortgage on
the Union Pacific railroad and calling on
tho Attorney General for informa alton az
to what steps had been taken to protect
the interests OF the government SO modi-
fed as to strike out the clause directing
the Speaker to appoint Immediately the
committee on Pacific railroads.
The Speaker ruled that it was not
privileged, whereupon Mr.. Bland ap-
pealed, and Mr.. Dingley promptly moved
to lay the appeal on the table. The chsir
ruled the motion was not debateable.
Mr.. Dingley pointed out the resolution
went far beyond an ordinary inquiry, in
that 1t called for a legal opinion from
the Attorney General.
Mr.. Bland ineisted that he was seeking
| legal information for the House. Mr..
D1agley said that all the Information
which the Attorney General could fur
nish on the question had already been
transmitted to the Senate. The Attorney
| General could by law, only give his legal
opinion to the President.
! Mr. Bailey supported Mr.. Bland, con-
tending that tie Attorney General might
go further than he did in responding to
| the Senate resolution. The debate was
brought to an abrupt close by the inter-
position of a point of order that the
motion to lay the appeal on the table was
| not debateable
| Mr.. Richardson, Democrat of Tennes-
see, sharply coDtended that an appenl
was always debateable and that it would
not be cut off unless the floor was yielded
| for tho motion to lay on the table, but
the Speaker resolutely reaffirmed his de-
cision. The House could not, he declared,
De placed at the mercy of one member.
| If there was a desire to hear the appeal
debated the House had it in its power to
vote down the motion. On a rising vote
the motion to lay the appeal on the ia BILE
was carried-9S to 33. Mr.. Bailey called
for the yeas and nays which were Or
dered.
The appeal was laid on the table-s7
to rs; 20 present and not voting
Mr.. DaIzell Of Pennsylvania asked
unanimous consent for the oonsidera-
tion of a resolution for the appointment
Eof committee of 25 members of the
House of which the Speaker should be
chairman to attend the exercises In con-
nection with the dedication of the Grant
tomb next Tuesday. There was no OBJ
lection and the resolution was agreed to-
Mr.. Dingley then effected an agreement
by unanimous consent by which the
House when it adjourned today should
adjourn until Monday next, on Monday
until Thursday and on Thursday until
the following Monday with the under
standing that meetings next week should
be merely formal, no business whatever
to be transacted
The House then went into COMMITTEES
of the whole and resumed the oonsidera-
tion of the Senate amendments to the
Indian appropriation bills.
Mr.. Cooper read letter from ar Indian
agent in Utah who said that the govern.
or of state. the secretary of state and
/ the treasurer and other public officials
| bad filed claims on the reservation
| March 4, when it was presumed the
| Indian appropriation bill had been signed
| by President Cleveland. These specu-
lators were, Mr.. Cooper said all ready to
jump in the moment the reservation was
opened.
Mr. Macey, Republican of Iowa, offered
a substitute proposition to instruct the
conferees to insist upon q provision to
lease the Gilsonite lands with such
limitations as will prevent it's control by
| com binstions.
| Mr.. Shafroth, Silver Republican of
| Colorado, strongly protested against @
change of policy toward mineral lands.
and gave it as his opinion that the value
of deposits were greatly exaggerated.
| Mr.. Mcguire opposed the amendment.
| resources OF the country had resulted in
their monopoly. In reply to II question
from Mr.. Bailey, he agreed that good
| solution of the problem would he to give
the lands to Utah for educational pur-
poses. But, he insisted that the lands
should not be given to individuals.
| Mr.. Bartholdt, Republican of Missouri,
| supported the motion to concur in the
S enate amendment.
Mr. Fleming, Democrat of Georgia,
maintained that the Indians held an un-
exit i1guished right i'll the lands under the
treaty until they were allote1 acceptable
| lands elsewhere. He offered an amend
m6DG TO reserve To UH6 United States In
| nerpetuity, royalty of 81 per ton on all
gilsonite mines and another to give six
months notice of the opening of the
reservation.
Mr.. Dinelsy said the question at issue
was as to whether in this particular case
the laws applicable to mineral lands
should apply. This was the only large
gilsonite deposit in the country. From
expert information there were %, 900, 600
tons in sight. II the royalty obtained by
| Great Britain from the asphaltum lake
in Trinidad were obtained, the govern
| ment would prafit to the extent Of $50,
600. OCO If these lands were thrown open
to individual entry, it would inevitably
result by the transference Of individual
rights in the creatio:: of monopy which
would put up the price. He endorsed the
proposition looking to the preservation
Of a government monopoly of these de-
posits The rights of the Indians should
be eatherei in by the government and
leased By the government in limited
quantities and for limited term Of
years.
Fleming withdrew his amend menus.
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