The record-union., 1898-03-04

constructing railroads in that district
His motion to eliminate the homestead
feature of the bill by striking out the
first section was defeated
The resolution providing for a Con-
yressional investigation into the murder
# the Postmaster at Lake City, s. c..
md his family and the burning Of his
home, was laid before the Senate.
Lodge of Massachusetts sent to the
Clerks desk to have read commune
cation from William Henry Ferris Of
the Harvard Divinity School, giving
the proceedings of a mass meeting Of
colored citizens of Boston, held Febru-
airy 18th. to express adherence of the
| action of the South Carolina mob.
Allen of Nebraska charged Lodge
with introducing politics in the discus
sion of the resolution and thought the
communication ought not to be read by
the Clerk
The communication was read. how
ever and then Lodge said that there
was no question of politics in the COM
| munication. so far as he was aware.
The act referred to, he said. met with
| the Reproduction of men of all parties,
and he would not in any way introduce
| politics into it.
McLaurin of South Carolina said he
| had hoped the resolution would go to
| the committee without discussion. The
| State authorities were exceedingly act
| i've in their investigation of the crime,
| and he was assured that every effort
was being made to bring the perpetra-
| tors of the outrage to justice. He
then read clipping from the Columbia,
S. c., State newspaper to show that
| the people of South Carolina were not
only not in sympathy with those who
/ committed the crime, but keenly re-
| probated it.
Hawley of Connecticut said the crime
was clearly brought within Federal ju-
risdiction by the fact that it was a
Fed 4ral official who had been muir
dered and Government property had
| been destroyed. He expressed the
opinion that the Federal authorities
ought to maintain a close watch upon
| the proceedings.
The. resolution was then referred TO
the Committee on Contingent EX-
penses.
Bills were passed as follows: Grant
ing free entry to a set of bells present.
| ed by the Gar of Russia 10 the Ortho-
| doX Russian church at Bridgeport,
| Conn; to provide for the transfer OF
the Fort Sidney military post reserva-
ton to the State of Nebraska for edu-
catiolal purposes, and to establish an
assay office al Seattle, Wash.
The motion of Hoar of Massachusetts
| to non-concur III the House amend
ments to the bankruptcy bin was laid
| before the Senate, and Stewart of Ne
vada resumed his speech upon the
| House measure.
| Upon the conclusion of his speech,
! Stewart offered a resolution that the
! Senate conferrees be instructed TO in
sist upon the Senate bin.
The resolution created some debate
of parliamentary character. Stewart
then withdrew his resolution, and
Hoar's motion to non-concur in the
House amendments to the bankruptcy
bill, and that a committee of confer
ence> be appointed, was adopted.
The Vice President appointed Messrs.
Hoar, Nelson and Lindsay.
The Alaskan homestead and right Of
way bill was then taken up, and Turn
er Of Washington addressed the SEN
ate He recognized, he said. the ne
cessity of some such legislation as that
proposed, because while 100000 adult
Americans We're preparing to go into
Alaska, if proper transportation
| facilities were not provided, 1t would be
cruel and short-sighted policy He
said he believed the measure proposed
| by the committee was generally fair,
! and with some amendments would be
an excellent bill. In his opinion, the
/ bill usfficiently hedged about the trans
portation companies, as the restrictions
placed upon them by the bill We're even
more severe than those placed on them
! by the general law.
To meet a point advanced by Turner,
| Carter of Montana, in charge of the
! bill, offered committee amendment
retaining the first section of the House
bill, except wherein it provides for the
approval of the President. and modi-
! fed the committee amendment with a
provision that no entry shall be al
1 lowed extending more than forty rods
along the shore of any navigable wa
ter, and along such shore a space Of
at least forty rods shall be reserved
from entry from such claims.
The committee amendment was
| adopted.
%illGi NnN StttltJAl htiS diiAtii0Edt ' Cot
of Missouri moved to strike out the
entire section. He said frankly that
! he desired to test the sense Of the
Senate on the proposition to extend the
homestead laws TO the district of
/ Alaska. So far as the construction
of railroads was concerned. il would
! be most difficult and expensive un-
dertaling. If constructors could find
valleys for their railroad they would
be met with all sorts of difficulties and
! dangers. He thought that after the
| epharmal gold-seeking rush had sub
sided there would be no possible reason
for the construction of railways in
! Alaska.
! Vest ridiculed the report made by
! Rev Dr.. Sheldon Jackson upon the
/ agriculture of Alaska. Alaska" de-
clared Vest, is not an agricultural
/ section. and it can never be made one.
/ l speak from personal knowledge, and
not from Government reports.
He said that in that great section.
! two and a half times larger than the
/ State of Texas and ten times larger
than the State Of Georgia. there was
not u single farm. yet the report OF
| DR.. Jackson extensively pictured the
wonderful potatoes and the remarkable
| cabbages produced there.
Vest said he knew something Of those
! potatoes and cabbages. The potatoes
We're large and fun of water. nothing
else. He saw he said, cabbages that
F! spread over the ground like the blanket
| Of Sancho Panza the caulflower that
weighed twenty-five pounds; yet. when
/ they were cut they contained nothing
! but water As to the grasses which