The Saint Paul globe., 1898-03-05
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
THE HOMESTEAD AND RAILWAY
RIGHT OF WAY BILL ADOPTED

Final Action In the Upper House,
Concessions I'm the Measure May
Result in a Settlement of the Old
Fisheries Dispute.
WASHINGTON, March 4. - After a
debate lasting several days, the senate
late this afternoon passed a bill ex-
tending the homestead law and pro-
Viding for right of way for railroads in
the territory of Alaska
Comparatively little discussion of
general interest was created by the
bill. Section 49, providing for certain
bonding concessions to Canada, in view
or privileges to be extended by the Do
mln1on government to this country,
however, induced a pretty lively de-
bate, as it brought into the controversy
the old fisheries question on the New
england coast, which has been pending
between the United States and Great
Britain for 100 years
I'he statement was made on the floor
or the senate that there was every rea-
son to believe that with the passage
OF the bill, the fisheries question could
De settled without great effort, as as
surances to that effect had been re-
celVed from a large and influential
element in Canada.
When the Alaska bill was laid before
the senate, an amendment by Mr..
Rawllns (UtahD to Section was pend
ing. Mr.. Carter (Mont.) in charge of
ulle OH, moved to lay the amendment
31-17.
The paragraph reserving the right
to the government to purchase or take
py proceedings of condemnation any
railroad or wagon road at it's actual
cash value, being In line of govern
ment ownership Of railroads, was
stricken out by an aye and nav vote,
49,, the seven votes cast in favor of
the paragraph being Messrs. Allen. of
Nebraska; Butler, of North Carolina.
Harrls, OF Kansas; Heitfeld, Of Idaho:
nelson, of Minnesota; Teller, of Colo
rado, and Turner, of Washington.
Section Thirteen.
MT. Turner moved to strike out that
part Of section 13 which related to the
entering of Canadian ports by Ameri-
can fishermen. He did not, he said,
make the motion because he was hos
tile to the New England fisheries but
because he deemed it unfair to burden
thls measure with a demand upon the
dominion government that it yield a
contention 1t has made for 100 wears
Mr. Hansbrough, of North Dakota.
SAID that the committee on public lands
was In possession of information that
canada would accept the conditions
imposed by the section. He was firmly
o. the opinion that the Dominion gov.
efhment would yield on the fisheries
made to it by the bill.
Mr., Carter agreed that tbo azla:o
question, so far as it was considered
In this bill, was Of national Importance.
concerning the mineral resources of
Alaska, Mr.. Carter said he was salts
fed that the output Of gold would in
a year or two, be larger from that dis
trlct than from any other part of the
eartns surface. On authority, in
winch he said he had the utmost conf
dence, he estimated that in Alaska
gold to the amount of 500 600 ooo
a year would be produced in a com.
parat1Vely short time. He said that. if
section 13 should be adopted as pre-
sented, he believed that this country
would obtain every concession which
was demanded of Canada by the pend
ing section.
Mr.. Turner's motion to strike ont
the fisheries portion of the section was
aeIeateo py a yea and nay vote-34
to 16.
The section was adopted without di-
vision
Bonding PriviIege.
AS agreed to, section 13 is as follows.
Ihat under rules and regulations to be
prescribed by the secretary of the treas
ury, the privilege of entering goods In ware
house and merchandise in bond or of plac-
ing IN 1hem IN bonded warehouses at the port
OF Wrangel, and of withdrawing the Same
In pr;t;
lumbia or the Northwest territory. without
payment of duty, is hereby granted to the
sioVernment ~ ei1i OF the Dominion of Canada and
Is cltizens, or citizens Of the United States
whenever and SO long as it shall appear to
the satisfaction Of the president of the
United States, who shall ascertain and de-
clare the fact by proclamation, that no
exclusive privilege of transporting through
British Columbia or the Northwest terri
Iory, goods or passengers arriving from or
destined for other ports in Alaska Is grant
ed to any person or corporation by the gov
ernment Of the Dominion of Canada. and
that the privilege be duly accorded to re-
sponsloie persons or corporations operating
transportation lines in British Columbia or
the Northwest territory of making direct
connection with the transportation lines in
Alaska and that the government of the
D0mlnlon OF Canada has consented to and is
allowing on behalf of the citizens of the
United States the entry free of duty of all
miners, outfits and supply Of provisions
quantity of 1000 pounds for each citizen of
the United States, proposed to engage in
mining mini IN British Columbia or the North
west territory; and that the government of
the Dominion of Canada has removed all
unequal restrictions as to the issue of min
ers' licenses to all citizens of the United
States operating or intending to operate in
British Columbia or the Northwest terri
tory. AND, further, that fishing vessels of
the United States having authority under
the laws of the United States to touch and
trade at any port or ports, place of places
In the British dominions of North Amer
lea, shall have the privilege of entering such
ports for the purpose of purchasing bait and
all other supplies and outfits in the same
manner and under the same regulations as
may exist therein applicable to trading yes
sells Of the most favored nations and of
trans shipping their catch to be transport
ed in bond through said dominions without
payment of duties in the same manner as
other merchandise destined for the United
States may be thus transported.
The bill was then passed without di-
vision.
The senate at sos o'clock held an ex-
ecutlve session, and at $40 o'clock ad-
iOIlrne6 until MOpdav