The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-11
FREE HOME CLAUSE FAILS.
HOUSE NON-CONCURS IN AMEND
MENTs TO INDIAN BILL
ris Criticises Lacey, and John
son of North Dakota Charges

WASHINGTON, March ia-After de-
bate in the house which lasted more than
FIVE hours the senate amendment 10 The
Indian appropriation hi: providing for
/. the free entry OF cedsd Indian lands was
today non-concurred in by vote Of 20
TO 1876. The friends OF the free home
clause made gallant struggle. but they
met the opposition of some of the pyom-
/ inent leaders on the Republican side.
Dingiey, GFosvenor, Dalze,l and Payne.
and they were further weakened by tas
fact that many Of the friends of the prop
osition Were alienated by the belief .hai,
as drawn. the amendment would work in
jury to the agricultural colleges of me
country.
The senate amendment for the ratifica-
ton of the Seminole treaty was also nom
coneurred in after the substitute PROPOSE
ton offered by the conferees 10 ratify the
Kiowa. Comanche and Apache treaty had
fallen under point of order.
The action of the house today sends the
bill back TO conference with non-con-
curreuce on all the senate amendments.
a resolution was adopted directing the
secretary of war to loan To the citizens
committee of Cincinnati tents for use In
the thrty-second grand encampment or
the Grand Army of the Republic
| The house then went into committee OF
the whole and resumed consideration Of
senate amendments 10 the Indian bill. The
| pending question was the motion OF Eddy
OF Minnesota 10 concur in the free home
! clause placed in the bill by the senate.
Handy of Delaware advocated an amend
ment to the free home Clause, so as 20
| amend the act of 1852. relating TO the en-
dowmert of agricultural colleges. by strik
! ing ont the words ARISING out of the sales
| OF public lands" If this amendmef0 was
| not made he declared that the sixty-fonr
tgzsxf
| received money from the sale OF public
| lands would suffer.
Lacey of Iowa gave notice that he would
| move to concur with an amendment to
| exclude from the operation Of the free
| home clause the trust lands. aggregating
| about 100000 acres. situated principally
| in the Sioux and Chippewa reservations
Norris of Minnesota challenged the In
terposition OF Lacey, referring TO the fact
| that a bill embracing all the reservations
in this amendment had twice passed the
senate. I'm the last congress" said he.
. 'the Bill came back here and died on the
speakers table. because the chairman of
| the public lands committee lacey then
| drew this illogical distinction regarding
| trust lands, and because, perhaps. the
speaker of the house opposed the bill"
The debate was very spirited on both
sides
johnson of North Dakota created some
| thing of a sensation by charging that Sec
| rotary Bliss in his opposition 20 the free
home clause not only procured his argu-
msnt. but actually plagiarized the Ian
| guage of the message of James Buchanan
| vetoing the homestead bill before the war.
| He followed the statement with an ct
| tack on the secretary, asserting that his
interests, sympathies and horizon were
bounded by the Allegheny mountains. and
that matter of fact he had never been
west OF Buffalo.
Bailey the Democra tic leader. announced
that he would vote for the senate amend
ment, because he stood committed to II
by the Chicago platform. AS an original
proposition. he admitted ne was against
giving free homes to the people. He rated
nothing more important than that the
people should have homes but that they
should have them by their industry and
frugality But every man who accepted
a nomination on a platform. he believed.
bound himself TO redeem every promise.
the smallest as well as the greatest. ana
so he should vote today to redeem a pledge
in the Chicago platform.
Grosvenor Of Ohio announced his oppo-
sition to the amendment He explained The
lengthy history OF the proposed legisla-
ton. and the plank in the ST. Louis plat
form showed that his present position was
not inconsistent with that declaration.
He thought that a free home bin sho"li
nave strength enough 10 come INTO the
house or senate and fall or stand on its
merits.
Dalzeil Of Pennsylvania also opposed the
amendment. He denied the right Of con-
gress 10 tax the farmers OF Pennsylvania
to give free farms to the farmers of
Oklahoma. North or South Dakota or
Minnesota.
Grow of Pennsylvania whose name Is
associated with the original homestead
law warmly supported the amendment.
Dingley OF Maine closed the debate with
n brief speech In opposition TO the amend
ment He called attention 20 the fact that
all treaties ceding Indian lands by the
United States had been ratified by cor
greSs. with the understanding that the
purchase money paid by settlers should he
used 10 reimburse the United States
Never had n proposition been made 20
purchase Indian lands for the purpose OF
donating them as free homes. He main
tanned il was an act of bad faith on the
part OF those who had induced congress TO
buy these lands
Handy's motion 20 concur with an
amendment changing the law reia-
tive to payments 70 agricultural colleges
FOR 1.-THE sale Of public lands was ruled
out on a poln, OF order.
Lacey of Iowa then offered his motion
to concur. with an amendment excluding
the trust reservations. II was voted down,
~ 10 is2
Two other amendments designed 10 pro-
tect the payments to agFi cultural colleges
were ruled out on points Of order.
The vote was then taken on the main
proposition. and the house non-concurred
on the amendments 81 10 13s
The conference substitute for the senate
amendment TO rafify the Seminole treaty
which also ratified the Kiowa comanehe
and Apache treaty. went over on a point
az order. and the senate amendment was
non-coucurrsd in
The bill was then ~nt 70 conference,
and at 81 y IN. the house adjourned