The record-union., 1898-02-12


the Purchase Price Paid to the
Indians.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 11.-Consider-
aton OF the Indian appropriation bill
WAS resumed by the Senate to-day. and
after being amended to some extent
the measure was passed The most
important amendment To the bill was
that offered by Pettigrew or South Da-
kota, which, if finally enacted. will re-
store the free homestead law so far as
it relates 10 Indian lands ceded 10 tha
| United States. for which lands the set
tiers have been obliged to pay the pur-
chase price paid TO the Indians. The
bill carries appropriations aggregating
nearly SS.QO0.000.
After the Senate met to-day a bill
providing for American register of the
steamer LeelanaW Of San Francisco
was passed.
Allen of Nebraska introduced reso-
luton directing the Committee on For
eign Relations 10 inquire whether the
yacht Buccaneer. owned by William X.
Hearst, had been seized and was being
| held by the Spanish Government, and
! it was agreed to.
The Indian appropriation bill was
taken up.
Allen withdrew his appeal from the
decision OF the ce-President. which
was pending when the Senate adjourn
ed last evening.
Pettigrew of South Dakota offered an
amendment providing for restoration of
free homestead laws. He explained
that the amendment. If adopted, would
allow settlers TO secure title to their
lands after a period Of five years by
the payment of the Land Office fees.
1t restored the homestead law OF 1862
Carter of Montana supported the
amendment. He maintained that un-
der the free homestead law settlers had
become prosperous. Under it the
great State Of Illinois had been re-
deemed and made one of the most fer
tile and prosperous spots on the face
of the earth AS soon as the Govern
ment auctioneer was excluded from the
laid Il oloorned as the rose, and settlers
attained prosperity. AS ii was in Ill
inois, so also il had been in Indiana,
Iowa. Minnesota and other great
States
Carter referred TO the difficulty SET
tiers in Oklahoma had had in making
ernment.
Allison said he would have TO make
the point of order against the amend
ment
Pettigrew then Withdrew the amend
ment, and offered another, eliminating
the military reservations which have
been opened to settlement.
The amendment as amended Allison
20 of Hts
thought, however. that the amendment
would do no injustice to the people. be-
cause the lands that have been opened
to settlement have cost the Government
large sum of money. Some of the
land is worth $40 an acre, and yet AL
| lison held that the proposed amend
ment made no distinction between the
more valuable and less valuable. Should
the amendment be enacted into law in
a few instances men who have taken up
valuable lands would not have to pay
for them.
Pascoe gave notice that ne would
hereafter. in the event of the enact
ment of the amendment press the
claims of the settlers on abandoned
military reservations.
The amendment was then adopted
without division. 1t is as follows:
That all settlers under the home
stead laws of the United States upon
the public lands acquired prior to the
passage of this Act, by treaty or agree
ment, from the various Indian tribes
who have or who shall hereafter re-
side upon the tract entered in good
faith for the period required by exist
ing law. shall be entitled to a patent
for the lands so entered, upon the pay
ment to the local land officers of the
usual and customary fees, and no other
or further charge of any kind whatso-
ever shall be required from such set
tier to entitle him to a patent for the
land covered by his entry: provided,
that the right to commute such entry
and pay for said lands in the option of
any such letter, and in the time and at
the prices now fixed by existing laws,
shall remain in full force and effect:
provided, however, that all sums Of
money so released, which if not released
would belong TO any Indian tribe, shall
be paid to such Indian tribe by the
United States.
Allen of Nebraska introduced his
amendment providing for a restoration
of annuities of the Santee Indians, and
discussed it in extent
The amendments to the bill were
agreed TO, and as amended, the bill was
passed.
Bills for the establishment, control,
operation and maintenance of the
northern branch of the National Home
for Disabled Volunteers at Hos
Springs. South Dakota; for the relief
OF the sufferers by the wreck of the
United States revenue cutter Gallatin
off the coast of Massachusetts, in lS92:
granting to the State of Kansas the
abandoned Hayes Military reservation
for the purpose of establishing Western
branches of the Kansas Agricultural
College and of the Kansas State Nor
NAL School thereon and for public
park. and to provide for the revision
and adjustment of the sales of the Otoe
and Missouri reservation lands in Kan
sas and Nebraska and confirm the I'll
Ties under the sales. were passed
On motion of Cockrell CD) of Missou-
ri. the Senate, at $40, went into exec
utiye session.