The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-04
FREE HOME BILL PASSED
EX-sPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE AMONG ADVOCATES OF
THE MEASURE
cHAMPIoNED ORIGINAL BILL
Remainder of the Session Of the
House Devoted to COnsidera-
ton of the sundry Appro-
priatiOn Bill.

WASHINGTON. May 3.-The house to-
gay without division, passed the free
nome bill, which has been pending before
congress for number of years The bill
provides that the government shall issue
patents to actual, bona f1de settlers on
agricultural lands on Indian reservations
opened to settlement. These lands were
taken UP by settlers who contracted to
pay for them 81 % to 1915 per acre BY
the terms Of the bill the government as
sumes the payment OF the purchase price
TO the Indians, and changes the existing
law relative to agricultural colleges so
| as to insure the payment of the endow-
ments which heretofore have come out
OF the sale Of public lands in ease of de-
tlclency. These payments involve 81 LOO
| GOO annually
! or the 29,COO0C0 acres in Indian reserva-
lions opened to settlement fer which the
! government is to pay or has paid S35 600.
900, about S000.0e0 acres have been taken
ana about 100000 are supposed to be still
available for agricultural purposes.
remarkable thing in connection with
the passage of the bill today was
speech In its favor by Galusha A. Grow,
or pennsylvania, the venerable ex-speaker
or the house, who forty eight years ago
fathered and passed the original home
stead bill. He was then the youngest and
! 4s now the Oldest member of the house
to the sundry civil appropriation BILL the
last but one of the great supply bills
PUBLISHERS PROTEST.
Representative of the American Pub
fishers association presented a memorial
to the senate financial committee finally
asking that some relief should be afford
ed on account Of the high price Of paper.
| The delegation said the associa ton repre-
| scented 22,000 papers. No particular legis-
| lat1on was advocated The delegation
was received by Senator Allison, acting
! chairman, in the absence of Senator Aid
| rich The petition recited that the price
| OF printing paper used by newspapers has
! increased from 60 to 100 per cent, without
reason or warrant 70 be found In the
conditions of the industry, which was be.
| l1eVed to be the working of a trust The
association appealed to congress to In
! quire into the conditions complained Of
! TO the end that suitable legislation might
be provided to remedy these conditions
! AS newspapers are sold at fixed price
| the resolution says publishers cannot put
| the increased cost Of the paper on the
| consumer, and in many instances this in
! creased cost means the confscatlon of
profits and in others it creates actual
| loss a copy Of the resolution also was
presented by the delegation to the house
ways and means COMMITTEES.
POSTOFF1CE BILL
The senate committee on postoffces and
| post roads today completed the post.
| office appropriation bill and Chairman
| Wolcott VIII report it tomorrow. The net
increase in the bill is about 81 900. 900
which Includes the restoration Of the pro-
vision for the pneumatic tube service
| first reported by the house committee. 1t
| provides $225,000 for continuing the pres,
| ent contracts and adds S500,0OO for ex,
/ al al
| addition to those cities where it has not
been in use. Following amendments were
! made to the provision relating to letter
carriers
/ Providing that letter carriers may be
1 required to work as nearly az practicable
/ only eight hours on each working day
| but not in any event exceeding forty
eight hours during the six working days
| OF each week; and such number of hours
on Sunday, not exceeding eight as may
| be required by the needs of the service
and If a legal holiday shall occur on any
working day the service performed on
| said day, if less than eight hours, shah
be counted as eight hours without regard
to the time actually employed"
DECLINES THE HONOR.
The attorney general has received a let,
ter from Mr.. Frank Bergen, Of New Jer-
| Sey, declining an appointment as chief
justice of Puerto Rico It is leaned that
| no other name has bean considered fer
| this place and that Mr. Bcrgens GccIina-
| ton Is much regretted by the administra-
| ton. A number of nominations for i'm
portant places In Hawaii VIII be made
! soon. possibly before the close of the
| present week. President Dole has been
| definitely decided upon as the new gov
ernor. and Morris VI. EsIee Of California,
| as judge Of the United States district
| court for the district embracing all OF
| the Hawaiian Islands. A Mr.. Rey. OK
illinois, has been selected for marshal of
| the islands. Several other names are
/ under favorable consideration for other
! offices.
TREASURY UNDISTURBED.
| The reported engagement of gold at
| New York for exports is not disturbing
| the treasury officials. Secretary Gage
| said that gold exports al this season OF
| the year was quite natural. He had no
! idea of the amount that might be shipped
! but was confident the total would not
| reach the sum the treasury could spare
without the least difficulty. At present
| the free gold in the treasury vaults
| amounts to about So, 100000 This could
all be taken before the $3.50, 009 900 re-
serve fund would be disturbed The sec
| rotary did not think the exports would
! reach that amount or even approximate
| it. The shipment of gold at this time was
! easily accounted for. Money was being
! loaned in New York as low as per cent,
! while i'll London it was worth per cent.
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL.
The largest item of the sundry civil
| appropriation bill is for Improvement Of
rivers and harbors under contract author
! izations contained in the river and har-
bors acts in 1892, 1856 and 1899. 1t is $12,-
| 200605, being an increase of s., $50, 408. The
| next largest item is $9,G00,000 for the
| twelfth census, making. with past appro-
priations, 10000 600, Following are some
/ of the items carried in the bill, beside the
regular annual appropriations: Among
the public building items, Butte p0stoffice,
! $50 GEO. among the river and harbOr items
Duluth. MINI, and Superior. Wis, harbor,
S793, 600: Mississippi river, between St. Paul
| and Minneapolis, s1S5,0O0; Mississippi
river, improving passes, $500 900; Milwau-
kee bay harbor of refuge s105,650
WAR DEPARTMENT ORDERS.
! The war department today issued or
ders granting Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt,
commanding the department Of the East
! leave OF absence from the 10th instant
with permission to leave the United
States. Maj. Gen. Brooke was ordered to
! succeed him. On June &c. Gen. Merritt
Will retire on account of age, and Gen.
/ &c. S. Otis, now commanding in the Philip
pines, viii be promoted to major general,
| but will not be assigned to duty until the