The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-04
Free Homes Bill is Passed by
the House.
TO PAY INDIAN TRIBES
DEFICIENCIES OF AGRICULTURE
AL COLLEGES PROVIDED FOR.
Measure That Has Been Before Con-
gress For a Number of Years at
Last Goes Through the Lower
House-Feature of the Day Was
Mr.. Crows Speech.



washington. May 3.-The free home
stead bin passed the house this after
noon. Representative Wilson made an
earnest speech for the bill. This meas
ure viii release the hOmesteads on the
coded Nez Perces and Occur d'Alene
Indian reservations on the payment OF
$3.50 per acre in the former case and
1915 in the latter. 1t will save the
homestead settlers already on these
lands more than S1.000,000, and when
all the lands are entered more than
50, 00O, 600
The bill extends to the settlers on
these lands the same privileges which
homestead settlers have always en-
joyed in the states of the Mississippi
valley. More than 1000 hOmesteaders
from Idaho petitioned for this legis-
latiOn.
Washington, Nav 3.-The house to-
day. without division, passed the free
homes" bill which has been pending
before congress for a number of years.
The bill provides that the government
shall issue patents to actual bona fide
settlers Oh agricultural lands of Indian
reservations opened to settlement.
These lands were taken up by settlers,
who contracted TO pay for them $l25
to 1913 per acre.
BY the terms of the bill the govern
ment assumes the payment of the pur-
chase price to the Indians, and changes
the existing law relative TO agriCul-
tural colleges so as to insure the pay
ment of the endOWmentS which hereto
fore have come out of the sale of pub
lie lands in case Of deficiency. These
payments involve $1,000, 900 annually.
Of the 000 acres in Indian res
ervati0ns opened to settlement for
which the government is to pay, or has
paid $35. 600 OO0 about 5000, 000 acres
/ nave been taken, and about 1000, 900 are
| supposed to be still available for agr1-
| cultural PURPOSES
! A remarkable thing in connection
with the passage of the bill today was
| a speech in its favor by Galusha A
/ Grow of Pennsylvania, the venerable
| ex-speaker of the house, who, forty
| eight years ago, fathered and passed
| the original homestead bill. He was
/ then the youngest, and is now the old
! est member Of the house.
! The remainder of the day was devot-
ed to the sundry civil appropriation bill.
the last but one of the great supply
| bills.
Mr. Eddy CMinn), in charge of the
free homes bill, made the opening argu-
ment in favor of the bin. Mr.. Eddy
said all party platforms had declared
in favor of this.
Will Pay For Their Homes.
Mr.. Flynn (Okla.), in advocating the
/ bill, said it was a mistake to suppose
that it gave the settlers their homes
I free. They would have to reside upon
their lands and cultivate them for nVe
years before securing title.
Mr. Maddox (Ga-) opposed the DILL
He said it would cost the government
49,, S59, 1854.
/ In reply to a question, Mr.. Eddy said
that the prOvisO relative to the agrlcul-
turaI colleges would be TO their advant-
age.
Mr.. Grow Pa.), the venerable ex-
speaker of the house and author of the
homestead bill. supported the measure.
The scene before him he said, reminded
him Of the occasion in the old hall of
representatives forty-eight years ago
when he made his speech on Man -
Right to the Soil" Mr.. Grow was given
an ovation.
By unanimous consent it was ordered
that his original homestead speech be
printed in the record
4 was the youngest member Of the
house." said he, I am now the old
Mr.. Wilson Gda.) vigorously advo-
Gated the bill.
Favor the Bill.
Mestsrs ShafrOth Of Colorado, Mey-
ers Of Indiana, Lacey of Iowa, Bell OF
Colorado, Jones of Washington, Burke
of South Dakota, Sn0dgrass Of Ten
nessee, Underwood Of Alabama, Bart
lett of Georgia and Gamble of South
Dakota also spoke in favor Of the bill
The committee amendments to the
bill were agreed to.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Can
non was adopted to admit the opera
ton of the act to agricultural lands
(which have been recently opened tC
settlement" The bill was then pasSeC
amid enthusiasm in the galleries.
? The house then took up the sundry
, civil appropriation bill. Mr.. Cannon
said he was very anxious to finish the
, bill this week for personal reasons and
: suggested that general debate be lin
tied TO ten minutes.
Mr.. De Almond MOI thought tha
ten minutes debate on a great apprO
priation was farcical. After a warn
discussion between Mr. De Almond anI
e Mr.. Livingston (Ga-), debate was lin
1 tied to thirty minutes.
Mr.. Kitchen IN. c., consumed prac
4 ticaIly all his time in a discussion o
the North Carolina election law in repl.
d TO some recent remarks of Mr.. Lime
: IN. c.
Z After dfsposing of twenty-five page
= of the bill, the house at p. m. ad