The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-19

4OAAlCO III
Washington, April 1S.-During almost
the entire session Of the senate today
the Alaskan civil code bill was under
consideration. In this connection Mr..
Stewart CNev.) delivered an address of
nearly three hours upon the mining
laws Of the United States and their re-
lation to the proposed amendment of
Mr.. Hansbrough as to the rights of the
locators of claims.
Mr.. Nelson (Minn), Mr. Carter
(Mont) and Mr.. Teller (Colo.) dis
cussed the pending amendment at
length, both Mr.. Nelson and Mr.. Teller
being particularly vigorous in their de-
nunciatiOn of il.
Mr.. Hale reported from the commit
tee on naval affairs on the joint reso-
luton drawn originally by Mr.. Mason
Gid, authorizing the secretary of the
navy to have struck bronze medals for
distribution among certain officers and
men of the North Atlantic squadron
eommemorating the naval engagements
between the forces of Spain and the
United States in the waters of the West
indies and the Cuban coast. The
measure, which appropriates $25, 900,
was adopted.
Public Lands in Wyoming.
A bill providing that the state of
Wyoming be permitted to relinquish to
the United States certain lands here
tofors selected and to select other
lands of the public domain, was passed
The senate then resumed cOnsidera-
ton Of the Alaskan civil code bill, Mr.
Stewart addressing the senate on the
pending HanSbrOugh amendment in
opposition to any change in the mining
laws Of the United States He re-
viewed the mining laws of the state to
the extent that they related TO aliens
rights in the Alaskan gold fields He
defended the rights of the Laplanders
Swedes and NOrwegians who had en-
tered mining claims in the Cape Nome
district
Mr.. Nelson followed Mr.. Stewart. also
sustaining the rights Of the so-calIed
aliens who had located the mining
claims in question.
Mr.. Hansbrough interrupted Mr.. Mel
son to read a paragraph from a dOcu-
ment drawn by the Law and Order
league" of the Cape Nome district.
which declared that the people who Mr.
Nelson said had located the claims
were not really the locators of the
claims.
Denounces Law and Order League.
In reply, Mr.. Nelson said that the
time had come to call things by their
correct names. He denounced the
Law and Order league" as an organ
ization formed to jump claims located
by honest prOspectors.
Continuing, Mr.. Nelson said the
claimhOlders in the Cape Nome district
were all either declared citizens of the
United States or people who honestly
had intended to become citizens of the
United States. He declared there was
no reason in equity. justice or common
sense why any discrimination should
be made against the Swedes, Norweg-
ians and Laplanders
The Law and Order league" said
he, has attempted to drive these peo-
PIE from the Cape Nome district. and
has been prevented from doing so only
by the United States military forces.
As result. the league has asked the
removal of the commander of the Unit
ed States troops in that district The
proposition, reduced to its ultimate
analysis, is simply one to fortify claim
jumpers as they have never before
been fortified
Mr.. Tillman (S. c. agreed with Mr..
Nelson that in what he had said of the
rights Of the Swedes, Norwegians Ian
landers and Firms was true and speak
ing Of the H2nsbfough amendment.
said that '%.enators ought to take il by
the nape-of the neck and kick it out
Of the senate"
appeal For American Miner.
Mr.. Cartor -CMont.) made an earnest
and fOrceful appeal to the senate trat
l1a A sr.,,
or properly naturalized--shOuld have
the first claims upon the mining land
OF the United States. He said. in the
course Of his remarks. that he had no
desire to change the mining laws. but
intimated that Mr.. Teller of Colorado
and others were trying TO change
them.
In a heated reply Mr.. Teller declared
that Mr.. Carter under a pretended
zeal for the American MINER had at
tempted TO shift upon him the respon-
sibility Of desire to change the min
ing laws of the United States"
I resent the statement" interiected
Mr.. Carter. and was about to explain
further, when Mr.. Teller declined to
yield.
The Colorado senator said nobody
had proposed any change of the mining
laws EXCEPT Mr.. HansbrOugh and Mr.
Carter. who, by then proposed explain
alton, were protecting the scallawags
and scoundrels and blackmailers who
were making a business of jumping
claims.
These people" declared Mr.. Teller
with emphasis, "are blackmailers OF
thieves, and since mining was begun
in this country they have been the
curse OF every mining camp They are
among the worst scoundrels that ever
went unhung."
Without further debate the Alaskan
bill was laid aside. The senate at 5:1E
p. m. went into executive session, and
at 5:25 p. m. adjourned.