The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-08
and a civil government for Porto Rico, and
for other purposes"

and civil government for Porto Rico and
| for other purposes"
| An antitrust amendment was engra.ted
| upon the resolution, but this was mate
| rally modified, and made to apply only to
railroad, street railway, telegraph, and
! telephone franchises in the island.
| On the opening day of the session Mi.
| Tayler of Ohio, while the call Of States was
proceeding, arose when Utah was reached
and said:
"Mr. Speaker, object to the swearing IN
of the Representat!ye-esst.. ..1om Utah add
to bis taking sbeat in this body. / do so,
Mr.. Speaker, on my responsibility as
member of this House, and because spe-
cic, serious, and apparently well-ground-
ed charges OF ineligihility are made
! against him. A transcript of the proceed
ings of court in Utah evidences the fact
that the claimant was in 1889 convicted
or that he pleaded guilty, of the crime of
| unlawful cohabitation. Afidavtts and 9TH
er papers in my possession indicate that
ever since then he has been persistently
guilty of the same crime, and that ever
since then he has been and is now poly
gamist If this transcript and these am
davits and papers tell the truth, the mem
ber-elect from Utah is. in my Judgment,
ineligible to be member Of this House
of Representatives both because of the
| statutory disqualification created by the
Edmunds law and for higher and graver
and quite as sound reasons. / ought also
to say, in addition to what have Just
said, that have in my possession Ger
titled copy of the court record under which
the claimant to this seat was supposed TO
| be naturalized, and that eminent counsel
assert that If that be the record In the
case there is grave doubt II the claimant
is a citizen of the United States. oner
and express no opinion upon that PROPOSE
ton. Mr.. Speaker, offer the following
resolution, which / send to the Clerks
desk"
The Clerk read as follows:
Whereas it is charged that Brigham II. Roberts,
4 Representative-elect to the Fiftysixth Con
gross from the State Of Utah, is ineligible to
seat in the House Of Representatives; and
Whereas such charge is made through member
of this House. on his responsibility such MEM
Der and on the basis. as he asserts of public REQ
crds. affidavits, and papers evidencing inehgi-
billy:
Resolved. That the question Of the prima facie
right of Brigham II. Roberts to be sworn in as a
Representative from the State OF Utah in the flf-
tysixth Congress. as well as OF his hnai rght 70
seat therein such Representative be referred TO
special committee OF nine members OF the
! House, to be appointed by the Speaker; and
until such committee shall report upon and the
Brigham H. Roberts shall not be sworn in or be
permitted to occupy q seat in this House; and
said committee shall have power to send Tor per
sons and papers and examine witnesses on oath In
relation to the subject matter OF this resolution
The committee to which the resolution
was referred spent considerably more
| than month in taking testimony, and in
formulating a majority and minority re-
| port, and on Thursday. January Is. the
House, after a spirited debate, adopted by
a vote of 26S to so resolution reported
| by the majority Of the committee that
| Mr. Roberts was not entitled to seat
as member of Congress-. The question
| on which the House was divided was
! constitutional one whether the House had
| the right to exclude a man having
! prima facie right to seat. The conten-
ton of the minority was that Mr..
Roberts should have been sworn in and
| then expelled.
Senator Carter, of Montana, on Deem
Der presented to the Senate a memorial
of certain members Of the Legislature of
Montana, alleging corruption in the cleo
tion of William A. Clark as a Senator from
that State, and demonstrating against his
being seated in the United States SEN
ate. On Thursday, December I, the Senate
adopted the following resolution:
Resolved. That the Committee on Privileges and
thereof. be authorized and directed to investigate
the right and title Of William A. Clark to seat
| as Senator from the State Of Montana; and q
committee is authorized to sit during the sessions
| OF the Senate, to employ stenographer, to send
for persons and papers, and TO administer oaths.
and that the expenses Of the enquiry shall be paid
/! from the contingent fund of the Senate upon
vouchers TO be approved by the chairman o! he
committee.
The committee met on January and
continued the examination of witnesses
until March 8. The committee reported
against Mr.. Clark, and on May Is he in
formed the Senate that he had tele-
graphed his resignation to the Governor
OF Montana. He was appointed by the
Lieutenant Governor, acting as Governor,
to fill the vacancy caused by his own
resignation. Later the Governor appoint
ed Martin Maginnis, and the two sets OF
credentials are pending.
The Hepburn Canal Bill.
The Hepburn bill to provide for The
construction of a canal connecting the
waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
was introduced in the House on December
Z, referred to the Committee on Inter-
State and Foreign Commerce, and report
ed with amendments on February II. I'm
der special order the bill was called up
in the House on Tuesday, May /, and on
yeas PA, nays 35. Eight members an
swered present and So did not vote.
The bill went to the Senate. was referred.
and after some delay was favorably re-
ported, but was not taken up for con-
sideration. The bill provides that when
the President shall have secured full con-
troll over the territory required for the
canal he shall direct the Secretary of War
to excavate and construct a canal. and
waterway from point on the shore OF the
Caribbean Sea, near Greytown. via Lake
Nicaragua, to point near Breto, on the
Pacific Ocean. Such canal shall be of suf-
fcient capacity and depth as that 1t may
be used by vessels of the largest tonnage
and greatest depth now in use. and shall
be supplied with all necessary locks and
other appliances to meet the necessities
Of vessels passing from Greytown to
Breto; and the Secretary OF War shall
also construct such safe and commodious
harbors at the termini OF said canal and
such provision for defence as may be
necessary for the safety and protection Of
said canal and harbors.
The Flynn-Eddy Homestead bill was in
troduced in the House by Mr.. Eddy on De-
cember 5, reported on February 3,
passed on May 3, and was approved BY the
President on May II. The law. which is
OF great interest in the public land States,
provides that all settlers under the
Homestead laws of the United States upon
the public lands, acquired from the pos
session OF this act by treaty or agreement
from the various Indian tribes. who have
or shall hereafter reside upon the tract
entered in good faith for the period re-
CURED by existing law, shall be entitled
to patent for the land so entered upon
the payment to the local land officers OF