The Minneapolis journal., 1901-03-04

the most speedy determination of vexed
question that has dragged through forty
years. In 1899 the state of Minnesota brought
suit in the supreme court OF the United
States against the secretary OF the interior
and the commissioner of the general land
office to determine ttle ownership OF these
disputed lands. and the assistant attorney
general for the interior department filed an
answer therein, among other defenses al
leging-
First-That the Chippewa Indians In the
state OF Minnesota have such an interest In
the matter here In controversy and will be
so directly and prejudicially affected by the
granting OF any portion OF the relief sought
by the complainant. that they are indis-
pensable parties to this suit, in the absence
Of whom the court cannot proceed.
Second-That this suit is not within the
original jurisdiction OF this court, for the
reason that the subject matter thereof is a
controversy between the state of Minnesota
and the Chippewa Indians In Minnesota,
many of whom are citizens of that state.
This bill was drafted by the attorneys rep
resenting the various parties to meet any
questions concerning lack of jurisdiction and
compel an adjudication as to the ownership
OF these lands 1t is agreed between the
counsel that this bill, if passed, will dis
pose OF the technical difficulty set forth in
the answer
Congress is about to pass the bill paying
st. Johns lodge of Masons of Newbern,
N. c., $4,000. This lodge was chartered
by the English grand lodge in 1872, and
has been in existence ever since. Dur
Ing the civil war it owned fine large
three-story brick building in Newbern, on
the first floor of which was theater, on
the second a reception hall and on the
third the lodgeroom proper. All floors
were extensively furnished. In 1852 the
federal troops came along and took the
building for hospital purposes, using it un-
til the close of the war. The claim for
damages and rent has been pending in con-
gress for good many years, but the bill
has never yet been able to get through
both houses in the same session. FIRE.
Quently, however, it has passed one house
This congress the bill went through the
house, and now it is up in the senate on
favorable report from the committee on
claims.
The tabulated record Of enlistments in
the regular army for January, 1901, shows
that the number of applicants accepted and
enrolled was 2,4S0. The December record
was 1927, and the officers here in charge
OF the general recruiting service say that
February's. record will present a very
large advance upon January's, as it will
show the effect of the new army law.
The reflections tell a rather serious story
OF the difficulty of finding thoroughly
sound men. In December they amounted
to 5s427, and in January to 1901.
Representative Laceys bill for the
protection of game has been in operation
about a year, and the reports received by
him indicate that it has been very effective
in the preservation of bird and animal life.
He says:
I have not had any official reports on the
operation of the law, but I have had many
letters from men who worked with me to
have the law enacted. In the northwest the
indiscriminate killing of deer and other game
has been checked Quail shooting in the
closed season has been checked and other
game birds have been protected, and now
have an opportunity to multiply and pre-
serve their species, something which was
very doubtful under the old condition.
The most pronounced effect of the law,
however, has been to prevent the wanton
slaughter of sea birds along the coast for
their plumage. In one case the authorities
refused to allow the landing Of a consign-
ment of 10000 bird carcasses whose wings
were to be used as hat trimmings. This was
when the law was first enforced. Since that
time the attempts to bring these birds into
the United States have practically ceased,
and many OF the men engaged in their kill
ing have gone out of business. These birds
are the natural scavengers of the harbors
along our coasts and can now perform their
natural functions without molestation from
the hunters
Taking it altogether, the law has been
rigidly enforced and it has accomplished the
object which was sought by its projectors
the protection of wild animals and birds.