Gilpin observer., 1901-12-26
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND I
---.. CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

This alleged claim, IT is understood,
| will not embarrass pending legislation
for the construction of the canal, as It's
settlement is u questionwith which the
\ Nic0raguan government and the capi-
1 tai claiming the, concession will have
| Representative Stephens of Texas
has introduced thesfrst bill Of the ses-
sion referring to the leasing of the
(, public grazing lands in the arid states
and territories. This bill proposes to
put the entire matter in the hands of
the secretary OF the interior and pro-
vides that any bona fide actual settler
who may reside on any part of the
land, the lease Of which is authorized
by this act, shall have the prior right
for, a period of ninety days after the
law Is passed, to lease such quantity
OF land as may be limited by the act to
include his improvements upon COM
plying with the provisions of the pro-
posed law.
Minister Conger has reported to the
state department the correspondence
between himself and the Chinese gov
ernment regarding the precautions to
be taken by foreigners travelling in
the inland districts of China to en-
sure personal safety In accordance
with treaty provisions, travellers In the
interior and away from the vicinity
of treaty ports, should always be pro-
vided with passports. 1t Is further
desired that travellers give the local
authorities notice in advance Of their
intention to go further, in order that
authorities of the province toward
which they are travelling may be no.
titled and n suitable guard be dis
patched with them to protect them
from harm.
Senator Warren is limited as n leadet
in antagonizing the proposition to alter
the method of introducing bills in the
Senate. Others named as opposed to II
are Allison, Hale, Gallinger and Proc.
tor. They claim that the proposed
amendment will simply open the flood
gates and swamp the committees and
the Senate itself in Il deluge of bills.
The amendment spoken of will be Of
fered by Senator Lodge. 1t will pro
vide that all petitions, memorials, bills
and resolutions may be introduced by
merely preparing the documents and
endorsing lhcm with the name OF the
maker and the title of the COMMITTEES
to which they are to be referred. The
present method provides that the Sen
ators themselves must personally in.
troduce all bills and resolutions, must
be recognized by the presiding officer,
and must have the bills read by title,
and the measures must be referred to
proper committees by the presiding
officer himself. The proposed amend.
ment will do away with the old order
of things, and is very Objectionable to
many of the more influential senator's.
Secretary Hay, in n letter to DIR. s.
l.. Baldwin. chairman of the native
races deputatiOn, which on December
9Th presented a great petition for q
treaty to protect native races against
intoxicants and opium, says: "YouI
suggestion that call the attention OF
the nations concerned in the resolu.
tions of the Senate adopted January
4, 1901, as likely to Indicate the con.
current opinion Of the two branches
of the treatymaking power. the Sen
ate and the executive, has my cordial
acquiescence. In view of the circum-
stances that the. former representa-.
tiOns to the other powers were made
by the British government as well as
by our own, / shall initiate renewed
Overtures in the proposed sense by
communicating the senate resolution
to the British government with the
suggestion that 1t be made the basis
OF concurrently reopening the queS
tion with the powers having influence
or commerce within the western Pa.
cific, or in any other uncivilized quar-.
ter where the salutary principle of
liquor restriction could. be practically
applied through the general applica.
ton of similar laws by the several
countries .or through n conventional
agreement between them"
The Chinese exclusion bill intro
duced by Congressman Kahn of Cali.
fornia is now in the hands of the
House committee, an1S with such
slight changes as may be made, will
be introduced as Il committee meas.
) ure and as coming from the Bureau
Of Immigration. The first section of
this bill is Il Chinese exclusion act In
itself ,and establishes ip unmistakable
language, the limits Of Chinese inter.
course with the United States. The
other forty-eight sections Of the bill
are nothing more or less than the
rules and regulations heretofore en-.
forced merely by the arbitrary power
of the treasury department, with such
additions as are deemed necessary,
but which have been impossible Of ex.
eiCise oWiHS " ieSul TestTlctlOus. lud
entire measure Is drastic In the ex.
treme. Under the present treaty with
China, which expires in 1904, there
are certain favored classes which
must be admitted to the United
States. These ares Chinese govern.
ment officials, travellers for pleasure,
or Information, students, teachers and
merchants, and those who have left
. this country and are authorized to re-
turn. Each one Of these particular
classes, however, under the proposed
bill. is rigidly defined and every pos
sible measure taken to guard against
imposition upon American officials
, stationed mt ports of entry Some iden