The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-13
ASKING FOR STATEHOOD
OKLAHOMA, ARIZONA AND NEW
MEXICO SEEK ADMISSION.
Senate Amendment to Open the Land
of the Uintah Indian Reserva-
ton Bitterly Opposed.

Washington, May 8.-The house to-
day began consideration of the bill to
enable the people of Oklahoma, Ari-
IONA and New Mexico to form consti-
tutions and state governments and be
admitted into the union on an equal
footing with the original states. Rep
resentative Knox of Massachusetts,
chairman of the committee on terri
tories, and Mr.. Rodey, delegate from
New Mexico, made extended speeches
in support of the bill. Mr.. McRae Of
~Arksansas, while favoring the admis-
sion of the three territories, gave no
tice of an amendment to consolidate
Oklahoma and Indian Territory and
admit them as a single state. The
house adopted the conference report
on the agricultural bill. A fight was
made on the senate amendment to
open the Uintah reservation in Utah.
Some routine business was trans
acted at the opening Of the session.
The amendment to the bill to author
ize the municipalities in the Indian
Territory with 1000 inhabitants or
more to issue bonds was agreed to.
A bill was passed to change the terms
of the district court within the First
judicial district.
Mr.. Sherman of New York called
up the conference report on the In
dian appropriation bill. Mr.. Little of
Arkansas, one of the conferees, did
not sign the report, owing to his op-
position to certain of it's features, and
it was arranged that there should be
an hours debate upon a side. Mr..
Little was especially antagonistic to
the senate amendment to open up the
Uintah Indian reservation of 1000, 900
acres IN Utah. He said the senate
r"ovision confirmed the leases of GER
tan mining companies, and in one
cas- gave the Raven company the
privilege of locating 100 mining
claim before the reservation was
openef to settlement. That provi-
sion, he said, would give this favored
COMPANY opportunity to prospect the
whole reservation before it were open.
ed.
Many of the most profitable leases
in the reservation had been consolidat-
ed, said Mr.. Little. into the Florence
Mining company, which contained in
it's original directory Henry G. Payne,
now postmaster general. and Ben
jamin Odell, now governor Of New
York. They had, he said. since re-
signed. MI. Little declared that the
whole proposition was a venial one.
Mr.. Sutherland of Utah supported
the provision in the bill and defended
the mining companies, whose rights
he insisted should be recognized.
Mr. McRae of Arkansas declared
the conferees proposed to legalize
leases obtained by conspiracy. This
legislation, he said, would bring
SHANE and disgrace" upon congress.
Mr.. Stephens of Texas protested Wig
orously against the adoption of the
report.
Mr.. Sherman, in charge of the con-
ference report, defended it and urged
the house not to vote down a report
covering 1876 items on account of OBJ
lection to a single one. The provision
complained of, he said, involved only
2,64O acres out of 1900, 900 acres. The
conference report was adopted, 81
to IS.
The senate amendments to the sun
dry civil appropriation bill were nom
concurred in and the bill was sent to
conference, Messrs. Cannon, Hemen-
way and McRae were appointed con-
ferees. At $40 p. m. the house ad-
journed.
q. A-L