Gilpin observer., 1903-02-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND 3
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

The House public lands committee
favorably reported Representative
Mondel's bill authorizing the city of
Buffalo, Wyoming, to purchase tract
OF ffty-fve acres for cemetery purposes
at $1.25 an acre. .ru,
The Grant memorial commission. ap-
pointed under the act of Congress of
| 1901 to select plans for monument to
General Grant. met on the 4th inst.
and decided to select the model sub
mitted by Henry Merwin Shready of
New York "r
Representative Small of North Car
Olina has introduced concurrent res
olution providing for the appointment
by the speaker of a committee of
eleven members of the House to inquire
generally into coal conditions in the
United States. The resolution further
directs the committee to inquire
whether any combinations exist be-
tween mine owners and operators and
the transportation companies in viola
ton Of the laws of the United States"
A report is to be made to the next Con-
gress. .n- ~ sl+-
In discussing the statehood bill in
the Senate Mr.. Teller contended that
the few Mormons in Arizona would not
be capable of controlling elections
there. So small consideration should
not, he contended, stand in the way
of promise made in the treaty of
Guadalupe, Hidalgo, to admit as
states the territory acquired from Mex
leo. Mr.. Spooner said that so long as
the bill had been pending Mr.. Teller
was the first to break silence on the
Democratic side of the chamber. Re
plying, Mr.. Teller said the reason why
the Democrats had not spoken was
found in the fact that they did not
want to assist. in the delay which he
believed had been preconcerted, prear-
ranged and studiously followed, by
what he believed to be the minority in
the Senate. ts..-.s
The Senate committee on commerce
has been considering the nomination of
DR.. w. d. Crum. a colored man, to be
collector of the port at Charleston,
South Carolina. Senator Tillman,
Mayor Smithe of Charleston and Col
mel Hemphill appeared in opposition to
confirmation. They preferred charges
| to the effect that Crum had sold out as
a delegate to the Minneapolis Repub-
| lican convention, and in support of this
| charge read an affidavit in which it
was declared that he had been sent to
the convention as Harrison delegate
but had shifted to the support of Blaine
on promise of the appointment of
| postmaster. 1t was made quite plain,
however, that the principal opposition
was because of Crums color and Sena-
| tor Tillman admitted as much. He told
| the committee that the people of the
South did not want their offices filled
by negroes. And" he said, Z" SO long
as they are SO filled there will be trou-
BILE; oil and water will not unite" Ex-
Gov. p. B. S. Pinchback OF louisiana
and Whitfield McKinlay, formerly of
South Carolina, both colored, appeared
| for Dr. Crum. They declared that the
charge of selling out at Minneapolis
| was unfounded. and eulogized DR..
Crum as man of education and char
| acter
On February 2nd, which was "sus.
pension day in the House, the speaker
| recognized Mr.. Bates of Pennsylvania,
who moved the passage, under suspen-
sion of the rules, of bill to provide
| for the better separation and utiliza-
tion of public and private lands within
| the limits of railroad land grants in
the arid region. Mr.. Bates explained
| that the bill was recommended by the
ltpdT L. IL the
| secretary of the interior, he said, to
exchange arid and semi-arid lands
within the limits of railroad and wagon
] grants for public lands Of equal value
in order to assemble public and private
lands in more compact bodies, so as to
permit them to be advantageously used.
| MP. Jones of Washington protested
vigorously against the consideration of
| such an important measure under sus-
| pension of the rules. He declared that
the amount of land involved was from
10000, 900 to 10000, 900 acres No man
| could tell exactly how much land was
| involved. This was a proposition. he
said. to pass within twenty debates on
side, bill affecting one-fifth of the
| public domain of the United States.
People who had purchased lands from
| the railroads now desired the govern
ment, at its expense. to segregate them
from the railroad lands In order that
they could be used to advantage. II
they received the privilege OF exchange
they would select the best land avail
able. Messrs. Kleborg of Texas and
Shafroth of Colorado also opposed the
measure. The bill was defeated by a
| viva voce vote.
| Article l of the new treaty with
Great Britain providing for tribunal
to settle the Alaska boundary line dis
pute stipulates that the boundary line
tribunal shall be Immediately appoint
ed and shall consist of six impartial
f, jurists. three to be named by the Pres
ident Of the United States and three by
his Britannia majesty. All questions
must receive majority vote of the
tribunal. Provision is made for the ap-
| % <xtr, Il. f.s.
cies and for officers of the tribunal. in
cluding scientific experts and agents.
Article 3 provides that the tribunal
shall consider in the settlement of the
| questions submitted to its decision the
| treaty between Great Britain and Rus