The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-03
TO PRESERVE SEALS
OR EXTERMINATE
THEM
On Motion Of Tawney the
House Passes a Bill for
Resumption of Negotia-
tons With Great Britain
Bill Affecting Minnesota
Indian Land Passes.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. q
The house today passed about forty
ollIS under suspension of the rules.
Inc most important was bill to aU-
thor1Ze resumption of the negotiations
with Great Britain for the preserva-
ton of the Alaska fur seals and to give
the secretary of the treasury authority
of a modus vivendi if not concluded
prior to the opening of the Pelagic
sealing season this year, to exterminate
the seal herd on the Pribylov islands,
except 10000 females and 1000 males.
Mr. Mcmillan (New York; resisted
unsuccessfully motion of Mr.. Tawney
(M1nn.) to suspend the rules and pass
this bill. Mr.. TaWney described how
Pelag1c sealing was rapidly Cxtinguish-
ing the seal herds. In a single year,
he said, 10000 seal pups had died ca
the islands from starvation, due to
the killing Of their mothers at sea.
Unless summary measures were adopt
ed the seal herds would be eXtinguish-
ed He said the alternative of ordering
the extinction of the herd in the event
of a failure to negotiate a modus vi
Vend1 was a remote contingency"
Bills were passed to extend the pro-
visions of the revised statutes on the
reservation and sale of town sites
on public lands to the ceded Indian
lands in Minnesota; to authorize the
international Road and Terminal COM
pany to construct a bridge across
Rainy river, Minnesota; to authorize
the secretary of the interior to issue
patent to certain land to the Roche
ford Cemetery association, ROCKFORD.
S. D.; appropriating $1,500000 for a
new department of agriculture build
| ing; to advance Brig. Gen. H. @. Mer-
riam, retired, to the grade of major
general on the retired list.
Mr.. Rates (PpOn 111Ouo6
sage, under suspension of the rules, of
a bill to provide for the better sep
| aration and utilization of public and
private lands within the limits of rail-
road land grants in the arid region
The bill was defeated on a viva voce
vote.
Army Bill in the Senate.
The senate had the army appropria-
| ton bill under consideration 1t was
about to be passed when Mr.. Pettus
(Ala.) requested that it go over until
tomorrow to permit some amendments
TO be offered. MessrS. Hale and Cock
rell got into a discussion over the gen.
eral staff provision, the former con-
tending that it was general legislation
andSilad no place in the bill Mr.. Cock
rell insisted otherwise. Mr., Quay dur
ing the discussion interjected the re-
mark that the provision was properly
Mr.. Berry criticised as remarkable a
defense made several days ago by Mr.
Proctor of Capt. Brownell, said to have
been connected with the death of FAITH
er Augustin in the Philippines. The
statehood bill was up fora short time
and Messrs. Bard and Quarles spoke
in opposition to it. The senate adj
journed out of respect to the memory
of the late Representative Rumple, of
Iowa.
During the session Mr.. Hale called
attention to an alleged combination
| among attorneys to maintain excessive
fees in claims filed with the Spanish
treaty claims. These, he said, have
been placed at 80 Id per cent, as
shown by a report of the commission.
He did not suppose that the commits
sion would report the full amount of
the claims-$61, 000, 000-but that even
If a reasonable amount was reported,
| the attorneys would still receive in
fees over $4,000 900.
Mr.. Cullom, chairman of the foreign
affairs committee, assured Mr. Hale
| that the committee was now consider
ing bill fixing the rate of compensa-
| ton for attorneys.