Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-02-13
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

The House public lands committee
fayorabiy reported Representative
Mondeii's hill authorizing the city OF
Bunalo. Wyoming. To purchase q tract
Of iifty-fiye acres for cemetery purposes
at Si.z5 an acre.
The Grant memorial commission. ap-
pointed under the act Of Congress OF
1901 to select plans for u monument to
General Grant. net on the 9Th inst.
and decided To select the model sub
mitted by Henry MerSin Shready of
New York.
The State Department has been ad-
vised that Sierra THE hoid-oyer presi-
dent of HondurasD. has turned over the
presidency To q council of ministers
and that Doniila. who claims To have
been elected TO the presidential oifice.
has proclaimed himself president at
Amapaia-
The conferences af the two houses
On the bill increasing the salaries of
United States judges reached an agree
ment generally accepting the salaries
fixed by the bill as II passed the House
IL fixes the salary OF the chief Justice
at $4,000 and OF associate justices at
si.. 300 each. Of cirnait judges at 5000.
and Of district Judges nj 5000,
Both the House and Senate have
passed the Sutherland bill iiberaiizins
the laws relative TO assessment work
ON oil mining claims taken up under
the placer mining law. The bill per-
mi,s consolidation of assessment work
done on n group Of Ave claims SO that
the work for all may be done on one
claim. where such work is for the de-
yeiopment of all claims in the group.
or to determine the oll.bearinE char
aeter of all.
The Senate committee on agriculture
after much discussion agreed To place
the omnibus statehood bill on the asri-
cultural appropriation bill ns rider.
The proposition was strongly nntason-
ized. but II carried by u two-thirds
vote. Senators Hansbrou.h. Foster
twash.p and Quay. Republicans. and
Bate. Hcitfcid and Simmons. Demo
Senator'S Proctor. Doiliyer and Qunrlcs.
Republicans. In the negative.
Judge Willis Van Dcvanicr. whose
nomination as circuit judge for the
| Eighth circuit was sent To the Senate
by President Roosevelt. will. when he
assumes tho duties OF his new position.
make his place OF residence Cheyenne.
Judge Van Dcvantcr Will remain on
duty In the Interior Department until
his successor Ii appointed and qualified.
! There are numerous applications for
the place. but nothin. Ia known OF the
Intention of tho President In making
selection to MI II. Among those men
toned In connection with the position
In Colonel Hays OF Ogden. Utah.
In accordance with the icrmS of the
| ncw militia law recently enacted by
Congress. the entire citizen Holdicry OF
the country In To bc supplied with the
regular army service rife. The state
militia organizations aggregate ap-
proximnteiy i1b.Oo0 men. nearly double
the number Of the regular army. They
will be furnished their new arms ns
rnpIdly ms they can be manufactured
by the national armory nt Springfield.
/ Massachusetts. In addition to this the
War Department Is installing n plant
at the Rock Island arsenal for the
manufacture Of the service rifles.
though II will be some time before II
will be ready for work. The depart
mcnt has on hand a large reserve sup
ply of rifles. sufficient almost to equip
the militia. but will rely mainly on the
production OF the armorics. rs the Off
ciais prefer not to draw on the reserve
too heavily.
On February End. which was "sus-
pension day In the House. the speaker
recognized Mr.. Bates OF Pennsylvania.
who moved the passage. under siispcn-
sion of the rules. OF bill to provide
for the better separation and utiliza-
ton of public and private lands within
the limits OF railroad land grants in
tho arid region. Mr.. Bates explained
that the bill was recommended by the
Interior Department. Il permitted the
secretary of the Interior. he said. to
-t,. ,rtI a t.,. .l.
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.
Mr.. 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
5e.000.O 900 to 70,0O0.00O acres. No man
could tell exactly how much land was
involved. This was proposition. he
said. to pass within twenty debates on
side, a 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
viva voce vote.
The Senate committee on commerce
has been considering the nomination of
DR.. w. d. Crum. colored man. to be
collector of the port at Charleston,
South Carolina. Senator Tillman,
Mayor Smithe of Charleston and Col
mel Henphill appeared in opposition to
confirmation. They prefererd charges
to the effect that Crum had sold out as ]
delegate to the Minneapolis Repub-
lican convention. and in support of this
charge read an affidavit in which 1t
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 Crum's 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. " so long