The Springfield herald., 1903-02-13
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

Buffalo, Wyoming, to purchase a tract
of fifty-fve acres for cemetery purposes
at $1.25 an acre.
The Grant memorial commission. ap-
pointed under the act of Congress of
1901 to select plans for a monument to
General Grant. met on the 4th inst.
and decided to select the model sub
mitted by Henry Merwin Shready Of
New York.
The State Department has been ad-
vised that Sierra (the hold-over presi-
dent of Honduras has turned over the
presidency to a council of ministers
and that Bonilla, who claims to have
been elected to the presidential office.
has proclaimed himself president at
Amapala.
The conferences of 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 it passed the House.
1t fixes the salary of the chief justice
at $4,000 and of associate justices at
S12 500 each. of circuit judges at $1,000.
and of district judges at $4,000.
Both the House and Senate have
passed the Sutherland bill liberalizing
the laws relative to assessment work
on oil mining claims taken up under
the placer mining law. The bill per-
mits consolidation of assessment work
done on a group of five claims so that
the work for all may be done on one
claim, where such work is for the de-
velopment of all claims in the group,
or to determine the oil-bearing char
acter of all.
The Senate committee on agriculture
after much discussion agreed to place
the omnibus statehood bill on the agri-
cultural appropriation bill as a rider.
The proposition was strongly antagon-
lied, but it carried by two-thirds
vote. Senators Hansbrough, Foster
(Wash) and Quay. Republicans, and
Bate, Heitfeld and Simmons, Demo-
Gratis, voting in the affirmative. and
Senators Proctor. Dolliver and Quarles,
Republicans, in the negative.
Judge Willis Van Devanter. whose
nomination as circuit judge for the
Eighth circuit was sent to the Senate
by President Roosevelt. WILL when he
assumes the duties of his new position,
make his place of residence Cheyenne.
Judge Van Devanter will remain on
duty in the Interior Department until
his successor is appointed and qualified.
There are numerous applications for
the place, but nothing is known of the
intention of the President in making Il
selection to fill it. Among those mem
toned in connection with the position
is Colonel Hays of Ogden. Utah.
In accordance with the terms of the
new militia law recently enacted by
Congress. the entire citizen soldiery of
the country is to be supplied with the
regular army service rifle. The state
militia organizations aggregate ap-
proximately 115.000 men, nearly double
the number of the regular army. They
will be furnished their new arms as
rapidly as they can be manufactured
by the national armory at Springfield,
Massachusetts. In addition to this the
War Department is installing plant
at the Rock Island arsenal for the
manufacture of the service rifles,
though it will be some time before it
will be ready for work. The depart
ment 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 armories. as the Off
cials 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 suspen-
sion of the rules, of a bill to provide
for the better separation and utiliZa-
ton 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
Interior Department. 1t permitted 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
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
$4,000, 900 to 70,000,00O 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. If
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 Hemphill appeared in opposition to
confirmation. They preferred charges
to the effect that Crum had sold out as
delegate to the Minneapolis Repub-
i1.I,