, 1904-05-02

TELLS WHY shosHoNE REsERVA.
TON BILL FAILED TO PASS
HOUSE LAST WEEK..
No Fault Of His or Lack Of Attention
on His Part, But Result Of Demo-
cratic F~ilibustering and Failure to
Arrive Of Major MeLauohIin's Re-
port-Whi Be Passed In December
Washington, d. C.. April %. 1904.

To the Editor Of The Republican.
The S%hoshone reservation bill failed
to become a law. but 1t Is now on the
action by the house on certain senate
amendments. and can be called up i'm
mediately upon our reconvening in De-
cember.
The present situation developed in
this way: The bill passed the house
with a provision that it should not be-
come operative until ratified by a ma
jority of the male adult Indians; the
expectation being that Major McLaugh-
Inns report would be back here in time
so that the bill could be amended in
accordance with the agreement, If the
agreement should in any way differ
from the bill: that then the provis-
ion for the ratification should be strick-
en- from the pill, and the bill as thus
amended returned to the house for
concurrence.
The bill passed the house of repre-
sentatives last Friday. Saturday and
Sunday morning | received kilograms
to the effect that Major Mclaughlin
had completed an agreement practi-
cally along the lines Of my bill. but
modified somewhat a. 70 the expendi-
ture Of money for cattle n irrigation.
| Immediately addressed a communica-
ton to the secretary of the interior and
sent it to him by special messenger,
calling his attention to the necessity Of
h. H., xh. trn,tr L., f,lI T., DrIo, thot
the bill might be amended in accord
ance with It If necessary and as thus
amended passed; and requesting him
to authorize Major Mclaughlin on his
arrival at Casper Sunday evening to
wire the treaty to Washington. This
action the secretary refused to take,
giving as his reason hat it was nus
ual and irregular.
In this state of affairs, the bill WAS
amended in the senate to conform with
changes regarding the. amount Of
money to be used in the purchase Of
cattle and in construction Of irriga-
ton bitches, and the provision for rati-
~ication stricken out. In this form the
bill passed the senate and was return
ed to the house at about half past IL
o'clock p. M, the 27th-the last night
Of the session. l Immediately called
up the bill on its arrival in the house,
and move the concurrence in the sen
ate amendments. Representative Fitz-
gerald Of New York, a democrat and
member of the committee on Indian az
fairs of the house. Immediately oppos-
ed consideration of the bill. and de-
clared that the senate amendments
were schemes to get the bill through in
Objectionable form without consent Of
the Indians in the last hour Of the e 9
sion, and that the secretary of the in
terror al much opposed to the bill be-
coming a law at this time. A roll call
was taken which barely developed q
quorum. Fitzgerald conducted his fill
clustering until 1t became necessary at
2 o'clock on the morning Of the 28th
to love a recess until 10 o'clock In
the morning on account of no quorum
being present.
As soon as possible after reconven-
ing in the morning 1 called for the pre-
vious question on my motion TO CON
cur in the senate amendments, but in
the meantime the secretary Of the In
terror and the commissioner Of Indian
affairs had sent word to members ask
ing them to vote against the bill, de-
claring it should not be passed until
McLaughlin's report Of the agreement
had been received. The commissioner
Of Indian affairs came to the house
and called out members to consult with
them in regard to it. The result Of
this was that on a roll call the motion
for the previous question was lost by
a small majority. When this action
was taken but a short time remained
until the time fixed for adjournment,
and under the circumstances it was
impossible to secure any further &C.
ton. The bill. therefore, as l stated in
the first part of my letter. remains on
the speakers table with the senate
amendments Enacted upon, and can DO
called up at any time on the reassem-
bling Of congress in December.
While l should have very much pre-
lferred to have passed the bill. under
the circumstances it was probably best
that it should not have passed, because
1t would have been necessary to have
had it signed by the president before
adjournment, and in the rush Of bills
for signatures in the closing hour 1t is
quite likely that the secretary Of the
interior could have prevailed upon the
president not to sign the bill, and let
it die for lack Of approval. Under the
circumstances there would have been
no time to have discussed the matter
with the president.
The failure to have the bill finally
passed and approved this session will
not, 1t is believed. delay the opening
of the reservation beyond the time fix
ed In the bill-June l, 1905. l desired
to have the bill passed this session If
possible in order to complete the sur
veys this summer. preparatory to the
opening. But all the lands in the bend
of the Big Wind river and along that
stream, in fact most OF the country
south of the Muddy. has already been
surveyed, and 10 this IN the country
which will be nrst settled that car be
opened to entry by the time provided
for in the bill, and the remaining terri
tory Just rs fast ~ 1t can be surveyed.
Very truly yours. &
F. W. MoNDN4L.
Tho wabash railrosd has Just ISSUED
10 handsome Illustrated Worlds Fair
--a