The Elbert County tribune., 1904-03-31

The bill was allowed to lie on the
table until April 9th, in order to per
init further discussion.
Senator Gibson has introduced a
bill to repeal the desert land act and
the Communication provision OF the
homestead act.
Charles Dick. successor to the late
Marcus A. Hanna of Ohio, was for
mally Introduced in the Senate March
card. the oath of office being admins
tered by President Pre- Tenn Frye.
The House committee on merchant
marine and fisheries authorized ia
vorable report on the Frye bill, extend
| ing the coastwise laws of the United
States to the Philippine islands July
1, 1905. without amendment. The vote
was seven to five, two Republicans and
three Democratic members making up
the minority vote. A motion to post
| pone the operation of the laws to 1909,
| made by Mr.. Lucking, was lost on a
| strictly party vote, another motion
making the time 1906 resulted in tie
vote. The bill was then voted on as
It passed the Senate. Mr.. Lucking en-
deavored to amend II by require
ment that all vessels in the trade
| should be manned by American or
Philippine sailors, but this was lost
by party vote.
The states of "Oklahoma" and "Ari-
zona" are created in a bill which has
| beeen completed by the Republican
members of the subcommittee of the
| House committee on territories. The
| Democratic members of this sub-com-
mittee have been placed in possession
of the bill and after they have con
sidered 1t for few days, meeting
OF the full subcommittee will be held.
The two states mentioned are COM
posed of Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory as Oklahoma" and Arizona and
| New Mexico as Arizona" The ad-
mission of the latter two territories is
not delayed by any restriction OF law,
| but may be effected as soon as a con-
| vention can be called to form a state
constitution. The bill provides, how
| ever, that Oklahoma and the Indian
| Territory shall not be admitted as a
state until the year 1906. By that time
all the Indian lands will have been
| allotted
During the discussion of the sundry
civil appropriation bill in the House.
Chairman Heminway summed up the.
fiscal condition for the next fiscal
year, showing that after all legitimate
expenses had been paid there would
be $22, 1000. 900 surplus for the year.
| Mr.. Heminway estimated the annual
| expenditures for 1905 to be S597 .S02,-
1924. To this sum must be added the
interest on the public debt. estimated
at SS4 ,971.s The revenues for the
year. he said, were estimated at s704,-
Az, ,O6O. The total estimates of the
| o,-tr 70 for nf tho
| government for 1905 aggregates s747.-
317.922, or an excess of S42, ,S45,S6
over the revenues. By scaling down
the estimates and emitting to pass a
river and harbor and public buildings
appropriation bills the expenditures
had been reduced s22 900, 900 less than
the estimated revenues. This esti-
mate, Mr.. Heminway said contemplat-
ed all reasonable additions that might
be made by the Senate to the several
appropriation bills, and was also sufiA-
cient to cover all legitimate dehcien-
cies that might be provided for the
next session.
Although 1t is conceded on nearly
every side that there is a strong prob
ability of there being no statehood dis
cussion during this session, the sub
committee of the House territories
committee Is proceeding steadily with
the preparation OF a bill for joint state
hood. making two states out OF four
territories, The Republican members
of the committee are doing the work
on the measure. The minority mem
bers have already defined their posi-
tion in favor of single statehood and
have drawn up ap omnibus bill admit
ting all four territories as separate
states. which they will introduce at
the proper time. In the joint state
hood bill the proposition to pay the
new state OF Arizona $40 1000 900 to
liquidate its debts has already been
cut to $4,000. 900 and there is rumor
that It will go out altogether. Repre-
sentation for the new joint statehood
has been fixed at three and it will be
left to the constitutional convention to
make the allotment of districts. The
Democrats insist that this means a
gerrymander; that in case the point
bill should carry. the districts would
so arranged as to all be Republican
in politics. Delegate Wilson insists
that he had the promise of the Repub-
lican members OF the committee that
each OF the two territories of Arizona
and New Mexico. would be allowed to
continue their delegates as representa-
tives. The Joint statehood bill will
probably be reported to the House this
week.