The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-12-22
GILL As AMENDED NOW READY
FOR THE SENATE
time FOR CONSIDERATION JANUARY 5

to Arizona and New Mexico-Some
Changes in Original Bill
WASHINGTON: In the senate
Friday Mr.. Beveridge, from the COM
mittee on territories, reported the
statehood bill, and he will make
motion on the first day the senate
convenes that on January consider
alton Of the bill be entered on at once.
Representing the minority of the
committee, Mr.. Bate notified the SEN
,te that he would enter motion to
:ecommit the bill for the purpose of
taking further testimony.
Mr. Bate gave notice of an amend
ment confirming the provisions Of the
bill to the state to be formed by the
anion of Oklahoma and Indian Terri
:ory and eliminating all reference to
Arizona and New Mexico.
AS amended by the committee the
school land section provides that the
land must be sold at public auction
In tracts Of 1GO acres. One line in the
Hamilton bill reads: Preference
tight to purchase being given to the
lessee at the time of such sale" This
line has been stricken from the bill.
AS amended in the senate committee,
section now RAIDS:
That said sections 16 and 36 and
lands taken in lieu thereof herein
granted for the support of the COM
mon schools may be appraised and
sold at public sale in tracts of 1G0
acres under such rules and regula-
tiOns as the legislature of the said
ftate may prescribe, the proceeds to
constitute permanent school fund,
the interest of which only shall be cx-
pended in the support OF such schools.
But said lands may, under such regu-
1ationS as the legislature may pre-
scribe, be leased for periods not to
exceed five years, and such lands
shall not be subject to homestead
entry under the land laws of the
United tSates, whether surveyed or
!lnsurveyed, but shall be reserved for
school purposes only"
For two days the committee con
sidered the problem of enforced pro
hibition for the indian Territory. II
was adopted. recommended and
finally adopted again, and in this
shape will be reported to the senate
Section 3, article I, of the Hamilton
~ bill, which passed the house, read:
That perfect liberation of relig
iOus sentiment shall be secured ant
that no inhabitant of said state shal
ever be molested in person or prop
crty on account of his or her mode o.
religious worship; and polygamou:
or plural marriages and the sale, bar
ter or giving of intoxicants to Indian:
are forever. prohibited"
The senate committee took up tht
work where it had been abandoned
and added proviso which set forth
'"The sale, barter or giving away o
intoxicating liquors-eXcept for scien
tiiic, medicinal and mechanical pur
poses-in that part Of the state known
as Indian Territory or any Indian res
vation, shall be prohibited for
term of ten years from the date of th'
admission of said state and there
after until the legislature of sait
state shall otherwise prescribe"
The membership Of the constitu
tional convention was finally fixed a
100 delegates, of whom fiftyfve vii
come from Oklahoma and fifty-fou
from Indian Territory. 1t is mad
the duty of the government chief jus
tice and the secretary OF Oklahom
to apportion that territory into tifJ