Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1905-02-10
new States.

Washington, Feb. 8 After a con-
tinuous session of nine hours, the SEN
ate at s:45 Tuesday night passed the
joint statehood bill. AS passed the bill
provides for the admission of the state
of Oklahoma, to be comprised of Indian
Territory and Oklamha, and New Mex
leo, according to the present bound
aries, with Arizona eliminated.
The long session was characterized
by many surprises. Beginning prompt
ly upon the converting at 10 O'Clock,
the senate proceeded to consider the
various amendments which had been
suggested by committee on territories,
and which had been passed over. One
of the first of these taken up was the
amendment prohibiting the sale of in
toxicating liquors in what is now In
dian Territory for the next 10 years,
and this was displaced with a substi-
tute offered by Senator Gallinger,
which extended the amendment to the
entire state for period of 81 years,
and this was adopted.
The first surprise of the day came
when the committee adopted Senator
Foraker's amendment providing for
separate vote by each of the territories
of Arizona and New Mexico on the
constitution to be adopted by the pro-
posed state of Arizona
That provision had scarcely been
made part of bill when Senator Bard
presented his amendment, which had
been originally offered by Senator Pat
tel on, and which provided for the adj
mission of New Mexico as state with
out the admission of Arizona. This
amendment proved to be the point
around which all subsequent proceed
ings of importance revolved. 1t was at
first adopted by the close vote of 40 to
40. This vote was taken while the
senate was sitting in committee of the
whole, and was reversed in the senate
proper by the tie vote of 3s to 3s.
Subsequently the senate decided by
vote Of S8 to SO to entirely eliminate
New Mexico and Arizona from the
bill, and this result had hardly been
announced when Senator Bard, in
slightly changed form, renewed his
proposition for the admission of New
Mexico as a state, and this time the
amendment prevailed by the vote of 40
to 81. One of the affirmative votes
was, however, cast by Senator Beve-
ridge, in charge of the bill, for the
purpose of moving the reconsideration
of the vote. He was prompt in making
the motion as soon as the result was
announced, but the motion was laid on
the table by vote of 80 to 3S. The
effect was to eliminate Arizona from
the bill and to establish a state of New
Mexico and another of Oklahoma and
Indian Territory. In this form the
bill was passed.
The defeat of the Bard amendment
in the senate after it had been adopted
in committee of the whole, gave rise
to some interesting incidents. Senator
Bailey intimated that there had been
trade regarding the adoption of an
amendment adding a portion of Ari.
IONA to Utah.
The Mormon question also received
an airing during the day. While the
New Mexico was under consideration,
Senator Burrows, chairman of the
committee on privileges and election,
announced his opposition to the bill,
and3 stated it was due to the practice
of polygamy in New Mexico to such an
extent that he considered it unwise to
take the administration away from the
federal authorities Senators Dubois,
McComas and Platt of Connencticut
referred to the question of polygamy
and of the revelations before the COM
mitree. The bill originated in the
house, and will 20 to conference.
An amendment was proposed by
Senator Kearns, providing that all that
portion of Arizona lying north of the
Colorado river shall be annexed to
Utah. Senator Beveridge. in behalf
of the committee, indicated willing
ness to accept the amendment, but the
chair asked if the yeas and nays were
desired. Several senators indicated a
desire to that end, and Senator Bailey,
sitting in his seat, but with voice
sufficiently raised to be heard through
out the chamber, said:
Before that trade is consummated
we certainly want the ayes and nays"
"The chair did not hear the remarks
of the senator from Texas" sold Sena-
tor Frye, who was presiding.
"The remark was not exactly in
tended for the ear of the chair" re-
piled Senator Bailey, "but will re-
peat that before that trade is consum-
mated we should certainly have the
ayes and nays"
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