The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-02-11
OKLAHOMA and new MExlCO
BILLS PASSED.
Senate Votes to Leave Arizona
Ouf-f1any Amendments to the
Original Measure Adopted, All
of Them by Very Close Votes.
Now Coca to Conference.

statehood bill. As passed, the bill
provides for the admission of the states
of Oklahoma, to be composed Of Idpian
territory and Oklahoma, and New
Mexico, according to the present boun-
daries, with Arizona eliminated.
The long session was characterized
by many surprises. Beginning prompt
ly upon the converting at IL O'Clock
the senate proceeded to consider the
various amendments which had been
suggested by the committee on terrific
ries and which had been passed over.
One of the first of these taken up was
the amendment prohibiting the sale Of
Intoxicating liquors in what is now In
dian territory for the next ten years,
and this was displaced with a substi-
tute offered by Mr.. Gillinger, which
extended the amendment to the entire
state for period Of twenty-one years,
and this was adopted.
The first surprise of the day came
when the committee accepted Mr.. For
aker's amendment providing for a sep
arate vote by each Of the territories Of
Arizona and New Mexico on the con-
stitution to be adopted by the proposed
state of Arizona. That proposition
had scarcely been made part of the
bill when Mr.. Bard presented his
amendment, which had originally been
offered by Mr.. Patterson, and which
provided for the admission of New
Mexico as a state without the addition
Of Arizona. This proved to be the
point around which all the subsequent
proceedings of Importance revolved.
1t was at first adopted by the close
vote of AZ to 40. This vote was taken
while the senate was sitting in COM
mittee of the whole and was reversed
in the senate proper by the tie vote of
38 to 38.
New Mexico Admitted.
Subsequently the senate decided by
a vote of 38 to SO to entirely eliminate
New Mexico and Arizona from the
bill, and this result had scarcely been
announced when Mr.. 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 Mr.. Beverage, in charge of
the bill, for the purpose of moving a
reconsideration Of the vote. He vas
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 38. The effect was to elimi-
nate Arizona from the bill and to es.
tablish state of New Mexico and an
other Of Oklahoma and Indian terri.
tory. In this form the bill was passed
The Mormon question also received
an airing during the day. While the
provision for the separate admission of
New Mexico was under consideration
Mr.. Burrows, chairman of the commit
tee on privileges and elections, an
nounced his opposition to the bill and
stated it was due to the practice of
polygamy In that territory to such an
extent that he considered it unwise to
take the administration away from the
federal authorities. Several other Son
ators also referred to the question of
polygamy and to the revelation before
the committee.
The bill originated in the house and
will 60 to conference.