The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-01

that had been calculated to protect them against debauchment and spoila- tion. He referred to the decrease Tn the period allowed for the alienation of Indian lands as "a fraud" and said the proposed amendment was an abdica- tion of trusteeship for which the In- dian was not prepared. He declared there were very few Indians who would not soon be penniless if all restrictions were removed on the alieniation of lands and funds. Denounced by spooner. Mir Spooner said that the Indians would never be able to cope in busi- ness with the white man. and he de- nounced the system as cruel and merciless abandonment of protection the Nation owes its wards. we are simply opening the door to the cupidity of the white man in one guise or another" he said, and added: This will be the last step toward the absolute dependence of the 1n- dian" MT. Platte (Conn.) protested against dealing with questions of the character of the Indian ownership. on the appropriation bill, saying that there is never time to discuss as they should be discussed.
 By vote of 31 to 26 the McCumber amendment was agreed to. The question then recurred on the amendment as amended and MT. Pen- rose made the point of order that the provision was not relevant. On the roll call the Senate decided 50 | to 10 the question to be relevant. Mir Mallory then raised the point of order that the amendment was general | Legislation. but the point was over- ruled by the chair.
 The amendment was then agreed to without division. As accepted 1t stands: The Amendment. That no portion of the funds appro. priated by this act nor the principal | nor interest of any Indian trust or trib- l al funds held by the United States for the benefit of any Indian tribe shall be available nor be expended for the sup port of any sectarian or denominal school; provided, however, that the in- dividual owner or beneficiary of any interest In such fund who may desire to educate his ward. child, or children | in any school other than a government school may. by written order signed by him. direct that any portion of the in- terest accruing to him or which would be allotted to him on such fund. be pal" to the school in which such child or children may be educated" There was a long and technical do bate on the committee amendment au- thorizing the cancellation of leases in Indian Territory when they are obtain cd by fraud or for grossly inadeouats consideration"
 ! The debate turned on the effect of the last three words which ultimately were stricken out. The amendment was ] then adopted
 I In connection with another feature of the same amendment there was gene ral debate of the leasing question which was participated in by Messrs, Bailey, McCumber and Hepburn.
 MT. Hepburn declared unmitigated | evil had arisen out of the leasing sys- tenn. the principal result being that of making loafers of the Indians. He ex- pressed the opinion that they should be made to work their lands. He said that in the Northwest many of the Indian land holders lived as barons. hiring white men to till their lands.
 MT. Bailey took the opposite view. expressing the desire that philanthro- pists might be raised up to bringing the Indians to do their own work.
 Tn Indian Territory" he said. q think they would make a saint of the man who would undertake 1t before he made farmers of them"
 The amendment was further amended
 
 hibiting the sub-leasing of the estate of l minors.
 The amendment extending for ten years the Foster lease on the Osage oil lands in Indian Territory was agreed to.
 MT. Bailey suggested an amendment authorizing appeals from the citizen ship court of the Chickasaw and Choc- taw nation to the Supreme Court of the United States. and in an argument in support of the provision that lands in . volving $125,Oo0,ooO in property would be affected by the amendment.
 At p. m. the bill was temporarily laid aside in order to permit the trans action of other business.
 MT. Hale reported and the Senate adopted the conference report on the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill.
 Messrs. Hale: Perkins and Martin were appointed conferees on the naval appropriation bill.
 The following bills amended the laws regulating the inspection of steam vessels was passed:
 Providing for the annual meeting at Washington for the inspectors of steam vessels.
 Directing annual inspections of all steam vessels, providing for failure to comply with the requirements and also providing punishment for officers of vessels through whose careless accl- dents may occur.
 Prescribing requirements concerning ,the character of inspectors. and defin- ling steam vessels and sail vessels
 Prescribing tests for boilers; regulat- ling signals and directing other pre- lcautions against fire.
 Fixing the number of inspectors and ltheir salaries in each of the districts. Regulating the number of licensed Iofficers and the character and comple- ment of the crews of vessels.
 The following bills were also pass led:
 Prohibiting the selection of lands in Ilieu of lands held in forest reserves. Increasing the pensions of soldiers who lost limbs in the service.
 At 5:57 the Senate went into execu- tive session and a few minutes later ltook a recess until p. m. | ---------- --------------------