Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-02-25
FROM WASHINGTON.
Both Branches of Congress Behind with
Their Work-Moscow Building an
Assured Fact.

A notable aSSemblage which included
Mrs. Roosevelt and other members of
the presidents family; Mrs. Fairbanks,
members of the diplomatic corps, and
the wives and families of senators and
representatives, witnessed the coming
together last week of the house and
senate to perform duty imposed by
the constitution, to enact, with the ex-
ception of the Inauguration, the last
scene of the recent presidential election.
With impressive ceremonies, the senate
and house of representatives, in the hall
of the house, counted the electoral vote
for president and vice president, and
announced the election of Theodore
Roosevelt and Chas. Warren Fairbanks.
After tellers on the part of both
branches of the national legislature had
formally found correct the returns of
the electors of the several states, Sem
ator Frye, president pro tempore of the
senate, stated that out of 476 votes in
the electoral college, Roosevelt and
Fairbanks had received 1866, as against
40 cast for Alton B. Parker and Henry
Gassaway Davis.
The committee on public buildings and
grounds has incluaed in the sundry civil
bill an item of $15, 900. 90 for the purpose
of procuring a site for the new public
building at Moscow. This bill has been
;,,+ro1,,ood ~ +bo bo,,eo o,oJ +bo,.o 80 ~
question of it's passage at the present
session. This fact insures the erection
of courthouse and postoffice at Mos
cow. Congressman French has worked
for this ever since he entered congress,
and naturally feels highly elated over
this success.
A bill was introduced in the senate
last week by Senator Hepburn, author
izing and directing the secretary of the
interior to sell or dispose of any unal-
loted lands in the Fort Hall reservation.
In order to enable the secretary to sur
vey and appraise the lands, the sum of
$4,000 is appropriated. The bill pro-
vides that all trails and we'll known and
recognized wagon roads that are now in
constant use, shall be left open for
travel and that passage along them
shall be free and unobstructed. Prob
ably the most important part of the bill
is the section providing that the pro-
ceeds arising from the sale and DISPOSE
ton of the lands shall be deposited in
the treasury of the United States to
the credit of the Indians belonging and
having tribal rights on the Fort Hall
reservation, and that it shall be eXpend-
ed for their benefit, under the direction
of the secretary of the interior, in the
construction, completion, and mainte-
nance of irrigation bitches, purchase of
wagons, horses, farm implements, and
other necessary and useful articles that
is deemed best to promote their we'll
fare and aid them in the adoption of
civilized pursuits and in improving and
building homes for them on their allot-
ments. The bill further provides that
a portion of the proceeds of the sale of
these lands may be paid to the Indians
in cash, per capita, if in the opinion of
the secretary of the interior such pay
ment will tend to promote their interest.
By unanimous consent Representa-
tive French secured the passage of a
bill permitting the Spokane and Inter-
national Railway company to construct
bridges across the Pend d'Oreille and
Kootenai rivers. The proposed railroad
will run from Spokane to the Canadian
boundary.
Only short time now remains before
the fourth of March, and both houses
of congress are away behind with work
that should have been done before the
close of the session. Progress has lately
been made, but the outlook is for the
hurried passing of the big appropriation
bills with but little consideration, and
adjournment with nothing else accom-
plished. Scant justice is likely to be
done to the navy and rivers and harbors.
A sharp AK is out in the interest of
economy, and the program for the
building up of the navy is likely to be
interfered with. There is no time now
to give these important subjects the
consideration that is due them. So
many days have been spent in discus
sion over the admission of territories,
and the great question of railroad rates
has been dragged out to such length
that congress now finds itself in a ser
ious predicament, and if it succeeds in
settling the appropriation bills it will
be doing about as much as is expected