The La Jara chronicle., 1905-02-17
DOINGS AT WASHINGTON


son irrigation project.
Senator Crane has introduced a bill
appropriating s250.0O0 for the estab-
lishment of leprosarium for the seq
regation of lepers and to prevent the
spread of disease in the United States.
1t is provided that the institution shall
be situated on some abandoned mill
tary reservation or other suitable site
owned by the United States.
Senator Teller has proposed an
amendment to the Indian appropriation
bill designed. If it is adopted, to check
the Raven Mining Company and the
Florence Mining Company from absorb
ing more mineral lands on the Uintah
Indian reservation than they may be
entitled to under the provisions of the
opening act, giving them certain pref
erential mineral claims.
The following statement was made
public at the White House: THE
members of the Cabinet have all ten
dered their designations, and on the
9Th of March they will all be nomi-
mated for reappointment with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Wynne. who Is to be
appointed consul general at London.
MIR. Cortelyou will be nominated on
Marth 9Th for postmaster general"
ihe members of the house commit
tee on interstate and foreign commerce
to-day presented Chairman w. p. Hep
burn of Iowa with a three-handled sill
yer, gold-lined cup. The cup is re-
membrance of the recent Panama trip
of the committee and expressive of the
sentiment of the committee as to
Colonel Hepburn's presiding qualities
during the recent rate legislation cam
paign.
What has been done by the Agricul-
tural Department in its investigation
of the irrigation problem has been re-
ported to the house committee by DR..
True and Elwood Mead of the bureau
o. irrigation of the department. The
total irrigated area of the country by
private enterprise is 9.5O0,000 acres. at
a cost of s200.O00,0O The committee
is planning trip for next summer to
all of the irrigation projects of the
government. An invitation is to be ex-
tended to the Senate committee on ir-
rIgation.
Attorney General Moody has ap-
pointed Judson Harmon of Cincinnati.
who was attorney general during the
second administration of President
Cleveland, and Frederick N. Judson, a
prominent lawyer cf St. Louis, to in
vestigate the alleged action of the
Atchison, Topeka G. Santa Fe railroad
in granting rebates to the Colorado
Fuel and Iron Company. The employ
ment is with the view of taking legal
proceedings against the company If.
after investigation, such proceedings
seem justified.
AS one of the preliminary steps to-
ward opening the Uintah Indian reser
vation to settlement the House passed
the bill of Representative Howell of
Utah to create a land district and es-
tablish a land Office for more conven-
lent transaction of the business which
will be incident to the opening than is
afforded by present land office facili-
ties. The bill as passed provides that
nll that portion of Utah included within
that part of the Uintah reservation
which lies within the boundaries OF
Wahsatch county shall constitute a
new land district and that a land Of
fee shall be located at Vernal. The
lill is similar to that introduced in the
Senate by Senator Smoot and now
pending before the Senate public lands
committee.
The House Committee on Public
Lands ordered a favorable report on
Representative Brooks 640-acre home
stead bill, making it conform in all
essential features to the bill recently
reported for South Dakota. That fea-
ture of the bill permitting settlers who
have made homestead entry under
present laws to increase their entries
to an aggregate area of $40 acres, was
amended to apply only to settlers in
that part of Colorado affected by the
H.; n,,I b, -; l,ta hot
any additions to present homesteads
shall be of lands lying adjacent thereto.
AS the bill was originally drawn, this
right to make additional homestead
entries was extended to any settler on
arid lands between the Tooth and 105th
meridians. either in Colorado or ad-
joining states.
Through his counsel. Judge Swayne
on the Sd inst. made formal response
in the Senate to the articles of i'm
peachment voted by the House of Rep.
reseptatives. The answer was a for
midable document In point of size.
Each of the twelve articles of i'm
peachment was answered at length.
In every case the fact charged was ad-
mitted. but explained from Judge
Swayne's point of view. and, in addi-
tion. 1t was contended that even If the
conditions were true as charged, they
were not of a character to justify pro
ceedings for Impeachment for high
crimes and misdemeanors." The an
swer was read by former Senator
Thurston, and when he concluded the
Senate issued an order requiring the
House to file its formal reply by the
next Monday and directed that all the
pleadings should be in by February 9th
SO that the trial might proceed on Feb
ruary 10th.
Attorney General Moody has issued
a letter of instruction to all United
States attorneys requiring strict en-
forcement of the railroad safety appli-
ance laws enacted for the promotion
of the safety of the travelling public. as
well as for the protection of the en-
ployes. In this letter the attorney gen.
eral cites the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States in Johnson
against the Southern Pacific company.
involving the construction of the "au-
tomato car coupler act" and calls at
tention to the rulings of the court that
are comprised within the
term "any car" as used in the act;