Arizona republican., 1906-03-03

had contended that his provision went too far in its application to the stock
 holders in railroads What will 1t
 avail" he asked, If the railroads are cut out and their stockholders are all
 lowed to own the coal lands?"
 He said that experience for thirty years in Pennsylvania and for twenty years in West Virginia had shown that
 such a course might result in the con
 trol of the mines by the roads. App
 peals had been made to him to accept
 modification of the amendment, but
 he could not see his way clear to do
 so, for his experience had taught him
 that it was better to go down to de- feat in support of a righteous measure than to compromise 1t away.
 MT. La Toilette said that he did not desire to pose as a prophet, but he would make the prediction that unless congress addressed Itself presently to dealing with the question of the con- trol of public utilities in a way to pre- vent their further control by centraliz- ed capital the country would soon be | compelled to face the problem of gov ernment ownership in a way that would not put aside.
 MT. Hepburn spoke in general terms or the evil of permitting railroads to enter into other lines of business than that of common carriers. He charged that the ownership Of the coal mines or Utah by the railroad companies was having the effect of standing in the way of the development of coal mines
 in Idaho and other western states. Mir. Spooner suggested that all the difficulties of the situation might be
 overcome by accepting the house Ieas- ing system, making the leases non-as- signabIe.
 | MT. Hepburn would not agree that
 the substitution would accomplish the result, and he predicted that without restraint the railroads would soon con- trol the coal business of the Indian i Territory.
 After the debate had proceeded for about four hours, MT. McCumber said that it had become apparent to him i that the senate did not at this time desire to provide for the sale of the coal lands. He therefore moved that the committee amendment be laid on
 the table. The motion prevailed by the i following vote:
 l Yeas Aldrich. Allison. Burkett. Burnham, Burrows. Carter, Clapp, : Clark of Wyoming Crane, Dick, DiI-
 ts Gallinger, Gamble, Hansbrough, Hey burn, Kean, Knox Latimer, Long. Nc ! Cumber, Morgan, Nelson, Newlands, Overmon, Perkins, Piles, Scott, Spoon CT. Stone, Teller. Warner, Warren. Wetmore; thirty-eight
 Nays-Bacon, Blackburn, Clay, Du- bois, LaFollette. Mallory, Pettus; sev- en.
 The effect of the vote was to lay on
 the table not only the committee
 amendment. but the LaFoIIettec amendment and all other amendments suggested to the section and to leave i the house provision standing. MT. Clark of Wyoming moved to amend the provision so as to make ft
 read as follows: That all coal and as-
 phalt lands whether leased or unIeas-
 ed, shall be reserved from sale under this act uncil the existing leases for coal and asphalt lands shall expire, or
 until such time as may be otherwise
 provided by law"
 | The suggestion was adopted without
 debate. On motion of MT McCumber the following was substituted for the.
 house provision on alienation: Thar
 all restrictions upon the alienation and { leasing of lands of alIottees of the , Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek.
 and Seminole tribes of less than full i blood are, except as to homesteads | hereby removed. That no fall blood | Indian of any of the said tribes or his i full blood heirs shall have power to alienate. sell, dispose of or Incumper in any manner any of the lands alIot-
 ted to him for a period of twenty fiV e
 years from and after the passage ana
 approval of this act, unless sucn rt.- strictiOn shall. prior to the expiration ! of said period, be removed by act Of i congress; provided, however that such full blood Indians of any of the said ! tribes may lease any lands other than
 homesteads under such rules and regu- rlatiOns as may be prescribed by the
 secretary of the interior; and in case , of the inability of any full blood owner | of a homestead, on account of his in | firmity of age to work or farm his ! homestead, the secretary shall. upon proof of such inability. authorize the leasing of such homestead under such rules and regulations"
 On motion of MT. Teller. sections six. nine, eleven, and fifteen were stricken
 out for the purpose of giving the con- ference committee Jurisdiction over those provisions.
 As amended the bill passed