Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-23

activity Of special agents was known Ia
every honest settler en- the public do
main.
Mr.. Lacey Of Iowa. chairman Of the
public lands committee, believed the presi-
dent was sincere IN his efforts 20 enforce
the land laws and protect the honest set
tier from the land SPECTATOR. He also de-
ciared that we never hs1 a more honest
secretary OF the interior.
''Nor one who mas been more universally
mistaken, answered Mr.. Cushman Of
Washington.
Mr. Lacey continued in his defense Of
the secretary Of the interior. who. he said,
had been generally maliSned ana much
misunderstood. He has erdeavored 10 en-
force the law and lie has caught some
pretty big fish"
II was in the interest OF honest settlers,
he said, that inspectors should not be
hampered in their work
Mr. Gronna Of North Dskota told of the
hardships occasioned by the two nov
famous orders Of the president suspending
proof on homestead entries until exert
examination could be made.
Mr.. STEVENSON Of Minnesota thought the
president could not have known the hard
ships that would follow his order of De
cember IL, 1906, otherwise he did not be-
leve It would have been issued. He made
the assertion that Mr.. Pinchot had in
spired the drastic order, which was as
arbitrary as any ukase issued by the cZar
Of Russia"
''It Is time congress provided that the
stealing Of land by rich men away from
the poor shall be as much punished as any
other theft" said Mr.. Mann OF Illinois.
THE purpose of investigating the land
frauds has been to save to the poor man
the public domain and to prevent II being
taken by the rich man for pasture lands
and otherwise"
Mr.. Cushman of Washington in cham
pioning the Mondell amendment. said he
regarded the secretary OF the interior
an honorable, honest and high-minded man
and we'll intentioned, but he added IT
do believe he is suffering from very Sc
we're case ef-suspicion regarding the in
tegrity Of the people of the west"
He declared the progress of the west
depends upon the ownership of the land
by individuals, and denounced the present
policy as opposed to that interest.
Mr.. Cushman said that when a special
agent starts out from the office of the in
with the idea of fraud. The very ex-.
lstence of his Job depends upon his finding
fraud and II he does not find fraud the
necessity for his official existence ceases"
AS for himself, he would rather accept
the statement Of the settlers than of the
agent who had been appointed perhaps from
the suburbs OF a slaughter house in Chi
cago simply through political influence to
investigate the public domain of the coun-
try"
After further debate the amendment was
adopted.
Proceeding with the sundry civil bill the
house defeated the amendment offered by
Mr.. Keifer of Ohio appropriating 100000
for the transportation OF minor coin by a
vote OF 102 to 49, but this action was fol-
lowed by adoption OF an additional proviso
for $4,000 for the transportation of frac-
tional silver coin by registered mail or
otherwise.
Mr. Clark of Florida criticised the man
agement of St. ElIzabeth's (government)
insane asylum, declaring that the present
superintendent is wholly ineffioient."
After Mr. Clark and his supporters made
a bitter fight on the St Elizabeth's hos
pital, an appropriation of $4,000 to buy
additional ground for the hospital was
voted out Of the bill and Mr. Clark said he
would end the flibustering which he had
kept up for two days.
Mr.. Kahn of California spoke in support
of the appropriation in the bill for a
storehouse at Dover. N. j., for a reserve
supply of war material. He urged the ne
cessity for preparing for war in time of
peace, and mentioned the war now on In
Central America as an indication that this
continent cannot remain permanently at
peace.
The committee rose at SIS, having COM
pleted 119 pages of the sundry. civil bill.
A resolution favorably reported by the
house committee on interstate and foreign
commerce was adopted which provides that
the secretary Of commerce and labor shall
report to the house what information his
department has as to the control Of coast
wise steamship lines by railroads.
Mr.. Clark Of Florida offered resolution
calling upon the secretary Of war for
statement as to the cost Of the Philippines
since their requirement by the United
States. but 1t was defeated by vote of
165 to 1O5.
, The house, while in committee OF the
whole. passed 800 senate private pension
bills in thirty minutes.
The sundry civil bill was still In the
process Of reading when the house ad-
journed at 6:45 p. m, and the consideratl ton
will be concluded tomorrow.