Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-05

afternoon session to begin at 1880 After
a whole lot Of wrangling the motion car
RED
Refer got a motion carried instructing
the Board Of Public Lands and Buildings
10 fix the floor in the dome.
The senate when It adjourned this evening
also decided to meet at 3 O'Clock instead
of 10.
Address on Statehood Anniversary.
The committee appointed in the senate
Friday to prepare an address commemo-
ratlve Of the fortieth anniversary of the
admission Of the state into the union
ported today. The address was read by
Senator Saunders, chairman of the COM
mittee 1t is as follows:
Your committee, appointed to draft an
ADDRESS cOmmemOratlng the fortieth an
nversary OF the admission OF the state of
Nebraska TO the union beg leave to report
the following:
Forty Yeas ago, on the first day Of
March, Nebraska became one OF the states
OF the union. Ihis period covers but the
span OF one life. II is worth while to
pause today in our busy strife and review
The history of the state in which we live,
and In which our affections are conferred.
half century ago Nebraska was part
of what was called the great American
desert. Its broad and fertile prairies were
then regarded as barren wastes infested by
savage men and ravenous beasts. The ola
'i9ers dragged their creaking wagon trains
over its broad prairies and little dreamed
OF the possibilities that lay hidden therein.
The organic act constituting Nebraska
territory was approved May 30. 1854. The
territory thus established comprised an en-
pire. 1t contained 81, 55S square miles. Its
northern boundary WAS British America,
Its southern boundary was the fortieth.
parallel OF latitude; It's western boundary
WAS the snOWcapped summit OF the ROCKY
mountains; its eastern boundary was the
Missouri river and the Red river of the
north and a meridian line connecting the
&
area Colorado and Dakota were carved off
In 1861. In 1853 the territory of Utah was
taken OF, leaving the present dimensions
of the state In 1866 the legislature of the
territory OF Nebraska devised and ratified
a constitution. On July y, 1866, congress
passed bill for the admission of Nebraska
as state, but President Johnston vetoed
the same, In January, 1851 congress again
vetoed BY President Johnston. This bill
WAS passed over the presidents veto by
vote Of 80 to in the senate and 10 TO A
IN the house. The bill provided for the
right OF suffrage regardless Of race, color
or previous condition of serVitude, except
as to Indians not taxed: The &c, act OF con-
fact proclaimed by the president March l.
The present capital was located in what
was then known as the little hamlet Of
Lancaster, and was subsequently named
Lincoln in honor of the martyred president.
History of state.
The history Of Nebraska has nothing un-
usual or romantic in It.. The first white
people probably who traversed these plains
were unconscious of the land of promise
as were the forty-niners. In the summer
of 1861 Francis Vasquez crossed the fottieth
degree OF latitude and reported; "A LAND
very fat and black, with an abundance Of
pums and nuts and very good sweet grapes
and mulberries." Other Spaniards report
having visited this territory. They left
their record in the old Spanish archives
mingled fact with fable. The Spaniard
passed on and the Frenchman came. In
i7sa Mallet brothers. French traders and
adventures came up the Missouri. They
first saw and named the Platte river and
followed Il 10 its source in the Rocky
mountains. They wrote the story of their
journey, the first unquestioned description
of Nebraska. The French trapper and
trader came and went I'm this region for
another sixty years. They mingled their
blood with the Nebraska Indian tribes, but
made no settlements This great expans7
then belonged TO France. Napoleon was
facing the crisis In his career and sold
this great Transmssissippi empire for sl5,-