Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-03-15
|CHANCE Of COUNTY SEAT IN SIERRA TO
Be LEFT TO THE W|LL0F THE PEOPLE
Governor Curry Signed Number of
Bills This Forenoon Council Refuses
to Adopt House Resolution
Asking for Congressional
Investigation of New
Mexico.

Governor Curry this morning dis
posed of every measure that has thu
far reached him from the Legislature
COUNCIL.
Monday Forenoon.
Every member, with The exception
Of Mechem, was present when Presi
| dent Spiess called the Council TO or
der.
After committee reports, Housc
Joint Resolution No. 7. asking Con
gress for the appointment of a com
mittee to investigate charges against
the officials and people of New Mex
leo, was reported by majority of the
steering committee, with the recon-
mendation that it be tabled. Hewitt
spoke in favor of adopting the resolu
tion. Catron made an eloquent de
fense of the people of New Mexico
against the charges and reviewed
briefly the visit of the Beveridge com
mittee several years ago and the
charges Of Special Attorney Ormsby
McHarg, not sparing the methods OF
the federal government through its
special and secret agents. Prince said
he found himself in the peculiar posi-
ton of agreeing with the language OF
the majority report, but not its con
clusions. He said that tine
Territory has been villilled be-
yond all endurance" T do
not expect anything fair from Senator
Beveridge," he said, "but we have
nothing of which to be ashamed, and
nothing to be afraid Of A running
debate between Catron and Prince,
provoked bursts of eloquence, Catron
holding that a request for an investi-
cation would hamper and delay state
hood, while Prince held that the de-
feat of the request would be. inter-
preted "as if this Council is afraid
of an investigation. President Spiess
said that if he had the least doubt
that the investigating committee
would be headed by Senator Albert j.
Beveridge of Indiana and would re-
port anything but a tissue of false
hood, he would vote for the resoll-
ton. He added that the Democratic
party of New Mexico is opposed TO
statehood and has been insidiously
working with the Senate committee
on territories against statehood.
The majority report was adopted
and the resolution tabled Z to A.
Prince. Upton, McBee and Hewitt vol-
ino in the minority. The debate was
ore of the most interesting OF the
session thus far. The defeated reso-
luton reads as follows:
House Joint Resolution No. 7.
Whereas, certain charges were
made before the United States Sen
ate Committee on Territories against
the officials and people of the Terri
tory of New Mexico; and.
Whereas, the people of the Terri
tory of New Mexico are desirous that
said charges be fully investigated
and, -
Whereas, the people of the Terri
tory believe that they are entitled TO
statehood and that they are capable
of governing themselves, making and
administering their own law, and that
a full investigation by an unpreJu-
diced committee will clearly estab-
lish the rights Of the Territory to
statehood and the fitness of its people
for self-government; therefore, be 1t
Resolved by the House of Repre-
sentatives. the Council concurrlns,
that the president of the Senate OF
the United States, and the Speaker OF
the House Of Representatives OF the
United States be and they are herepv
requested to appoint special com
mittee to investigate conditions in the
Territory Of New Mexico and the fit
ness of the people of said Territory
for statehood, and that such investl'
cation be made prior to December
list next ensuing; and be 1t further
Resolved, that the Governor OF the
Territory be and he hereby IS in
structed to transmit a copy of this
resolution to the president of the
United States, to the vice-president OF
the United States, and to the speaker
of the House of Representatives OF
the United States.
Report Of Committee.
The majority report Of the Council
Steering Committee follows:
Your committee, to whom was re-
ferred House Joint Resolution, return
the same with a recommendation that
it be not passed. The reason for this
action is that an invitation to the
National Senate and House Of Repre-
to investigate conditions in
this Territory would be a confession
that our condition is such that 1t
should be looked into, while we do not
admit that any investigation Of our