Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1898 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Prof. John B. Moore has qualified at the State Department in .Washington as Assistant Secretary of State. The President has named Francis M. Rathbun for register of the land office at McCook, Neb., and James King for a similar position at Boise. Idaho. The debate on the war revenue measure was begun iu the House of Representatives Wednesday morning. Representative Diugley made the opening speech. The war revenue bill passed the House at Washington by a vote of 181 to 129, six Democrats voting with the Republicans. There were no exciting incidents attending its passage. Warren 11. Reid of Michigan has been nominated by President McKinley for Indian agent at Cheyenne River agency, fi. D., and Daniel C. Miles of Massachusetts at Cheyenne and Arapahoe agency, O. T. The army reorganization bill has become u ia»«. The conference committee of both Rouses came to an agreement, which was promptly ratified, and the President lost no time in affixing bis signature to the bill. A Washington dispatch states that a favorable re[wrt lias been made by the Committee on Public Lands on a bill authorttlng the appointment of a commission to make allotments of lands in severalty to Indians upon the Uintah reservation iu Utah, and to obtain the cession «f lands to the United States. The report says: “The Uintah reservation contains more than 2,600,000 acres of land, much of which,, by irrigation, can be made productive and valuable for agricultural purposes, it being estimated by the surveyor general of Utah that 60 per cent thereof is unsuitable for agriculture. Numerous streams of water traverse the reservation, which, at considerable expense, can be diverted from their natural channels and appropriated upon lands contiguous thereto. The greater portion of the reservation is unoccupied and is not required by the Indians residing therein, but without legislation it cannot be occupied, and must remain sterile nnd unproductive. The Uintah, or the Utes, as they sre frequently called, reside in the extreme eastern portion of the reservation and number less than 800. Notwithstanding generous treatment by the Government, they are rapidly diminishing. In recent years the Government has allotted lands in severalty to ii portion of them with gratifying results. All of them are desirous of taking lauds in severalty, and so far as is known they are impressed with the advantages that will result from an abandonment of tribal relations and entering upon an industrial growth founded upon landed ownership. It is believed that the policy of allotting lands in severalty will conduce to their preservation ns welt as civilization. Notwithstanding liberal provisions made for them In this bill, there will be a large area for cession to the United States. After each head of fam-

ily has received 100 acres of farmhit land and Ute same amount for grazing purposes nearly 2.000,000 acres wilT be added to the public domain.”