59TH CONGRESS, BRIDGE ACROSS COLUMBIA RIVER. December 13, 1905.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. CUSHMAN, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 299.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. No. 299) to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Columbia River by the Portland and Seattle Railway Company, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The bill has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the letter attached, and which is made a part of this report. COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, SIR: I inclose herewith a copy of the bill, H. R. 299, referred by the House of Representatives to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, with the request that you furnish the committee with such suggestions as you may deem proper touching the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage. Very respectfully, Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR, Washington, D. C. J. E. HILL, Clerk. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, 1. Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. 2. The accompanying bill, H. R. 299, Fifty-ninth Congress, first session, "To authorize the construction of a bridge across the Columbia River by the Portland and Seattle Railway Company," appears to make ample provision for the protection of navigation interests, and I know of no objection to its passage by Congress, so far as those interests are concerned. A. MACKENZIE, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. [Third indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., December 11, 1905. Respectfully returned to the chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, inviting attention to the foregoing report of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. ROBERT SHAW OLIVER, 1st Session. No. 4. SALES OF PUBLIC LANDS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. DECEMBER 14, 1905.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. COOPER, of Wisconsin, from the Committee on Insular Affairs, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 5301.] The Committee on Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 5301) setting aside a portion of the proceeds of the sales of public lands in the Philippine Islands for school purposes, beg leave to report that they have had the same under consideration and recommend that said bill do pass without amendment. An extended report upon this bill is unnecessary. Nothing is more needed in the Philippine Islands than primary and industrial school facilities. This bill has for its object the securing of such facilities by the setting aside of a portion of the proceeds of all sales of public lands in the islands as a permanent fund, the interest on which is to be used only for the establishment and maintenance of such schools. No purpose could be more worthy. The bill is reported with the unanimous approval of the Committee on Insular Affairs. 1st Session. No. 6. COUNCIL CITY AND SOLOMON RIVER RAILROAD COMPANY. DECEMBER 16, 1905.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. BRICK, from the Committee on the Territories, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 99.] The Committee on the Territories, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 99) to aid the Council City and Solomon River Railroad Company, having had the same under consideration, report it back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. The railroad under construction is to extend from Council City to Solomon City, in the Seward Peninsula, in the district of Alaska. The law prescribing the limit of time within which the company is required to file definite locations, complete its first section of 20 miles and its entire line, and fixing the period during which the road shall be exempt from the payment of a license fee is contained in acts of the Fifty-eighth Congress, as follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the time of the Western Alaska Construction Company to comply with the provisions of sections four and five of chapter two hundred and ninety-nine of the laws of the United States entitled "An act extending the homestead laws and providing for the right of way for railroads in the district of Alaska, and for other purposes," approved May fourteenth, eighteen hundred and ninetyeight, in acquiring and completing its railroad now under construction in Alaska, is hereby extended as follows: First. The time to file the map and profile of definite location of its first section of at least twenty miles with the register of the land office in the district of Alaska, as provided in said sections four and five, is hereby extended to and including the thirtyfirst of December, nineteen hundred and four. Second. The time to complete the first section of at least twenty miles of its railroad, as provided in said section five, is hereby extended to and including within one year after the filing and approval of the definite location of said section of said railroad as in said chapter and by this act it is provided; and such railroad company shall be entitled to all the benefits conferred upon it by the provisions of such act upon its due compliance with all the provisions thereof, excepting only the provisions thereof relating to the filing of the map and profile of definite location of its first section of not less than twenty miles of its road within twelve months after filing |