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Show ment was ratified then this commission was to take a census of the Indians, appraise the improvements on their land, select and allot the lands to be given to the Utes, make a full report of their duties to that point and of their action, to the Secretary of the Interior, make a map of the entire survey and submit it with their report and finally aid in the actual deeding of the lands. 26 Each of these actions were conditioned upon the passage of the legislation by Congress approving the agreement between the Utes and the Secretary of the Interior, This agreement was then presented to the Joint Committee on Indian Affairs by the Secretary, Carl Schurz, with his approval and a statement by the President, addressed to both Houses asking for their final approval of the measure as well as stating his support for the Secretary's action. 27 From the Joint Committee the report of the Secretary of the Interior was then sent to the House on May 11, 1880, and ordered to be printed and again referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. 28 The report was given Bill Number 5092 in the House, and Number 1509 in the Senate. 29 The Senate acted quickly on the bill and by April 12, 1880, had passed its version of the agreement by a vote of 37 to 13 with 23 Senators abstaining. 3° This bill was then introduced into the House by Representative Thaddeus C. Pound as a motion to be considered and then sent to the Committee on Indian Affairs. 31 By May 1, the bill was returned to the floor for consideration but not allowed to be diseussed. 32 It was brought back from the committee once again on May 6th with a favorable report. 33 A general debate on the issue lasted until June 7 when the lawmakers finally put the bill to a vote. It passed by a count of 174 for, 15 against, and 103 abstaining. 34 Because the two bills differed slightly it was necessary to call a session of the Joint Committee for Indian Affairs to work out a compromise. The Senate was represented by George H. Pendleton, John S. Williams and W. B. Allison, the House by A. M. Scales, Jas. R. Waddell and Russell Errett. 35 The compromise allowed the Southern Utes to be settled along the La Plata River in New Mexico if there proved to be a lack of agricultural land in Colorado. 36 With the agreement on this amendment the bill, Senate Bill Number 1509, a substitute for House Bill Number 5092, was agreed in final form by both houses on June 14 and sent to the President for his signature the next day. 37 By the 16th, the bill had been returned to Congress by the President, although June 15 was the date it officially became law. 38 The passage of the bill allowing negotiations with the confederated Utes of Colorado had not come too soon, for the Indians felt that the agreement they had 26. Ibid. 27. Ibid.; Ute Agreement, 1880, op. cit., S. E. D. No. 114, pp. 1- 2. 28. U. S., Congress, House, Agreement with Ute Indians of Colorado, House of Representatives, Report No. 1401, 46th Cong., 2d Sess., Ser. No. 1937, May 11, 1880. p. 1; U. S., Congress, House, " Agreement with Ute Indians," Congressional Record, Vol. X, Part 2, 46th Cong., 2d Sess., March 12, 1880, p. 1538. Hereafter cited as Congressional Record, Vol. X, . . . 29. Congressional Record, Vol. X, op. cit,, pp. 1538, 1768. 30. Ibid., pp. 2319- 20. 31. Ibid., p. 2409. 32. Ibid., p. 2926. 33. Ibid., p. 3097. 34. Ibid., pp. 4260- 63. 35. Ibid., p. 4384. 36. Ibid., p. 4487. 37. Ibid., p. 4534. The compromise also named a commission to pick a reservation site for the Uncompahgre band in Utah of arable land could not be obtained. Eventually, these Utes were moved to Utah. 38. Ibid., p. 4620. - 23- |
