OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LXXXIII In a very recent report to the War Department, General John Gib-bon, commanding the milisary Department of the Columbia, called at-tention to the oft-repeated, and, Imay say very generally oredited, story of fraud in the treaty of 1865, whereby the Warm Spri~lgsIndianws ere, it is claimed, cheated out of their fishing privileges at the Dalles. Gen- , era1 Gibbon thluks that, under the circumstances, Congress might be asked to appropriate a yearly sum for a term of years to be expended in the purohase of oured salmon for issue to these Indians. By a recent letter from W. H. White, esq., United States attorney for Washington Territory, to Agent Priestly, of the Yakama agency, it is learned that in January last,iu thecase of.TheUnitedStates us. Taylor, the Territorial supreme court had the Yakama treaty of June 9, 1855 (12 Stat., 951), before it for construction. Taylor had taken a homestead on the banks of the river, and erecteda fence, which obstructed the ap. , proaches to the fishery, and prevented the Indians from enjoying the right to take fish at one of their usual and accustomed places. The court held that the obstruction was unlawful, and, although Taylor had a patent for his land, ordered the removal of the fence. Under this decision, the rights of the Yakamas in these fisheries can no longer he denied or disputed. Very respectfiilly, Sour obedient aervant, J. D. C. ArKms, Commissioner. The SEOBETARY 08 THE INTERIOR. |