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Show tions to carry out the agreement. 68 Hill also introduced a bill, Senate Number 1861, calling for acceptance of the agreement and its implementation. 69 In addition he asked that Congress provide suitable agricultural lands for the Southern Utes and the Uncompahgre Utes besides those lands provided for in the agreements" Both Senators' bills were referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs but failed to return to the floor of the Senate for consideration. One year later two more bills were introduced by Senator Hill. Senate Bills Number 27 and 29 asked that the 1880 agree ment be amended to allow for removal of the Utes to a new location. 71 Added to the Hill bill was the introduction of a resolution. Senate Resolution Number 21, by Senator Teller asking that the Commission appointed for the 1880 agreement be authorized to conclude an agreement for an exchange of the land alloted to the Southern Utes in Colorado for land in Utah. 72 Teller also submitted another resolution on the same day asking the Secretary of the Interior if the land given to the Southern LItes by the 1880 agreement was suitable as a permanent home for these people. 73 It was obvious that Teller concurred with Manypenny's report. This concurrence had earlier been stated in the January, 1881, discussion of the failure of Senate Bill Number 1509, which had been the legislative action approving the 1880 agreement. They [ the Committee of Indian Affairs] provided that the Indians should go to the La Plata River. I said in my place in the Senate, standing where I do now, that to my almost certain knowledge, not having been there, but from evidence that to me was entirely satisfactory, it was no place to put them. I recollect I said that white men of the most energetic character would find it difficult to make a living upon that soil. During the last season I made a trip to that region. I did not propose that anybody should inquire whether I spoke from personal knowledge or heresay on the question, and I went there with witnesses. They proposed to put a thousand Indians upon the La Plata River, at an elevation of more than eight thousand feet above the sea, more than two thousand feet higher than Mount Washington, and expected them to become cultivators of the soil, and to allot them this arid and worthless land. Said one of the witnesses who went with me, ' Every month of the year there is a frost.' When we went over the place provided for a thousand Indians we found about five hundred acres of land that might, by active energetic European or American citizens, be made a home, possible and there were five hundred inches of water in the stream. Five hundred inches would not irrigate the five hundred acres and, said the people who live in the neighborhood, ' Every year or two the whole creek goes dry/ 74 The Secretary of the Interior, S. J. Kirkwood, agreed with Teller and Many-penny. In his report to the Senate he stated: Touching that portion of the inquiry in the resolution refer- 68. U. S., Congress, Senate, Congressional Record, Vol. XI, Part 1, 46th Cong., 3d Sess., December 7, 1880, p. 15. Hereafter cited as Congressional Record, Vol XI. . . 69. Ibid., p. 16. 70. Ibid. 71. U. S., Congress, Senate, " Bills Introduced," Congressional Record, Vol. XIII, Part 1, 47th Cong., 1st Sess., December 5, 1881, p. 3. Hereafter cited as Congressional Record, Vol. XIII, . . . 72. Ibid., p. 266. 73. U. S., Congress. Senate, Mis. Doc. No. 24, 47th Cong.. 1st Sess., Ser. No. 1993, January 9, 1882. 74. Congressional Record, Vol. XI, op. cit., p. 782. - 28- |