OCR Text |
Show . . REPORT OF THE COhlMlSRIOSER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 75 This'report was accr~tllpanied by the draft of a bill which had been presented to the Forty-ainthCongrenti. I u submi t t i~~thgi s bit1 to Con-gress, the President said : The dooumeots thus bubmitted exhibit ertausive and entirely unjusti8able en-aroachments upon lands sat apart for Iudisn occupancy, aod divolose a disregard of Indian righta so long oootiuuad, that the Govarn~uant oan not further tempurize without positive dishonor. Efforts to dislodge trsspsrsers upon these lands have iiu some caaes been misted opoo the poond that certain moneys due from the Government for improvements have not been paid. 80 far sa this olaim ia well founded, the sum necessary to ex-tinguish the 8&me should be at once appropriated and psid. In other cases the posi-tion of these intruders is one of simple and bare-faced wrong-doing, ylainly ques- , tibning the inclination of the Government to protect its dependent Indianivards, and its ability to maintain itself in the guaranty of such proteotian. These intruders should forthwith feel the weight of the Goverument'a power. I earnestly commend the situation and the wrung8 of the Indians ooonpying the reser. vation named to the early attention of the Congress, and ask for the bill herewith I transmitted careful and prompt consideration. AS stated in the last annual report, the bill passed the Senate June 25,1888. It however failed to receive consideration in the House of Representatives. No further action has been taken iu the matter and no information received concerning the status of the suits referred to; but from Dis-trict Attorney Carey's report of November 15, 1887, it would seem thaX even the slow process of the courts will grant little if any relief. The legislation of 1873 was most uofortuuate, in that it permitted oc-oupauts of the reservation, whether with or without legal or equitable rights, to remain unt,il their improvements had been appraised and paid , for. Under the decisions of the courts these occupants had the right to determine whether their improvements had all been appra.ised, and the tender made must be kept good until the case had been determined in court, which, under the Government system of accounting, is imprao-tieable. The agent reports that already the trespassers have gathered uew courage and are preparing to attack the reservation to its full extent, whiah will necessitate the feeding of all the agency herd and horses through the winter or allowing them to starve. As he had only about one-tenth enough feed, it is probable that the latterresult will ensue. The temptation to these men to continue the occupat,ion and to others to follow their example is great. Enough money to build a oabin and buy a brandingiron appears to be all the capital necessary to enable an occupant of the reservation to become wealthy. It is for the in-terests of these men to defeat all legislation looking to the payment of their paltry improvements, originally valued at some $32,000, of which sum $21,000 has been paid, while the ocoupaucy of the reservation is es-timated by an intelligent witness before the Senate committee to be worth $34,125 per annum. |