The Arkansas advocate., 1832-05-09
Indian Appropriation Bill.
REMARKS or MIR. SEVER
(}F ARKANSAS,


 amendment proposed by Mr. VANCE, of
 Ohio, to the Indian Appropriation Bill.
 Mfr. Chairmah, it is but seldom l ev- er trouble the House with my remarks whenever l do so, it is done from a sense of duty to those whose interests -=s ire soHiew hat exclusively conGdcd te my ehafge-I have the honor to come,from that country upon whose border you have located, and prefer to locate, se- veral of your Indian tribes. The agents of these tribes are my intimate acquaintances and friends-they look to me as their representative upon this foor-they expect me to see that no injustiee is done them if can prevent lt. What is the proposition now before the committee. The honorable gentle man from Ohio, {Mr. Vance, objects to fhe appropriation proposed to be made to build Houses for your Indian Agents He prefers to strike out that appropri- ation and by so doing to change the @pfaetiee, the ihyaTislble practice of the government for at least half a century back. Why is this done? Why is it that the agents for the Charlottesville Choctaws, and the Creeks-and I might add the Quapaws are to be put to the expense of building agents houses.- These agents (and l speak only for them, know nothing about other a. gents,) have no houses to reside in-ar.d swhat is more, these agents are not au- thorized to purchase land Of the Indi- ans upon which they build. They, like ail other citizens, are expressly forbid den to buy land of the Indians. is it then reasonable to expect that their agents arc to build houses at their own 5 expense, out of an inadequate salary.up- on b,diaa 1a'ad, when at the same time . they have no security in the tenure of their otfices-when any of them or all of them may be removed from office to- morrow. Sir, l am indeed astonshed that any gentlemen shoull insist upon proposition so very unreasonable as this appears to he to me. Ii is striking at the very roots of our Indian policy.
 Other gentlemen seem to think, that the sam proposed to be appropriated is enterely too large. What is this ap- propration for? It is to build not only houses for the agents, but blacksmith shops for the Indians. We are bound by treaty stipulations to build them shops. The great majority of the In- dians live by hunting--they must have their guns kept in repair or they will starve. What is the sum proposed to be appropriated for this double pur~ pose? Would any gentleman believe from hearing this debate, that the whole sum was but seven thousand dot larst' Seven thousand dollars to build blacksmith shops and agency houses, permanent houses, for six or eight tribes of Indians! Gentlemen must certainly be jesting-they cannot be desirous in making such all objection. Do you pro- pose to put their agents in log cabin cabin without floor, or if You please, with a puncheon floor and covered with bark or clapboard. You, sir, should reeollect that agents are public o0Srers, and should not merely on that account be prescribed. They are ge- aerally gentlemen, (at least so far as know of them,) and expect to live as such. They expect, even in the will derness, to enjoy some of the comforts of life, although l must confess their comforts are very limited. They ex- peet to entertain gentlemen who cali upon thcma as gentlemen should be en- tertained, in such way as the govern inent they represent shall not be dis graced. In considering the the amount proposed to be appropriated, the House should recollect. that in an Indian country there arc no saw mills, and that every material for building is pfocur- cd with great expense and difficulty You will find in those countries that even comfortable log cabin will cost two or three hundred dollars. You should bear in mind MT. Chairman, that the agents should have council house in addition to their residence, in which to receive the Indians on busi- ness, and, in which, also, they may be enabled to preserve their papers-the public money and property-these hous- es should be protected by pickets, for, sithout such defence, as the agent is