The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-21

Oregon territory shall be vested with the authority to
TO be arrested any citizen or other person
who shall send carry talk speech message
letter or sign. from any Indian tribe nation chief
indiydusl with an intent 10 produce cation or
nS,euon any treaty or to disturb the peace and tran
guny ofthe United States Of said Indian tribes and
brought before him and IT, upon inquiry and fall insestga
on the superintendent shall be clearly satisfied Of the
guilt Of the accused he shall such punishment 70 be
not extending any life Limb; Provided hOosus
That the party accused shall have the privilege of sum
him aud OF confronting his sccuse the trial. find pro
VdsS yhsr That the superintendent shall in every case
repon forthwith full account Of all the facts and his
eesdings thereon to the Secretary ofWsr
sEe .iad6f 1a,iAsr snasss That for the purpose Of
turbsnces Of the peace between American citizens and the
various Indian tribes the Presdsnt shall be- and he here
by authoHIed to cause Of the friendly Indians on the
mountains 20 bsrnished with useful domestic animals
and Implements Of hpsbanary with goods. he shall
ents shall exceed the Of ten thousand dop and
detailed and specific account Of the distribution provided
for in this shall be kept and regularly returned the
seerstsry Of War asstsd in manner as may be pre-
scrbsd by the President fd presided The said dstrbu.
9S shall BE- made By the proper officers Of government
sac g md bsa hsv enacted That the President ofths
United States be- and he Is hereby sathonsd such
l i,asRa q ss .f saSss ,s s
may visit as supsro,sa y sssne.s. IN the Oregon
and rendered and in shall the thus expended
exceed two hsu,and dollars In apsysar r...'-I..
n shall ss sTsesa 81 he rs.ssnt r Of the
and the different agents IN the territory Of Oregon under
amount not exceeding three thousand dollars shall be
pended
src TO- 8nd BE- JaytG enacted That the sum Of thirty
out Of any money in the Treasury otherwise sppropr
sied. for the purpose Ofcsryns this &C, into effect
The first section OF the bill being under considera-
ton, -
by reducing the salary Of the superintendent Of In
dian affairs from a 900 to $1,000.
Mr.. JACOB THOMPSON said he did not sup
pose that the committee or the House would attrib-
ute 70 him any disposition TO favor extrayaganl sala
ries He desired however to be liberal in this case
because he thought that the public service required
iberality. The service to be performed was Of a
delicate nature, and would require an individual Of
such character as that entire confidence could be
placed in him. The Hudson Bay Company at this
time had almost the enure control Of the Oregon In
dams. We wanted man Of frmness, intelligence,
and character. Through the Indian agent had TO
be derived almost all the authentic information given
to the government; and we all knew how very lm-
portant such information at this time would be. The
bill ought not to authorize such a salary as would
enable the President to tender the Office to any up
start who might want a place; but such salary as
would command the services of man fit and com
potent to be President Of the United States. Such
man would not be willing to break up his business
connexions, and leave his home for such distant
region for the salary proposed by the gentleman
from Tennessee Mr.. JoHssos,l He (Mr. TD
hoped the amendment would not prevail.
Mr.. A. JOHNSON said he had no desire To en-
barrass the bill, but he had proposed the amendment
under conviction that salary Of $4,000 was alto
gether too much. The position itself was worth
fortune without dollar Of salary; and salary Of
SO 900 ample to secure the services Of any man
competent to discharge the duties Of the Office.
Mr.. THURMAN moved to amend the amend
ment by striking out 81 900 and inserting g. 900.
And MR. T. said) he would briefly assign his
sons for the motion. This Indian agent or superin-
tendent was not officer appointed under ordinary
circumstances. He would, to certain extent, have
TO see the laws executed in the Oregon territory. He
oughtlo be superior man, for good deal would
depend upon him. Much in relation TO the peace of
that country would depend upon him; much wheth-
CT there should he conflict there or not. He ought,
therefore, to be ofabity, weight of character,
and sound Judgment and not a man Of mere ordna-
nv intellect. He thought, under these circumstan-
ces, that $4,000 would be proper remuneration.
Mr.. A. JOHNSON here suggested that q, motion
should first be submitted to strike out the sum alto
sether, leaving blank. 1t could then be filed up
with such sum as the committee might think
proper.
The motion took that form, and the question
thereon having been taken and decided in the affirm
alive,
The amount was stricken out.
Mr. THURMAN then moved to fiji the blank
with the sum of $1,000.
Which motion, by ayes 65 noes 81, was agreed
to.
Mr.. BRoDHEAD now moved to substitute
$4,000 instead Of $4,000
The motion was not in order.
Mr. seldom indicated motion to strike out
the sixth section
The motion was not in order at this time, but is
required to hereafter.
No further amendment having been offered to the
first section it was passed over.
And the second section having been read,
Mr.. YANCEY moved to strike out the sum of
$50 'he salary of the Indian "s'n'') and insert
Mr.. JACOB THOMPSON believed Che said)
that AL 500 was the salary received by ali the Indian
agents on this side of the mountains. Surely the
House would not give less to those on the other
side Ifany discrimination at all to be made, he
thought it should be in favor of those agents who
were farthest removed from the settlements.
Mr.. YANCEY was understood to say that he
was willing TO carry out the reduction, IN any prop
err bill, TO all the agents alike.
Mr.. MCKAY could not Che sadly see the necessi-
tv of this second section. The act of 1884 author
lied the appointment of Indian agents to be located
on this side of the mountains. But there anoth-
err provision which gave authority to the President
to appoint any number of sub-agens to be located
west OF the ROCKY MOUNTAINS. ne MI mch'
submitted that under the power which the President
already possessed, to appoint as many sub-agepts
as he pleased, there was no necessity for this sec
ton Their compensation was fixed at $3.50 These
sub-agents, with the assistance of the interpreters
for whose appointment the bill provided, were just
as competent to perform the service required as
agents.
Mr.. PETIT was here understood to inquire,
whether the President had not, by virtue of the law
IN which the gentleman referred, already appointed
an Indian agent west Of the Rocky mountains'
Mr.. Mckay said, such was the fact
There was another provision in the same act,
which authorized the President to require any officer
of the army to perform the duty of Indian agent.
There were many gentlemen here, LAS had been de-
monstrated in the course of recent debates,) who
thought that there were great many supernumer-
aries in the army, who had no particular duty to
attend to. II this was the case and If Gas he trust.
ed) il was not likely that we should have war,
why could not these duties be performed by those
supernumerary military officers' The law empow-
erng the President to employ them was express
and positive He moved to strike out the section.
Mr.. JACOB THOMPSON said, that the gentle-