The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-20

had not heard this old song and over again
lei us pass this bill now tomorrow, or at some
convenient season we will correct IT, The money il
zone; where IL the use Of locking the door when
she horse IL stolen II wss IDLE Il they did not in
tend 10 begin their work Of reform on the Appropr
alon bills and il was utterly astonishing, whom q
million and quarter Of dollars were going out OF
The treasury, that they were TO he told "Why, just
mske the appropriation now, and afterwards you
can correct abuses" He could not he would not.
He could not repndiate the faith Of the government
but he trusted IN God he should repudists fraud to
The day Of judgment
Mr. GEO. S. HOUSTON replied to Mr. GRA-
" HAN, The gentleman, (said Mr. II } says he thinks
for himsef and seems 10 rebuke that spirit, which,
10 some extent has prevailed IN this House the
part Of gentlemen, Of taxing bills and giving them
their support because reported from the standing
committees Of the House, IN which they had conf
denee. lie would ask the honorable gentleman, If
he thinks for himself, Why he has not commenced
thinking hule soonerl His mind seemed to act
rather slow for the business Of Congress. By refer
saes 10 this bill Il was that the honorable chair
man Of III. Committee Of Ways and Means report
ed H. and Il was printed the 9,h Of January, and
now yes the 18th February, during which Iime il
had been IN tendency, and yet the gentleman had
not read the lndAn treaties, and (he supposedly had
not commenced shrinking" upon The subject until
to-day; and now he has wicked up in violent opposi.
ton 10 this bill, because, forsooth. the comaitlee
Will not wait month longer, and allow the gehile-
Jake 10 rebuke the gentlsmani he had the right TO
read them, not 10 read them, and he had the same
right 10 think in that independent way IA which he
says he does, and in which no doubt he does; but
then, he could 20, ask the Commitlse OF Ways and
Means 10 agree'to delay the important business Of
this Congress for months, In order 10 allow him
tms 70 obtain this Information. II the gentleman
could not examine few Indian treaties In q month
and nearly hAf, what was he 10 do with the bal
ancs Of the bud kss which came before the House,
-
hslon'
The gentleman said he had contributed his share
10 reform the abuses In the Indian department Mr..
H. had personal knowledge Of he tact; but from
he knowledge Of the character Of the honorable gen
ueman he had no doubt he would be Of the very
men who would do as much any one for the cor
reeion Of abuses which came under his control.
But the gentleman said weeds would grow IN good
ground. This, however, Sas notA case which assim
lated TO summer ploughng. II was true, then that
constant wedding reqUired bat here do the work
right al the siartso surround and bar up those ap.
l propnsdons from spectators and punderers that
there would remain no hope for them--snd the field
would not require wedding every week.
Blu, how could they do upon an appropriation hall
What was required 10 be don.i That was what he
asked; and he did not think IL exactly kind in the
g5nLlsman from North Carolina to make the motion
he did. He not did think that the sort Of
be should pursue in opposinga BILL when he brought
no, forward one solitary proposition Of amendment.
He did not intimate that he had got the means by
which he would remedy the abuses when he alleges
10 exist il they delayed the bill.
In reference to one point made by the gentleman,
u and by other gentlemen, let him say one word.
Suppose made treaty with a tribe OF lndiaI y,
by which we purchased their property, and agreed
70 pay them, say $4,000, their number being 5000.
i Now, suppose IN the course OF few yesrs, afler
we have got their property, end their lands have
passed into the hands Of our citizens, and yielding
all their products to this government, the number OF
Indians is reduced to 1000 the gentleman, rs he
understood him, would propose to reduce the an
! nuly paid in compensation for this property to
one-fhh what was stipulated in solemn treaty by
i this government! Did not the honorable member
/ know, il the contract was good under the treaty
when the Indians were 5000 in number--it We OBJ
tain valid consideration for the sum we pay-if the
/ tribe were reduced down TO one mamie would be
entitled to IT, if he could be called the and re-
mainder ofthe tribe, and we would be equally bound
II to pay it,
Mr. H. also illustrated what he conceived TO be
the weakness Of the position he combating, by
supposng rice rersa that the tribe TO increa sc
to twice or to ten times its original number, after
the treaty made. In that case, surely the gen.
leman from North Carolina would be the last TO
propose that annuity should be proportienaiely
increased, But the one thing was as reasonable as
the other.
He was willing to 90 with the gentleman, and he
should like very much if some bill could be
brought forward for recifying all the abuses con-
nected with the Indian department. Though he
was not Familiarity acquainted with the subject he
feared some reforms were necessary among our In
dian agents; he believed there should be sort
Of restriction upon the money paid to the Indians,
so that il should not pass into the hands Of those
cormorsnts who had been alluded to, who hang
upon the skirts Of the Indian tribes to plumber them
other just receipts and destroy their substance.
But this reform could not be accomplished in this
bill; might be delayed six months longer, and il
could not be. He therefore trusted the bill would
be acted upon without postponement.
i Mr., Mckay rose TO correct a Misrepresentation
i which he feared had resulted from some former re-
| marks which he had made. He wished to do away
the impression that these expenditures were of
l permanent nature; that impression was erroneous;
these annuities were temporary. The amount paid
TO the Miamies, who numbered only $50 souls, was
s66000 but this would not be the case lorg. He
referred to an item Of $4,000 paid to the Miamies
under the treaty Of 24thof October 1884, and stated
that this the last Of ten annual instruments stlp-
uaed to be paid the next item was SIP 500, which
would continue only two years more. The amount
Of annutes now so large, wo:ld, after few years,
Mr. J. r. INGERSOLL. said that we had distinct
laws, under which we proposed to make these dis
\ tnct appropriations. We were now called upon by
The gentleman from North Carolina, Mr.. GRAHAM,
TO postpone these appropriations for the purpose OF
modifying existing laws; this would be very ex'
/ ,raordnary procedure. He had listened with pleas
we 10 the remarks Of the gentleman from Missouri,
and the practical illustrations which he had given.
He concurred with that gentleman, that the Indians
were under the tutorage Of this government, and il
any portion of our policy was attended with pecu-
liar delcacy, and required most scrupulous COURSE
twas in regard to these Indians, whom in the
progress Of civilization, we had deprived of their
lands, Again: we had made solemn contracts with
these Indians, and we had made them in anticipa-
hon of the events which had occurred. Some Of them
we're made thirty or forty years ago; and in con
temptation Of the fact that the tribe would dwindle
away, or even become finally extinct, how could
We in contemplation Of these contracts and Of the
claims which the Indians had upon us for having
usurped their territory now undertake to make
change in our policy in regard to themi
Mr.. WHITE advocated the amendment which
he had offered, and which looked to the security Of
The Indians from any improper influence or inter
ference in the application Of the money appropriated
for their benefit In regard to the Winnebagoes, he
mentioned that the only person whom they relied
upon to protect their rights had been expelled from