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

designated the manner in which the money for their
schools should be appropriately II was ieh 10 the
discretion Of the President. The House could not
by this bill repeal treaty stipulation Mr. nj,
read the 4th article of the treaty.
| Mr.. WHITE said, he hoped the substitute would
not DO adopted. Some time since, he had given no
tiee 10 the House of his intention to Introduce bill
relating to this subject; but knowing the difficulty
of accomplishing anything in that way, he had Ia
ken the opportunity Of offering an amendment 20
this appropriation bill, for the purpose Of reach
ing the complaints that had come to him from
this individual tribe. Ii the gentleman who offered
the substitute would look into the treaty with that
tribe Of Indians, made in 1897, he would find that il
was not LEFT discretionary with the President of the
United States, or anybody else to appropriate mo-
ney. or to- order appropriations. But SEINE officers
of the government had taken upon themselves TO
order these appropriations, or TO put them off alto
gether The treaty Of 1887 stipulated for the appro-
pration Of $500 for purposes Of education. The
Winnebagoes had not had this money. IL had
passed into the hands of some Individuals who those
individuals are, he had not been informed, nor did
| he care. Mr. w. read from the bk various items
of appropriation, as provided for under the treaty
viz; for purposes Of education 50 500 for the sup
port Of an interpreter, $500; Of miller $500; for
medical service and medicine 5000. This, he said
part of the interest secured 10 these Indians
be paid upon amount of Sll 900 which to
be invested under this treaty for the benefit of these
Indians. IL was merely TO carry out the provisions
Of this treaty that he had offered the amendment
lf it passed, and not required absolute
y necessary, Il could do no harm; and if the priv
| leges and powers promised them under the treaty
were not enjoyed by them, certainly il needed
| He had before him several documents in relation
to this matter which somewhat important,
as they showed the fact most conclusiyely thai,
for some reason not known TO him (Mr w. } and he
presumed no. known TO this House, or to the coun-
try, TO the officers Of government the governor
Of Iowa refused to permit Catholic priest or school
nsster to enter into the territory belonging to these
Indians 10 preach to or to instruct them. Now il
was well known by gentlemen who resided in the
neighborhood Of the Indians that all these Indians
were Of the Catholic persussion and IL not
wrong and highly improper for this government to
engage in q persecution against any particular rel-
gious denominations He had before him u letter Of
Gov. Chambers Of BOD April, 1874, to the Indian
agent, in which he directed that agent to prevent
the establishing any school within that territory
which shall be taught by Catholic. He had also
before him statements showing that the money
which is secured to be paid 10 these Indians was
paid to certain chiefs of that tribe, rather to the
traders of that tribe, and the chiefs are indebted to
these traders generally for the whole amount Of the
appropriation; the result of which that the
money is applied TO the payment of these debts
created by the warriors, chiefs or a few head men,
and never reaches the nation at all. He did not
know how il was with reference TO other tribes; he
| had therefore confined his amendment 10 this tribe
concerning which he had received information. The
amendment certainly could not be objectionable
because If the government officers discharged prop
erly their duties it would he entirely nopera-
tive; if they did not let them understand that il is
the wish of this House that the provisions of this
| treaty shall be carried out.
He was at loss to know why the chairman Of
| the Committee Of Ways and Means who reported
this BILL and who declared in his remarks Yesterday
| that he was IN favor OF some plan that should
cure the appropriation Of this money to the benefit
boa. lnlt dad ~ -
posed to the proposition which he presented. The
gentleman had stated that there was over million
Of dollars proposed TO be appropriated by this bill;
and yet he unwilling that a single dollar Of it
should be protected, and be made certain Of reach
ing its proper destination for the benefit of the In
dams.
This was only beginning OF the reform which
he hoped the Committee on Indian Affairs would
carry out by the introduction Of bill which should
secure the appropriation of all this money TO the Oh
| jects for which il intended.
| Application had been made heretofore to the
President of the United States by the chiefs of this
tribe for permission TO employ their own preachers.
That application never had been answered. And
whyi Now it would be well to inquire into the
reasons why these poor Indians never had been
heard by the "great father" as they termed the
President of the United States. What was the rea-
SOM Was It because there were certain bands of
harpies prowling about the neighborhood of these
Indians to suck up and to defraud them of this lit
tie annuity granted to them in payment for the i'm
mense domain they have coded to this government
Was it for this purpose He did not charge any
such views upon any officer of this government; but
he hoped the Committee on Indian Affairs would
report bill making separate and distinct bureau
for Indian affairs, where the commissioner the
officer having charge should be directly accountable
to the people of the United States for the manner in
which this money is appropriated
He could not see what objection there could be TO
permitting these Indians to appropriate their own
money in their own way, and to employ their own
laborers, mechanics, minister's and physicians
About twenty one thousand dollars Ind been appro
priated for education since the ratification Of that
treaty; and yet he crediby informed that in that
school not a solitary individual had been educated
so as to read, write and cypher, and to become
qualned with the common branches Of education;
and that that school, instead of being benefit to
these Indians, had been converted into curse
Again: six hundred dollars was stipulated under
that treaty to be appropriated to the payment of
p MUSICIAN to The tribe. For some reason, not
known to him, that amount had been reduced to
S300-a sum too small to induce any man of skill to
accept the appointment; and the consequence was
that 1t had been conferred upon the physician with
in the fort residing within the fort and there was
an order from the commanding officer Of the fort to
prevent any Indian approaching within half mile of
III Where was the justice or propriety of such an
application of this money, which was intended for
the benefit of these poor Indans' Was there no
possibility of surrounding these appropriations with
guards-of ensurng its application in such manner
as provided for in this treaty. If the chairman of
the Committee of Ways and Means opposed to
tiff he desirous that every dollar of that mo-
ney should fall into the hands Of sharpers and spec
ulalors, then let him oppose tho amendment. He
had confidence that this amendment would secure
the object intended to be secured by it,
These Indians satisfied him by evidence which
he had before him that they were better treated by
Catholic priests than by any other. In early life
they had been under the influence of these priests
and their children and their adults had been brought
up IN that persuasion; that they would accept
Of other teachers. And should we attempt, by the
power of the government, to endeavor to compel
them into any other persuasioni He insisted upon
it that It was unworthy the officers of the govern
ment it was unworthy the government itself to I'M
dertake any such course with these poor unfortu-
nate Indians.
Mr.. KcKAY was understood to repeat wha, he
had said yesterday, that the amendment was unne- I
cessary. He had yesterday stated that he wished
his friend from Missiasinni The chairman Of The