Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-21
in THE SENATE-FEBRUARY Is, 1916.
THE OREGON AGENT


The bill for the relief of Elijah White was then taken u in
Committee Of the Whole.
Mr. PEARCE said he had looked into the SUBJECT and WAS
satisfied that there valid claim relief proposed to
be granted The petitioner (Ehjah Whitley represents that
ne was appointed for The Indians west of the Rocky
Mountains in 1912 In his statement fled among the papers
accompanying another BILL he states that pursuance Of in
structions from the War Department he proceeded in the
spring Of that year to the western frontier Of Missouri where
ne succeeded IN getting together band Of Oregon enipta
whom he conducted their journey the Willamette val
ley In lS45 he returned the United States not al the
command Of his Government but the request of the
oregon Legislature as sort OF bearer Of dispatches On his
way 10 the United States he attacked and robbed by the
Pawnee Indians and he claims be reimbursed by the Uni
ted States the Of the value property OF which he
was thus despolod This claim up under the l7th sec
uon Of inc act Of 1894 regulating intercourse with the nsn
tribes, which provides that il any Indians belonging to tribe
IN amiy with the United States sa take destroy the pro-
perry Of person auAy within the Indian country ap
pcaiion shall be made 10 the nation tribe for satisfaction
10 ssary shs 30 eascs. umroch .,nu;,y ma
IN the mean ms The United States guaranty 10 the psrty
injured m eventual decentralization.
Mr. Whfs, without showing demand for satisfaction upon
tho Pswncc ubcs and relying for eventual inemn6caon
upon the Government Of the United States clams immediate
payment out Of the Treasury close examination OF the
law OF 1884, regulating with the Indian tribes and
organizing the Indian Department. will show that he
entitled to indemnify either immediate But first
may be remarked, that Is least very doubtful whether
Mr. Whites appointment originally lawful whether the
Department Of War did exceed authority when he was
appointed subsgen for the Indians Of the Rocky Noun
tans The act Of 1884 does in terms include the coun
try west Of the Rocky Mountains and spirit excludes it,
first ten sections contain provisions applicable that
region, inconsistent with the conventions Of 1918 and 1927
and the enforcement Of which would bring directly in con-
1c with the British They provide that no license TO trade
the Indian country shall be given any citizens Of the
United States that persons trading the Indian country
without hcense shall I've removed by the agent subagent
md military force authorized il necessary They require
orcigDcvs 10 obtain passports from the War Department and
impose upon such persons fines foreucs and penalties
Now, the region Of the Rocky Mountains be Indian
ount within the meaning of the law the agents Of the
fudsons Bay company should once he fined their MGR
hsndsc be forfeited and themselves elected the country
must therefore, be certain that this law was not intended
operate beyond the Rocky Mountains and the appointment
Mr.. White to be clearly Illegal Besides the
vet organizing the Indian Department requires that each agency
subaeency shall be established either by bound
'nes by designation Of tribes. But whether his appoint
nent was legal not clear that he entitled 10
indemnity.
The 4th section Of the act organizing the Indian Depart
ent provides that every Indian agent shall reside at such
place as the President may indicate and shall depart from
the limits OF his agency without permission Now il does not
appear that Mr. White had permission leave his agency
aeen, not as and he dcuy within the Indian
country when he robbed but he there in violation of
inc "a" which forbade him leave his agency without the
pion OF ms Goverpment He engaged three men to ac-
company him vho well himself were robbed They
heh inventories and valuations and swear 10 them and
us s me whole proof Even If this were sufficient the oh
la'a mat they were not afuHy within the Indian
country according " the act Of 1894
hr. ATCHIsoN said that The time ,v,s =, b.,d 49,, a.,
"od nave 10 proceed 10 tho consideration of the src,
80 ne would prefer that the bill be laid ON tho ,,be Ca
Wy po'' winch motion was acquiesced in