The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-08
CITY OF WASHINGTON, SATURDAY MORNING, JULY s. 184s

put him Isir bovsrosl position aniAxOns'ie to the
~outh
Nj HARALsoN replied ,s4, he "a, the gentleman in
no other ~t,oa thAs that ~hsh he voluntarily assumed
Mr. HOUSTON ,ook his position where his sense Of
duty pointed. however affected the north OF the south
tie restricted wthsn geographical snes In the
TO indicate that his was an "A ~ defeat the south
procuring mail fsct,es We would hk~ 10 know wi hat
mail facilities Nv~ Orleans had Dad New Orleans get
the benefit al this weekly segyee, Which now Mt
tempted TO be given 20 Charleston and Savannah He
believed Savannah was an Geoua. the gen,enxns own
| Slate. -
| Mr. HARALSoN had never charged The gentleman
with being opposed the south and favor 81 the north
nor would he degrade hins~i much 10 stand here
s sAslusss Ispsss", ia, o. any Lals u ss.oon %
ION with the "Soo ne" might Be made TO sdtets week
| " communication between New York and The West In
for the British mail which !. now maintained along our
coast from New York to the West Indies al an enormous
expense.
State OF Georgia al about 100 miles That communities
ton extended the mountains, and BY It's
means the valleys OF the Ohio and Mlsssslppl were
brought 10 the ports OF Charleston and Savannah
than to any other Atlantic ports.
| He spoke also OF the importance of weekly commu-
ncaon with the West India islands IN political point
| OF view; OF the growing conmerce Of the ports OF
Charleston and Savannah, and the advantages ot this
weekly communication with them both to the east and
to the west-all now proposed to be accomplished for
present Soo line in 1897
The CHAIRMAN here announced the hour for the
termination OF debate upon these amendments and the
Senate amendment read
| After some conversation between Mr. HOUSTON Of
Alabama and Mr. VlNTON, with reference TO the
concurrence in he Senate amendment and decided in
the affirmative by report of tellers-ahrmatve VI, mega
| tive AZ.
On motion of Mr. VlNTON. the Post Office bill was
now laid aside and the several Senate amendments 10
the Indian appropriation bill taken up and consid
| Mr.. VINTON remarked that the Committee of Ways
and Means had recommended concurrence in all the SEN
ate amendments excepting those which relate to the third
section OF the bill and moved that the vote be taken
upon the concurrence recommended
The question then taken accordingly, and decided
The third section of the BILL as il passed the House
authorizing only nine Indian agents and sS sabaseBts
was then read.
| Mr.. JOHNSON of Arkansas rose and addressed the
committee against the provisions of this section. The
objects OF the Indian policy were the benefit of the Uni
ted States, and the ameioraton of the Indian We
had found that that course OF policy which the most
peaceful and benign in its influences the best for all
parties This was the policy of agencies giving sepa
rate agent to every tribe.
Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas
the States interested in this question and the pro-
posed reduction of agencies would work the loss of
fdence the part OF the Indians and trouble in all the
border settlements No could be recognised the
agent of any tribe where he does happen to live and
the consequences would be eaousies, INSTRUMENTATION
|
tempt to amag amae the tribes the plea for
missing in the Of $4,000 whereas the first outbreak
Of hostities will cost this government from $4,000 to
$looooQ The credit Of this proposed change in our In
Carolina IMr. McKAY] and head behind him. who was
in the habit Of doing all the legislation here the SUBJ
stood TO refer to the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs.
Members OF Congress could not be supposed to know
much about our Indian affairs but the executive depart
ment is compelled to know Of those AFFAIRS and it ought
be compelled make the necessary recommendations
This whole scheme of reducing the number OF our
agents perfectly wild Ii would work the Donation
aizaOn Of the tribes. The present policy to give
to each tribe agent He referred the history of the
Semnoles and Creeks to show that any amagamaon OF
these tribes will be resisted and lead TO boodshed He
understood that the number oil agents to be dismissed by
this section is fourteen; the present number twenty
nnethe number proposed to be retained being fifteen. He
should hereafter oppose the preensons of any man to the
office of Commissioner OF Indian Affairs who comes from
any region of the Mississippi rivers for ii plain
his mind, that no man would make such recommended
on understanding as he ought the character OF our In
dian tribes,
He proceeded also to show that it was stipulated with
the Chckasaws that there should be agency sustained
for that tribe the part of the United States forever
and that the Chickasaws and Choctaws had respectively
declined any proposition agamate their interests
House on the subject OF the reduction Of the salaries Of
the agents from 81 800 to 81 20O and of the sub
from 81 ,O50 $780, He insisted that these all po
stons of heavy responsibility, and declared that the
duced salary proposed would not be sufficient to
mand the services OF men OF adequate proby and COM
potency. 5yry oa 5d rl UT Eva. ..-.
He proceeded further to animadvert upon the consruc-
ton of law, by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and
show that he not always very scrupulous of the
inyioabiy OF treaties with the Indian tribes especially
in where the government might economist by their
infringement He complained also OF the act OF Con-
gress which directs that annues shall be paid to the
Indians per CAPITA instead of paying to the proper author
tiles of the tribes This was done for the purpose OF
breaking down the authority of their chiefs.
Mr. MCKAY said it was due to himself to reply. The
mode of paying annuites authorized by law, and the
Commissioner obliged to proceed accordingly He
showed that the suggestions about economisng in the
Indian policy came originally from the Office of the Sec
rotary OF War in the year 1876 The House Committee
on Indian Affairs OF that Congress concurred in the sug
gestons of the Secretary of War and the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, and incorporated them in the form of an
amendment to the Indian appropriation bill but it
ected by the Senate then, it has been rejected
again. He relieved himself from any impuation OF col
fusion with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, by de-
siton in questions and referring particularly to the time
when it DONE and by repeating again the extract
from the report OF the Committee Indian Affairs OF the
session Of 1si6-47, which he also read at the time
when he introduced this third section. which adopt
ed by the House. 4r.a.a s,.,,4..,,f.,.. lo,I.
He proceeded to explain the provisions of the section
in question, and to show how it harmonzes with the
existing Indian policy. 1o IL luiipsg, sI frsg 4g.
| Mr.. JOHNSON again addressed the committee on the
serving peace among them The gentleman from North
Carolina had lost all his cautousness upon this subject
since his Indians all thrown upon borders be.
You'd the Mississippi He insisted that the section should
dry chiefs and Indian agentsof Choctaws, Cheokees,
and Semihoes-protesting against this new policy He
preferred that the responsibility Of the management Of
Al D. L. -