The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-04-03


There is not one foot Of cedsd lands within neF
| ho,ders Yet nearly two years befTe Minncst-
IN was declared an organized Territory, Congress
/ ,,vc Oregon an organic act simi!ar 10 our own
/ they recognized the people in hal Territory us
citizrns to the fullest extent An execnfivr, n
judiciary, a legislature, aud thousands oil dollars
1 Tor Tie erection uf public buildings, library, nc.
we're all provided for in that act Il II claimed
tbat Congress had no right TO do dis because The
peopIe Ct Oregon resided upon indiin lands
/ j3ut il is said that the United states government
never recognized the Indian title Ia the lands Il
| Oregon IL such were The fact, II would he an
important distinction between their case and ours
/ Bar such is not the fact. By authorizing treaties
with the Indians of Oregon for the pnIchIsesoi
their lands, Congress has acknowledged the.in-
dian title there as fully as in Minnesota. The
general government has never recognized fnli
title in the Inaians to lands any where; treaties
are only made with them for the ex,inguishmen:
Of their possessory lille. BY acts of the last ses-
sion Of Congress, am prepared to show that
the lndi,in til,i lands in Oregon is as fully rec
ogniZed as II s IN any other part of the United
States. read from page 1872 Of The acts OF the
first session of.lhe 3lst Congress:
"For expenses Of holding treaties with the IN
dian tribes of Oregon, for an exiinguishmcnt of
their claims To lands !, ing west rf the Cascade
mountains, authorized by act ef Congress, of 9th
June, 1885, tie same being in addition 10 the aT'
preparation made by that act, fifteen thousand
dollars"
+ The first sec lion Of the act Of The fifth Of Jnne,
1850. here referred to, reads as follows:
az hat the President be authorized to appoint
one or more commissioners to negotiate treaties
with tie several Indian tribes in The Territory
Of Oregon, for the exinguishnent of their
claims to lapds lying west Of the Cascade
mountains; AND if found expedient and pracina-
bic, for their: removal east Of said mornans
also, for obtaining their assent and submission to
the existing laws regulating trade and intercourse
with the Indian tribes in the other .Teulicrie' OF
the United States, 40 Ear rs they may be appca-
bic 10 the tribes in the said Territory Of Oregon
the ccmpcnsai.on to such commissioner ct 10 eX-
coed the rate heretofore allowed for similar ser
v:-cs."
Now, Mr.. Speaker, apprehend. that rpon in
spcction Of these acts Of Congress no one Nil be
found to doub. the right of people, hoii, in Ore
gon and Minnesota, who live upon Indian lands,
10 representation. here can be no difference
between the right of citizens On coded lands, and
those in The Indian country. With this view OF
The case, dismiss this portion of my remtrks.
will refer for moment to the rights of Penn
bina, in connection with those CT other people IN
the Indian country. Conceding the objection
that many who enumerated in The census re-
turns are not American citizens; is it right, Is il
just is il humane 10 deny those who are citizens IL
representation here, because their skin Is liitle
: darker than Ours: 1t has been urged TINT ihry
are merely band Of rowing hunters. How Is
this? What new light have gentlemen received
IN the system Of free government, that makes =
distinction between the rights Of the hunter and
the follower Of other occupations? We need not
look At the census returns to prove hy docu pen-
tary evidence the existence ct sufficient Amer
lean population there to en'c Pen bna to all The
representation given her BY this bill. ref.r
more PARTICULARLY TO the memorial alread, adj
verted to, fron the Penbinese, addressed some
time since, to his EAceency, the Governor Of the
Territory. l will proceed to read extrac, from
1t, not presuming it is new to any one, bet as u
basis Of future remarks wish 10 make.
$40 has Ercfiieacy, .fieranisr Ramsey, Cor
craor Of Minnesota Territory:
We, tho undersigned, half-breeds Of Pemhna
on the Red River, Territory Of Minnesota, hav-
ing learned with JOY, that You havs been chosen
Governor Of SAID Territory, address ourselves To
you, to supplirnie you To use a portion of the
Influence you possess with the high authorities
Of the General Government, 10 obtain for Us GER
tam privileges, to VIII
. Now, what are the privileges claimed here
We will proceed TO show from The memorial:
4" First. That abe territorial line between
the Republic of the United States and the Brit
lsh possessions, at the point where we reside be
verified; or rather redrawn, by competent au-
/ thor,y. We are here the line, and en-
terrain the opinion That the spot marked out here
,rfcre by Maiar Long. abandons TO The British Il
part Of the American Territory Of which fac, We
are be- ter assured hy observation since made
! his uncertainty, far the exact line Is
ccrned, Is great source Of perpexny as it pre-
} verls Us from making II proper division If our
in the erection of cur buildings. Moreover. the
} line not having been fixed 10y the authority II
| the two powers, We subjected TO violations
ofpers"nal rights, well rs the laws Of nations,
the authorizes Of the Hudson Bay Company
) making no scruple Of sezing individuals Oh this
side Of The l.ne even in our houses, and on ter
'itcry which is income stably American or a de-
f tendency Of the United States 7 his is an abuse
Of power commi'tcd under she pre,ext that the
! line has not been judicia.ly fixed.
" Second. l hat 1t may please the Govern
nent to cause.-the lands in this district to be sold
to the end ihat strangers, well "a natives, may
establish themselves permanently, the fertile soil
Of this region be no longer unpro, ucive, and our
colony increase in population. through the in
/ ducemen,s offered for trade and commerce.
=" Third. That courts Of jnstice may be con-
slitrtcd, and civil officers sen, anon. u.s. Our
--tllcn,c".s, although rapidly increasing the
poPuiation even now beiiis $ei.cWH"t Hhf@ tD;''!
one thousand souls have no person legally
authorized, nor properly instructed the law, 10
settle difficulties which arise from time to time in
an infant colony. This evil, unless speedily rem
edied, will without doubt, be detrimental to the
prosperity of our corntry well the h;priness
Of It's rsilenis.
g Fourth. That British subjects be excluded
from hunting on our land. I hat Hudson BAY
Company Is so arbitrary, that whatever person
purchases iurs on the Other side of the line, Is
Immediately seized and incarcerated. We are
not even permitted TO take piece of wood from
that side, while the people from that side. come
to hunt, thee or four hundred miles south Of the
line. and, of course within, the territories Of the
, United States, taking back with them, twice a
year. thousands of pounds sterling in value, and
thousands Of buffalo peun.ican thus RUNNING the
, game on our praries, in defiance Of all right
he iil-wili of the Hudson Bay Company to us
Is so great that they even refuse TO take the coin
tie United States, in order to s,raishien us in
. the trade, which might otherwise be carried on
between two settlements so near TO each other