The weekly Minnesotian., 1852-12-25
Gov RAMSEY rs INVESTED BY THE INDIANS WITH
POWER TO RECEIVE AND D1sBrRsE TIE MONEY!

Gov RAMSEY rs INVESTED BY THE INDIANS WITH
POWER TO RECEIVE AND DisBrRsE TIE MONEY!
Well, the treaty was at length ratified,
with certain amendments, and these were sub
mtted to the Chiefs assembled in Council here
at st. Paul. and on the sth of September, 1852,
agreed to by them. The same day upon which
the Chiefs ratified the amendments, they held a
grand Council in reference to the receipt and
disposition of their money accrueing under the
lst clause of the 4th article. The result of
their deliberations, was a complete power of
attorney to Governor Ramsey to ask and re-
ceipt for the S275, ,OOO and the document then
goes on to say:
"And we also authorize, empower and re-
quest him. (the said Alexander Ramsey to do,
or cause to be done, all the acts contemplated
by the said 4th article for and by lis to be done,
to appropriate the said money in accordance
hcith. and for the purpose of carrying out the
equitable and true intent thereof; all such acts
when done to be final and binding upon us, and
to have the same force and effect as if done by
us.
"And we do hereby revoke and annul all for
mer or other p0,ce1s of attorney, executed or
collection of the said sum of money or any part
thereof"
Sigued in open Council Sept. 8, 1852, in the
presence of Nathaniel M'Lcan, Ind. Agent !;
Wallace b. White, Secretary Philander Pres
colt, Interpreter Jos. Laframbose, Interpre-
ter. and Henry NJ. Rice, hy q Chiefs and Head
men.
The following is Agent MLcan's certificate
appended to this important document:
eI, NATHANIEL MLEAS, L. S. Indian Agent, do
hereby certify that the foregoing named chiefs and head
the Sce-see- and Wa- bands of Da-
Sioux Indians, {ow full and open council as
sembed, AMI who constitute and the proper author
ties Of said bands, being majority OF the chiefs
and such fully competent to and all
tribal national business for and in behalf of said bands
of Seeseeoan and Wahpayoan Indians,) authorize and
request me as their Agent To state that the
foregoing authority in writing from hem signed and
executed by them in good faith, and with full COM
plee knowledge of Its ens, purpOr and meaning
for the uses and purposes therein named, and the same
having been by fully explained, they, for themselves
and their bands, approve, ratlfy and confirm the same
and authorize and request to bear written testimony
that the is their tribal and and deed.
NATHANIEL M'LEAN,
Indian Agent.'
any defect existed (and we admit of money
in the document executed by the Indians at
Traverse des Sioux. assigning the scve raj pro-
portions of the hand money among the traders
and haif-brecds. the foregoing instrument in
the wide and full discretion it confcrs upon
Gov. Ramsey. has completely cured it leaving
not the shadow Of a shade of doubt as to the
legality as well as to the unquestionable justice
of the course he has pursued.
HUGH TYLER AND HIS POWER OF ATTORNEY
Another document, only. remains for us to
quote. When the Governor returned from
Travcrsr des Sioux, followed by the traders and
half-brccds anxious to receive their pay he
found quantity of office business and cores
pondence accumulated during his absence
which required his first attention and he there
fore deferred for a few days the proposed pay
mcnt. But impatient at any further delay
these people sent their Attorney, Hugh Tyler.
Esq, with properly executed power of attor-
ney. authorizing him to receive and receipt for
the entire sum due them; and upon this Gov.
H. paid over the money to Mr.. Tyler and took
his acquittanee for the amount. he and his
clients settling the rest among themselves. OF
the power of attorney under which Mr. Tyler
received the money. the following is copy:
"The undersigned claimants under the Treaty
of Traverse des Sioux, concluded on the 23d
day OF July. a. d. 1851, hereby authorize and
request Alexander Ramsey, Superintendent of
Indian Ahar>, to pay the several amounts due
MS respectively as distributed by the Chiefs at
the time of said Treaty, to our .4gent and H.
torney. Hugh Tyler, and we do hereby author
we aud empower him to receipt for the same
which shall be in full discharge and acauit-
tance OF our claims against the SssitOn and
WahpaytOn Bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians.
up TO the date of the Treaty.
Traverse des Sioux, Dec. !, 1852
lSlSncd by all the traders aud halfbrccds.l 1
How Mr.. Tyler obtained the money, and I'M
der what authority he diSbursed it among the
traders and halfbrccds, the above document
shows. He received neither au-
thority, appointment Or compensation from
Gov. r.. i'll any shape or form. At the time of
the treaty. the traders a9d halfbrccds engaged
his services to press the ratification of their
treaty, with the understanding that if the trca-
ties were ratified and their claims eventually |
paid. he was TO receive ii per ccntagc as COM
pcnsation. There is certainly nothing very |
novel or unusual in this--lawycrs work for |
contingent fees every day, and it is deemed |
matter of course--'tis their vocation. What he |
received he and his clients best know-whatev-
er it may have been. it was made voluntarily !
by such as chose to allow it to hm--somc we
have heard, refused to pay anything. But |
whether it was 5 per cent, 10 per cent, or Is
per cent, Gov. Ramsey neither directly nor in
llrcctly paid it to him, nor had directly nor in
lrcctly any lot or part in it whatsoever.
THE KIND OF MONEY PAID.
In regard to the kind of money paid out, one
Nord will suffice for reasonable people, who do
iot slandcr for the mere love of it, or who have
'thcr ways to make political capital than by
'oining falsehoods upon men high in Office
>othing but gold was paid to the Indians, and
he traders and halEbreeds had the option of
'osl, or paper worth a quarter to one per cent.
premium.
TIE GOLD AND PAPER urupIc