Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-14

The correspondence in the case of this officer
presents some very singular phases Governor
Reeder will doubtless be DESTROYS Of preserving
his reputation from any darker hue than has al
ready been cast upon il BY the administration, and
We look with some solcitude to his explanation
Of the very ugly inuendo of the Acting Commits
sioner Of Indian Affairs, in the following extract
from his letter Of 23d July, 1885, TO the Secretary
Of the Interior:
deem il not improper in this connection 10
state that application made in April, 1859,
by Hon. j. ;. Phelps, OF the House Of Represen-
tatives, United States, on behalf Of j. r. Chen
ault, esq, for the approval of deed TO Clement
Lesseu, from Moses Bellmond and Adele his
wife, for the identical section Of land now BRO.
posed TO be conveyed to Gov. Reeder and associ-
ates. The response of this office TO that applica-
ton was made to Hon. Mr.. Phelps under date Of
2Oth May Of that year, that "the half-breeds pro-
vided Tor m the treaty referred to possess only a
usufructury interest therefore il is not competent
Tor theIn 70 convey an estate in fee in the same,
Besides, these lands being situated within the
Indian country, their alienation could NOT no
sanctioned without violating the long-settled
policy Of the government, which il TO exclude. as
far possible the settlement Of whites within
what is called the Indian country" | therefore
return, unapproved, ''the deed from Bellmond
and wife to Lessert." Again that in July, 1854.
you referred to this office application addressed
10 you by +. II. Norton, esq, on the 9Th Of thai
month, making inquiry concerning the halfbreed
lands The reply of the Commissioner 10 that
letter made on the 2Sth of july as follows.
viz: 81 have to state that this department has
held that under the 9th article Of the Kansas
treaty Of 1926, the Indians therein provided for
have only usufructury interest in the lands sci
apart Tor their use; and, Of course, the Indian
tftlp must bp q NJ iunuiqha1 k,f
subject 70 settlement or sale public lands
In letter from Mr.. Norton, Of the 2Sth ultimo,
10 this ofce nc states, your satisfactory reply Ia
letter addressed by myself TO the Secretary al
the Interior in July or August last inouiriug Ia
know whether these halfbreeds could sell these
lands or not, induced myself and others mol 10 en-
gage in The purchase Of The lands Uhich The Governor
Of The Territory has since purchased after as hare
good 10 beiere, he had read your opinion tp.
o. ne subject"
u the Acting Commissioner means anything
by the introduction Of this matter il must be that
Governor Rcedcr, with full knowledge of the
fact that other parties had made precisely similar
applications @ lis, and bad been refused approval
the reasons for the refusal accompanying and
forming part Of the refusal, and being Of charac-
ter 50 clearly conclusive against the legality Of
the act that the parties themselves were fully
satisfied, acknowledged the proprciy Of the re.
fusal, and abandoned the intention of purchase.
The allegation is that, with this prsrios kno,e.
ledge, Governor Reeder boldly engaged in the
unlawful speculation, under the belief that his
position Of Governor would force the purchase
through, without even, the attempt to, remove the
objections given TO Norton application, that he
Reeder, the Governor, the guardian OF tho In