The true Democrat., 1855-04-17
dore Perry, who commanded the expedition. The report was concurred in.

| the HOuSe to establish an aQQltlOnal land dis. trict in the territory of Oregon. I was then al most compelled, as a matter of courtesy to another Senator, to give way and not to press its consideration. Yesterday I had to do the same thing again. 1t lsa matter of immediate necessity that, that bill should be passed They have but one land district in Oregon. I therefore ask tor the consideration of the bill at this time.
 The Senate, as in committee of the whole, proceeded to consider the bill.
 It Will create the land lying south of the fourth standard parallel new land district. to oe called the Umpqua district; the land office TOT which shall be established at such place within it as the President shall from time to tune direct, and the officers for which are to be appointed in the same manner, and have the compensation, powers duties, obligations, and responsibilities, that are prescribed in the sixth section Of the act approved July IT, 1854 ito amend the act approved September 27 1850, to create the office of surveyor general of the pub- lie lands in Oregon"
 The blli Is not to go into effect until three months after its passage.
 The district lying north of the fourth stand ard parallel is to be known as the Willamette land district. 1 The bill was reported to the Senate without amendment, and ordered to third reading. IL was read Ehe third time, and passed. 1 Ins Indian appropriation bill was taken up and after lenghty debate. l'
 Mir. SEBASTIAN. I now ask for q vote on the amendment which I offered from the committee on Indian affairs. | The amendment was as follows.
 And De t twtser enacted, That none of the moneys hereoy appropriated, or hereafter to be aPPropflateo, shall be paid to any agent or at torney of any Indian or Indians, except in those cases where the secretary of the interior shall, Ill HIS oplnlon, deem the consideration just and necessary, upon the written assent and order of Such Indians, fairly obtained in open council, in the presence of the United States agent, after the same has been fully explained. and been ouly certified by said agent, and subject, never tneless, to the final revision of the secretary of the interior, who shall not allow or pay any amount beyond fair and just compensation, disregardng all contracts, or supposed con- tracts
 Mr. Hunter. will suggest to the Senator from Arkansas, that he make this retrospective. He does not mean to repeal the existing law, presume, but only to provide for cases that oc~ cured before the passage of the law. The amendment, then, requires some alteration.
 The presiding officer. The amendment, as it stands, provides for the appropriations in this bill, and all appropriations hereafter made
 Mr. Hunter. The Senator does not intend that; let him restrict it.
 Mir. SEBASTIAN. It provides for those contracts supposed to have been made hereto fore, and is consequently retrospective, not prospective.
 Mr. Weller. Insert provso making it ap- 1 ply to contracts made anterior to the general law in force on the subject the law of 1852-- l mean for services since the passage of that | law.
 MT. SEBASTIAN. have no objection to giving 1t retrospective alteration, although it lays down a rule which is perfectly sound and just for all time past and time to come; and I should prefer myself that it should be consi- dered as general adjustment of all the rights Of contractors upon the funds of the Indians; and It has been so guarded and restricted, that at the same time that it disregards all $; ecu latlve amounts to be secured on contingent funds yet 1t pays what is liberal and just com pensation.
 MT. Hunter. l move to insert the proviso suggested by the Senator from California. The presiding officer Will the Senator re- duce it to writing?
 
 what earthly necessity there is for Congress le- glslating for payments by Indians to their attor- neys.
 MT. Rusk. Because they have legislated that they shall pay.
 | Mir. Benjamin. The legislation is. that the government will not interfere with that matter at all. Why not let contracts with the Indians stand as all other contracts do? Mr Weller The Senator will ,,D1arc+o,J ,J that the law prohibits contracts of this sort made between Indians and their attorney. We de. sire now, that for the services rendered before that law was passed, they shall be allowed just and fair compensation.
 MT. Benjamin. I understand the law as it now exists prevents the Indians from paving their attorneys. The object is to mix up this government with the payments of the Indians to their attorneys.
 MT. Mason. It is to protect the Indians against the attorneys.
 Mir. Benjamin. Irather think the object is to get the money to the attorneys. The Indi- ans do not require the protection.
 MT. Toucey. doubt very much the expe- dencv of passing this provision upon this bill. I think the policy of the government and the law as 1t has long existed, denies the validity of any contract between an Indian and his agent, or any pretended assignee of an annuity or @ debt There was a law on the subject be- fore 1852. The law has existed much longer; and all these assignments. and all these claims that are made stand upon this ground exclu- sively, that there is no valid contract between the Indian and the agent or ass gnee; and am opposed to proposition of this kind which seems to impose the duty upon the department in certain cases to pay. The policy of the go- vernment is to pay the money over to those to whom it belongs, and then the tribe, or the in- dividuals of the tribe, are capable of disposing of it when it comes into their hands. am op- posed to any interference by which the govern- ment is prevented from 2aying over to the h. dian tribe, or to any meYlber of the Indian tribe, the money which by treaty in any way belongs to the tribe or to the individual. Af. ter it is paid to the tribe, I am willing to trust them, the tribe, or the individual Indian, in the disposition of that money; but am not willing to interfere to give efficacy to those contracts obtained in advance of the payment. That is the policy of the government and I think it should be upheld.
 MT CEACTIAN r o,,, co opvio,,c fo ob-