Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-04-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GaSSIp.

lands as not being subject to entry by pre-.
emption-squatting.
We quote from the law of the last session Of
Congress, not having the treaties befcie us,
70 Snow that the Government e under treaty
obligations to sell the trust lands wholly for
the benefit of the tribes making the cessions:
That to enable the President Of the United
States to carry out in good faith the recent
treaties with the Ottoes and Missourias, Oma-
has, Delawares, Iowas, Sacs and Foxes of
Missouri, Kickapoos, and the united tribes of
Kaskaskias and Peorias, Piankeshaws and
Weas, Shawrees and Miamies, there shall be
and hereby is, appropriated thesum of $40 900
In addition to the appropriations heretofore
made for the execution Of the SURVEYS 70.
quired by said treaties and when the net
proceeds of the lands coded by either Of said
treaties are required to be ptid over to the
Indians, the President snail cause said lands.
or such part thereof as he NAV deem proner
to be olassi fed and valued, and when such
classification and valuation have been made
70 MS satisfaction, he shall cause said lands to
DO onered at public sale, by legal SUBJ divisions
or Town lots, at such times and places, and in
sucn manner and quantity as to him shall ap-
pear proper and necessary to carry out faith
FULLY the stipulations in said treaties and
SAID lands shall not be sold at public or pr.
vate sale for less price than that fixed by
the valuation aforesaid, nor shall any land be
sold at less price than 81 Is per acre for
three years and thereafter, as may be directed
oy law, pursuant to the treaty"
The tribes making the cessions in t-ust.
were the Iowas, Delswares, and the united
tribes Of the Kaskaskias, Weas, DC. The
lands situated in Kansas and Nebraska, which
were obtained from other tribes are, of course,
open to pre-emption, bet not those referred to
as trust lands Among the laws most needed,
liz one making it penal for any Government
functionary whatever to buy lands-reserva.
dons-from Indians. In nearly every case
where that has been done, the Indian has been
defraudsd through the influence of the official
position of the purchaser. The United States
will never have their matters managed as
theyishould be on the frontier, until the act Of
specializing in person or aiding and abetting
speculation on the part of any public func
tionary is made penal offence. The habit
has existed as long as this Government has
been dealing with and managing Indians,
and has beer the great secret of the impunity
with which unofficial individuals have de-
frauded them; as public functionaries engaged
In similar operations are not to be relied on
to exert themselves to break up the practice
We rope 1t, for perhaps half q century 1t has
been source of serious injury to the Indians
The present Administration have done their
best to prevent the recurrence of anything Of
the sort, and have well-nigh broken it up al
together. Yet, it strikes Us that the practice
mas stopped but temper arily, and that it will
require positive legislation to effect radical
cure.
Capt Benham, United States Engine ers. -
We have satisfied ourself that we did Injustice
to this gentleman few days since, in sur
missing that he declined the promotion to the
position of major in the new tenth regiment
Of infantry, which was rendered to him by the
President, because his present position on tho
coast survey was easier 1t seems that a
csptaincy Of engineers is regarded in the ser
vice as being practically as high rank as
majority Of infantry, while the difference of
pay Is not compensation in time of peace for
the loss of the opportunity for distinction
which Is incident to the responsible scientific
duties which all officers of the United States
engineer corps are necessarily performing
capt b. has for some years past been the chief
assistant to the Superin teudent Of the coast
survey, charged, therefore, with duties hardly
second to those of any other United States
encer In Importance, in which position he rs
earned and is earning much enviabIe reputa.
ton; which he would hardly forego, We take i,
Tor granted, for the comparatively unemployed
lie OF garrison duty in time of peace, the
iaono.ony of which is rarely varied except BY
occasional excursions to guard supplies being
transported for the use of the cavalry engaged
in active service.
Indians Applying for Bounty Lands.-The
following document from the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, relative to the " Regulations
and Forms for Applications, and the authen.
tlcation Of the same, to be observed BY In
dams applying for the benefit of the Bounty
Land Laws" is of great interest and import
ance to Indians who have served the United
states In war, and their widows and attorneys:
OFFICE INDIAN AFFAIRS,
April 5, 1855.
Inc seventh section Of the act of third
March, eighteen hundred and fifty five, grant
ing bounty land TO persons who have been en-
gagged in the military service of the United
States, provides that Z" all the bounty. land
laws heretofore passed by Congress shall be
extended to Indians in the same manner and
to the same extent as if the said Indians had
been white men"
The directions contained in the regulations
prescribed by the Commissioner of Pensions,
stating the services on account of which land
may be granted, and the character Of persons
and their descendants who may be entitled
thereto, as applicable to whites, also apply to,
and must govern, Indian claimants
Tho declaration of Indian claimants must
be made under oath substantially in accord
ance with the forms annexed hereto. = And
where they belong to tribes or bands for
which there is United States agent, the
same must be sworn to before such agent
whose duty it shall be to make known to the
applicants the provisions of the law by which
they are entitled and to carefully explain TO