The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-31

United States Flour ranges from sl2 10 SIC per barrel
hams and bacon from 20 to 25 cents per H. hanl bread
$40 TO sl2 per 100 lbs rice, per bushe butter 621
cents per ID salt fish from sl2 to I4 per barrel sugar
70 cents per hi potatoes 81 25 per busbel aud every
thing for family use proportionatOly high.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
TIE Opinion Of DE Asoray General on H. T.aty tRL Gs
Kansos hoals.-The unlawful ntruso,As upon The "a.
served lands OF the Kansas Indians have become soriour
evil and compel the department to take strong measures
not only to counteac the disorder and awlessness which
have already been caused but prevent renewal of them
for the future Accordingly, certain questions pro
pounded 10 the Attorney General 10 which prompt an
returned We copy as follows:
al AS to the nature Of the title By which the Kansas
halfbreeds hold their individual refrrves rs the treaty
of St Louis the Kansas nation and The habfeed feshvee
in lawful losstssioh OF their t.spstte estrtnls
WI" hwy ~ u..oy pc neaceahe occun't'on
Of rncr lands Against all other individuals combina
tions Of individuals their title is perfect and absolute And
under that treaty the Indians may claim security IN te
reservations through the protection of the United states
by the highest sanctions deem it, therefore, wholly
unnecessary to determine even inquire whether The
habreed reserves have title In he or only nm us
frue interest whether the original Indian title be exn-
gushcd OF remains in the tribe whether an Unbeatable
estate te vested In the individual reserves or reyer
.ionary interest be still in the naticf Neither can
II s aGttss IL ts ptsenn St ; q nns
or whether their parents their children be Their
LEGAL heirs Ii is of very little copscqrence TO me
Indian who shall inherit his lands when he is dead If
every man may plumber them while he is living and II
matters little to him whether he Gan grant them by decd
if they may be seized and held from him by force Toa
the questions propounded by the late Commissioner, in
his report OF the 18th November 1854, now submitted to
s in my Judgment sufficient to say that the Indian
harccd reserves their parents and their children being
in lawful possession Of the respective SECTIONS reserved to
them their title be questioned by hb ttcsla,sstr in
truder or stranger, be lie who he may that no white
man, without authority Of the President has right to
sci his foot upon Indian reservation Whether fee
be in the Kansas hallbeed the original In
dian title is uncxnguishcd and remains in the tribe, In
either the good faith of the United States il pledged
by solemn treaty 10 protect the Indian occupant from
respasers intrudcis and wrong doors Of every sort and
the whole force of the government military well M
civil, should be promptly put forth If necessary to vim
dictate the good faith. N,.... ..
80 Az TO the applicability of the provisions Of the
trade and intercourse law of the 10th Of june 1884, to
the Indian reserved lands in Kansas OF Nebraska. BY
the 10th section Of the act to regulate trade and inter
with the Indian tribes and TO peorve peace en-
the frontiers, passed 2O june, 1884, is enacted that
the superintendent of Indian aias, and Indian agents
and subagcnts shall have authority to remove from the
Indian country all persons found therein contrary to law
and the President of the United States is authorized to d
rect the military be employed i'm such removal
What constitutes the Indian country for the purposes of
this act is bounded and described in the first section OF
the act and il includes the Kasts rcservaonsboth the
individual reservations to the habrccds and the rtser
vation to the tribe. In my opinion therefore, this act Is
applicable to the Indian reserved lands in Kansas and Ne
raska and the military force may be lawfully employed
by the President to all rcspasscrs and ntrnders
that may he found upon these reservations, and toy drive
them FROM the lands upon which they have unawiullf
entered And, moreover under the llth section OF this
act besides being subject to removal hy military force
every person who shall make settlement on the Indian
reserved lands shall survey attempt tosuryey hen
designate any of the boundaries, by marking trees OF
otherwise, is subject to penalty OF one thousand dol
lars, and should be vigorously prosecuted under this act
a.. may add that by this treaty, the chiefs, head men,
and warriors of the Kansas nation bound themselves that
for injuries done by individuals no private revenge or re-
aliaton should take place, but that redress should be
sought through proper channels from this government
and the United States soenly agreed by the treaty
that the Kansas nation should ever remain under its pro-
lection The Indian wards row complain OF individual
injury and outrage and the government has, under the
act of 1884 ample power and Is hy the highest treaty
obligation promptly to redress their wrongs
Clerical Compensation: inion cfMe attorney Goerol,-
II has long been vexed question whether not the
holding and being paid for performing the duties of more
than office by the same person is forbidden by exist
ing laws, and whether or not person receiving salary
for services rendered in capacity can be compensated
from the treasury for any other services he may he called
on to render Cases involving these and other questions
have been tried in the Court Of Claims and decided affirm
ativey but such decisions met with determined oppos-
ton when brought before Congress Recently similar
and by him referred to the Attorney General for his de-
cison s.."
After careful and minute examination of all the laws
passed 10y Congress affecting these points, and the differ
ent opinions of former Attorneys General Judge Black
gives expression he opinion that the whole OF this l
gislaon mancsts determined purpose to prevent dou
bic compensation in any form under amy pretcxt what
ever 1t cannot be denied adds that gentlcman) that
the policy which dictated these provisions is founded in
Just notions of public and private morality. Plurality of
offices and extra allowances to those who hold them
the vices of bad government and hare always prevail
ed to the greatest extent in the worst times 1t may be
that some officers have performed double duty for which
they are Justly entitled to additional compensation In
those cases do not doubt that proper provision will be
made by Congress But the justice of claim cannot
authorize its payment by the Executive while the law
forbids IT, ..
A Mis.akc The Washington correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun states that there hundred and
fifty men and boys employed in the agricultural division
of the Patent Office. This is great mistake
and fifteen boysemploycd in this department for labong
purposes with compensatons ranging from fifty cents
TO one dollar each per diem.
NAVY DEPARTMENT. a....
Tie Screr-P Propeller Sloep,-9- Wor.H Il well known
that one of the fine sloops-ofwar authorized to be
structsd during the last Congress is to be built by Mr.
spectiyely of Gosport Virginia Philadelphia Penpsyl