New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-24
rhlrty-Fiftl. consres5--secona session.


WASHINGTON, December n, Is5s.-senate not in
session.
House-on motion Of w. Stephens Of Georgia, the
House Went into Committee Of the Whole She pEi.
Vate calendar, Car. Sherman Of Ohio, in the cbairJ
and proceeded 70 the consideration of the bill 20 re-
we the examination and payment Of certain cisins
Of citizens OF Georgia and Alabama on account Of
Losses sustained by the depredatjons Of the Greek IA
dams in 1896, 1897, and 1883.
Mr. Shorter Of Alabama, proceeded to state the
circumstances attending this claim 1t appeared BY
treaty between the United States and the Creek In
dams IN 1882 that the latter coded their lands to the
former, reseryng however, certain portions with the
right to dispose of them The object Of the Govern
ment In giving these reservations to the Indians ia
Zee simple was to accommodate their removal 10 the
waters Of the Arkansas when they had disposed of
them In order to carry out This policy the Govern
ment had the land surveyed and offered at public
saiehe alluded to that portion Of the land acquired
oy the aforementioned citizens from Georgia,
south Carolina, and Florida hocked into that new
country For the first time in the history or the Co
vernment, they found the white man and the Indian
were living together on the same soil side by side.
Mr. Washburne, Of Wisconsin, opposed the claim
announcing his surprise that the Committee on Indian
Affairs Of the last session bad REPORTED unanimously
N tayor Of the payment of these claims, when the
Committee OF the Thirty-fOurth Congress of which
he bad been member had decided after a careful
examination, that there was no merit in them These
Claims grew out Of war with the Greek Indians and
i was not necessary TO inquire into the origin of that
var tnough ne would say that there would be little
loaha n u to commend the petitioners to the cOnside
Fa'lon o. the House. He admitted what Mr. Shorter
nad sad about the treaties with this nation but sad
thas ne Indians had declared that they were de-
trauded OF their lands and he believed that the prnof
anbstantiated their declarations There was proog
that some property had been destroyed bat no proof
that the property Of any particular indfyinai vsa
destroyed. Gen. Jesup wrote that Int forty ar ffy
persons had been engaged in actual hostfities ana
here thousand and three Alabauians askfne,
million Of dollars because thirty or farts IT
dams had driven them from their homes They asked
to be awarded for their bravery; and out Of these
thousand and three there were only nineteen who
owned land and there were none who had become
purchasers Of those Indian reservations But if pro-
perty had been taken from these citizens for public
use and had not been paid for if they would frame
bill that would cover such case he would vote for
it. but for such bill as the one before the com.
mittee.
Mr. Shorter inquired whether be had understood
Mr. Wasbburne Alright. as saying that after the cit
zens of Alabama had fed from their homes in fear Of
the Indians and thereby lost their property they now
came before Congress and asked pay for their bravery
Mr.. Washburne did not recolIeet exactly what be
said He probably had said that they claimed pay in
addition to their bravery for the losses they sustained
Mr. Shorter, so far as the gentlemans remarks re-
lated to the bravery Of the citizens of Alabama pro
nounced them false and slanderoHs.
Mr.. Washburne said the citizens of Alabama were
very brave, as illustrated in his remarks to-day.
The Chairman reminded the gentlemen that no
member could be held responsible elsewhere for words
spoken in debate.
After some further debate the Committee rose and
reported the bill to the House without action and the
House soon after adjourned,