Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-21
EElnAY. DrcENREK II. 1858.
7 TsIUsNF' F7IsN Ts1II'F'TS Z " FETV's'
The Senate was not in session today.
JJ0J-SE DE pEpPESENT iTINES


The Senate was not in session today.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
On motion of Mr. Stephens Of Ga. the House
went into Committee Of the Whole and took
up the private calcndar-Mr Sherman Of Ohio
in the chair.
The House first proceeded to consider the
bill ITO provide for the examination and pay
lncnt Of certain claims Of citizens Of Georgia
and Alabama, on account of losses sustained by
dcpredationS of the Creek Indians in the
wears 1885, 1-'3S-' 3a- -40-said bill having been
made special order for to-day at the last se,-
sion.
The report of the Committee on Indian AZ
fairs thereon having been read,
Mr.. Shorter. Of Ala. advocated the passage
of the bill He began by briefly stating the
relations Of the Government with tho Greek In
dams prior to difficulties which commenced in
1897. and gave 4 history of the policy by which
it was sought to remove the Greeks beyond the
Arkansas river.
In 1854 the Government surveyed 4 portion
Of the lands occupied by these Indians. leaving
reservations Of :'24 acres each for the Chiefs
The whites ilocked in and settled the and
which had been surveyed, and even purchased
the reservations held by the chiefs. The latter
soon s1uandercd the money thus received. and
were reduced to state ofyagrancy and starva'
ton. They beganb by committing depradations
upon the whites. burning house, and murder
ing settlers.
The people applied to the Government to
send a reinforcement to Fort Mitchell, but IN
stead Of furnishing necessary assistance. the
/ Government removed to Florida the few troops
which had been in occupation Of the fort. Sub
scqucntly. when Gen. Jcsup was sent into the
/ Creek country with body Of L. :. troops, and
! had raised brigade OF friendly Creeks, this
I whole force sub>i>ted on the settlers and took
possession Of private property rs means Of
support.
! The settlers suffered greatly from these bur
( den>. ard are Justly entitled to indemnity. The
Constitution says that private property shall
/ not bc taken possession Of by the government
( without fair compensation being made. In
I der the Constitution these settlers had clearly a
! Just claim OH the government.
Mr. s produced tho evidence Of Gen. Jcsup,
and several other officers who served in the
war. to show that the troops-2,2j0 in all
! drew their entire subsistence from the private
means Of the settlers. The amount due on ac-
count Of these losses was 81, ,i0,. Mr.. =.
: then stated the action which Congress had
hitherto taken in the matter. and urged that
the rcparation. which has 80 long been delayed
should be made
Some had said these claims ought not TO DC
paid, because the dcpredations were committed
during the prevalence Of a war Mt : ADMIT
ted the general principle that the Government
is not bound to indemnify citizens for losses
sustained during general war; but such
principle did not apply in this case, There
was no war with the Creek Indians. Accord
ing to the testimony Of Gen. .Jesup. there wa,
not at anv time, more than $50 Creeks engaged
in actual hostitics. The majority Of the tribe
we're opposed 10 these hostities. and brigad,
offriendly Creeks had even assisted in rcpress
ins the outrages. 1t would be disgrace to The
Government 10 shelter itself behind such a pre-
text.
Many who had lost their property in these
very difficulties had been Unidentified, but there
were hundreds vet remaining who had beer
reduced to poverty thereby, who were in th'
greatest need Of assistance and who wer'
fairly entitled to it. We're the men, whos'
crops and other means Of subsistence had beer
seized for the support Of the United state'
troops to DO spurned from the halls OF Con