Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-04-06
Ianguish and die, merely because our officers

good reason why we should not at once make that appropriation, which is recom- mended by the interior department 1 nave held conversations with the commits sioner of Indian affairs himself, in which he has stated the necessity for granting this appropriation. Surely it cannot be expect ca that the government will abandon them to then fate. l hope the amendment will be adopted.
 Mr. FREDERICK. l have no obiec- ton to this appropriation, if 1t is to be ex- pended for the benefit of the children
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. That is all
 Mir. BRODERICK. But I have been informed, within day or two, that it was tor the purpose of employing an agent to go after the children If the appropriation Is tor that purpose, l am opposed to it.
 MT. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Who ever is the author of the assertion that the department asks an appropriation of SlV,o0O for the purpose of sending an agent there, asserts what Is not true at all. That the assertion of an ordinary islander outside of our halls, to gentleman here, ''iApNip iCoLli III lIlc dDdHlOUiilcHJ Ol ScNtH- teen children of this country, whose parents have been stricken from their sides, and who have been left solitary and alone in a perfectly desert country: that such petty reproach, which comes, perhaps, from some disappointed seeker after office, shall result Tn that way, is not worthy of the Senate; It IS not worthy of being entertained 1 trust that the children, little and helpless | things, whom our records prove have been taken and recovered after so much disaster, will be protected at the hands of Senate of old men,
 Mr. FREDERICK. The Senator from Arkansas need not exhibit so much feeling in regard to this matter.
 MT. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. These people have been writing to me for a long time, and it is only recently that they have been recovered. Shall seventeen little chil- dren be left in this condition? l know there has been some contest as to who shall go after them. Al ask is that a merciful, humane man may be sent, and 1 do not care who he is It is matter of no conSe- quence to me who may be sent out. am very certain that he will not be my choice. l assure the Senator of that; but to defeat thls appropriation on any ground of that sort, would be hard on the children.
 MT. BRODERICK. | do not want to defeat the appropriation if it is for the be- nefit of the children; and if can get an assurance from the Senator from Arkansas that 1t Is for that purpose, 1 will not object to it.
 MT JOHNSON, of Arkansas l will give the Senator the assurance of man of honor, that l am the worst deceived man that ever was, if 1t Is not so; and 1 have made 1t a matter of personal inquiry.
 Mir. BRODERICk. l will state. for the information of the Senate, that when passed through Salt Lake in November last, the children were then in possession of the Mormons, and ] was informed that the Nor mons were willing to deliver them up.
 MT. SEBASTIAN l have here an of- fleial letter from Mir. Forney, the superin- tendent of Indian affairs, of a very late date. which was handed to me only few days since, in which he states that he has in his own possession, all the seventeen children who are known to be the survivors of that unfortunate expedition. This intelligence IS later than that which the Senator from California brings from personal observa- tion, on his trip through tine country. They are now in the hands of the superintendent of Indian affairs, and 1t requires this money to enable the government to send for them and bring them home. If the Senator from California will indulge me while am now up, will state that the amount of $l0,000 l thnk, IS a very economical estimate of the absolute and necessary expense of bring ing these children home. The programme, as l learn from conversation with the com missioner of Indian affairs, is to carry them across to San Francisco by the stage route from Salt Lake City, where they now are, or bring them by that route from there to here. Without descending into all the particulars, l will mention that the lowest price which any of these comapnies have offered to bring these children home for. is So, lU0. It IS necessary to dellay the ex- penses of their boarding up to this time, at the very low price of $2 DO d week for each chlld, for some ten or twelve months: and for clothing and contingent expenses 1 there Is an estimate of 5 300. Then there are the entire travelling expenses of two employees, or agents or supervisors, or by whatever name you may denominate them. which are estimated at only Sl 300, mak- | ing the gross sum of $10,000 The Sel- ate will see that by far the largest item in | this estimate of expenses is the transpor- tatlon of the children by any one of the | usual modes of conveyance, from Salt Lake ! City to the States. As to that item which seems to be the most objectionable to the Senator from California, the entire expen diture estimated for those persons, is one thousand five hundred dollars, which is in tended only to cover the expense of the trip. Five hundred dollars is estimated for a nurse or matron to take care of the chil- dren. 1 think that in the programme of expenditure which Is arranged by the com missioner of Indian affairs, he has descend. ed to the lowest scale of economy to make the expedition eflectual, and see no mar gin at all for the pay of unnecessary agents or employees of the department Just so many persons are proposed to be entrusted with this duty as are absolutely necessary to perform it, and no more; and by far the largest items of expenses are those for the transportation of the children, the hir- ing of nurse or matron, and the pay for their board during the time they have been detained and a small amount of clothing which may be necessary for them The whole amount which can possibly be ex- pended for the pay of the agents whom it may be thought proper to send, for the purpose of bring the children to their homes is only $l, 300, and that is merely enough to cover their personal and travelling ex- penses, and no more.
 Mr. BRODERICK l have no objection as l stated before, to the amendment if is for the purpose of beneftiag these children; but see from the reading of it, that it is to ransom the children do not think there Is any ransom money needed When | passed through there in November, they were in thehands of the Mormons.
 l Mir. SEBASTIAN The introduction of that word ransom," was a suggestion of my own, and is not contained in the esti- mate from the department; but it occurred to my mind that the superintendent of h. dian affairs had necessarily had to advance