The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-17

WAsHINGToN CRY, Aug. 23, 1859.

and Senator Green, of Missouri, at the
National Hotel. The President is stay
ing at ''the Old Soldiers Home.n Yester-
day, we had an interview with him, aud
presented to him the petitions from south
ern Kansas and southwestern Missouri,
asking that the lands of Kansas be with
held from private entry till after the next
session of Congress, so that appropriations
can be made for our railroads and other
internal Improvements. The President
said he was anxious to do what he could
for the benefit of the Territory, but re-
quired time to ascertain whether he
had the power, to withhold lands from
private entry, after they had been offer
ed at public sale. To determine that
question he has referred the petitions to
the Department Of the Interior. We
have precedents in the cases of lands in
Michigan and Wisconsin, where, after the
lands were exposed to public sale they
were withheld from private entry, until a
grant of land was given for the construc-
ton of Railroads. We have every assu-
rance from the President, and the General
Land Office, that they will do all they can
to keep the lands out of the hands Of
spectators, So that the country may be
improved by the construction of railroads,
and the actual settlers thereby be bene-
fited. If this promise is fulfilled, we can
get grant of land from Congress next
winter, and provisions made to secure the
lands so that we can construct good sys-
TEN of railroads in Kansas.
In regard to the Miami Lands, Gov.
Medary Gin accordance with the request
of citizens of Linn and Lykins counties
has presented the subject to the President,
and upon an investigation it is ascertained,
that this matter is more complicated than
was supposed before we came here, the
interests of the general government, of
the Miami Indians and the white settlers
are all involved, and it is thought it will
require the action of Congress. to secure
and legalize the claims of those who pre-
empted in 1857, when the land Office was
opened by mistake. l had an interview to-
day with the acting commissioner of the
general land Office, and he informed me
that an investigation has been ordered so
as to protect those who hold lands pre-
empted when the Office was open in 1857.
An examination has also been ordered, in
regard to settlements made on lands Sc
lected by the Indians, and also on what
is called ''the general reservation" the
latter contains about 10000 acres, and are
principally in Lykins county, being town.
ship 19, and the north half of township
20, in ranges %, "a and %. All filing
and pre-empting on this portion of the
reserve has been. ordered to be suspend
ed.
The south half of township 20, and all
the Miami lands in Linn county, south of
township 90 will remain open and there
will be no obstruction or interference in
regard to the right of way for the j. G. &
n. V. r. R., which we obtained two years
ago; that right is fully secured, and we
can go on with the construction of our
road this fall, and wherever we find mate
rials on government land, south of the
middle line of township 20, we have a
right, by our grant, to use them in the
construction of the railroad. The de-
partments express a determination to do
justice to the Indians, and at the same
time do full justice to the settlers, such
measures will be recommended (after
full investigation,) to Congress, as will
secure to every settler the claim for which
he has paid, or that he has improved with
the intention of pre-empting, and the
actual settlers will in all cases be protected
in their claims against Jumpers" If the
people who have settled on those lands, in
Lykins and Linn counties, will pcaceably
carry out their plan adopted at Paris, on
the 23d of July last, and take measures
to have their interest looked after during
the next session of Congress, have no
doubt that those who have settled upon
the lands in good faith, whether they have
paid for them or not, will secure their title
from government. Returns of the re-sur-
vey of that part of the northern bounda-
ry of the Usage Indian lands, in Kansas,
which was established by j. C. Mccoy in
1886, lying east of the meridian, and the
northeast corner of the Usage lands,
distance of rs miles, 8 chains, and 81 links
have been received at the General Land
Office. Also of the survey of the north
ern boundary of the Cherokee Neutral
lands. a distance of 243 miles, COM
mencing with the northeast corner of the
Usage lands, and intersecting the western
boundary of the State of Missouri, four
miles south of the 9th standard parallel
south in Kansas. The establishment of
these boundaries is for the purpose of lin
iting the extent of the New York lands,
which are being subdivided in order to
allot 320 acres to each of such of the
New York Indians, AS ARE NOW UPON THE
LANDS, under the provisions of the treaties
of 1888 and 1912, with those Indians and
for the further purpose of segregating the
residue OF the reserve, and declaring it \
public lands. As the Indians have made
threats to drive out the settlers, (it has
been represented to the Department, that
it is filled up by hardy and industrious
class of emigrants, and that some of the
largest and best Improvements to be found
anywhere in southern Kansas, are in thai
portion of the Territory they will adopt |
steps to protect the white set |
tiers from the Indians, and bring the lands |
open for settlement and pre-emption at
the earliest moment possible.
We have had a satisfactory interview
with the General Post Office Department,
and find some of the mails in south Kan
,as and Missouri, were discontinued with
put full information on the subject. The
petitions of our citizens, and the PROPOSE
ions made by contractors to wait for their
pay, till Congress makes an appropriation,
which we presented, are having a good
effect. The contractor on one route has
been ordered to increase his service to
hree times a week, and upon the connect
ng links which were discontinued upon
main routes, orders will be given to con-
inue service upon them, and a thorough
Investigation made in Missouri and Kan
as at once, so as to consolidate the routes, Ii
nd make an increase Of service upon the
rincipal ones which will make our mails
nore efficient. Yours,
w. f. NJ. Army.
OF Hon. VIM. d. Bishop, Commits