The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-09
THE ALLE0AvY REsERVATION.
Tho Job that the Commissioners are Tryinl
TO Oct Through Congress.

WASHINGTON, May s.-The Forty-third
Congress passed act confirming the leases
between the Indians and whites ON the ALE
gany reservation In CattarauRus county, New
York. The act was approved in February, 1875,
and in accordance with Its provisions the Presi-
dent appointed John Mauley OF New York,
Henry Shanklin Of Kansas. and Joseph Scatter
good OF Pennsylvania, commission to survey
existing leases and define the village limits In
when such leases should be valid. The princi
pal village Is Salamanca, at the junction of the
Atlantic and Groat Western with tie Erie Rail
way, containing about two thousand inhabit-
ants. Here the Commissioners made their
headquarters and the deluded people thought
their troubles were soon To end. Vain hope.
Alter months OF triangulation and meandering
by tho surveyors teams, which had become
familiar To the people. but the meaning OF which
was Greek to them, the Com oners conclud
ed that they should have ENLARGED powers. aud
accordingly drew up. or cause to be written, an
all endment to the original act empowering
them to lay out streets and parks wherever in
their judgment they should DE required, and
plot aud block the villages without regard 10
present improvements. TINS wholesale usufpa-
ton OF the power delegated to the people In the
original act naturally created opposition to the
measure, and "A protest az ainst IL, passage was
was e1tered 9y tue pe S ms caused an "a a
the legislation thought tho Commissioners
had occupied quite time enough, oeing
then about year, and feared 90 trust such
arbitrary powers In the hands OF any three men,
/ he Commissioners found apologsts among
those " no were to be benefited or VINO lea ed
- creste opposition 10 them. Mr.. Scattergood,
the Pennsyivania Commissioner, LETT them last
f,ii 1t Is understood noi, perfectly satisfied wi n
the way the machine was being run, anu has
also expressed his oisapproval OF the Dill now
before Congress.
Last month the House passed n resolution
asking the Interior Department Tor Information
about these surveys, but they have none 70 give,
as the Commissioners have drawn several tnou-
sand dollars without presenting their vouchers,
and no satisfactory details Of their abOrs have
been submitted. There appears To 10 a general
looseness aoout this ma ter. which the Indian
Committee are now looking into.
These fac 8 would nave been hidden from the
committee had 1t not been tor singular pr -
ceeding on the p ri Of one Of the Commission
ers, WAC obtained blank subpgnas from the
Sergeant at-Arms OF the House, and mailed
them TO several OF the opponents Of the Com
nissioncrs, One OF tie number, suppOslng u TO
be - genuine summons, appeared before the
committee and found tGat ne mad travelled TO
Washington at his own expense on Apparently a
fools err.nd. WHAT wa, Intended as \ practic ii
joke has resulted In summonng Jonn iney,
one OF the Commissioners, az inst whom there
Is abundant proof That he sent the bogus sub
pGnas. This will cen ainly defeat the pending
neas ure and cad ~ the exposure OF the Joo.