The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-12-25
HOUSE

to the ceseion of any par: of their reserva-
ton and providing that NO agreemeEsDhsll
be valid unless agreed to BY ee-quarters
of all the adult male Indians who have not
their treaty rights, and unless
co l6rmsd BY Congress. He asked for i'm
mediate consideration of the bill.
Representative CONGER rose to Q point of
order, that it must receive its first cOusid-
GRAFTON in COMMITTEES of the Whole, and
declined to Withdraw the point, declaring
that the bill was absurd on its face; that
Congress could not BY special act, confer
the treaty making power of the nation on
an officer not recognized BY the Constitu-
ton or laws Is having any authority to
make treaties, and that Congress had
nothing furths. to do with the con6rma-
ton of treaties.
Represent -tive SPRINGER appealed to
the House to act on the question tod y.
The gentlemen who lived in the eastern
part Of the country had no idea of the
anxiety and distress to which the people of
the rest were subjected on account of
Indian hostiliiies. and therefore every
means tending to . pescestle settlement
with the Indian tribes should have imme-
diate consideration.
Representative CoNGER-"Let q majority
of the House provide an army to protect
the frontier settlers. Bring in . bill for
that purpose, and We can pass it to-day"
Represent ative SPPINGER-"The army is
ample now"
The point of order being insisted on, the
bill was referred to . Committee of the
Whole, Representative REAGAN in the
chair.
A long discussion followed. Repreeen-
tative SPRINGER said that The time had
arrived when civilization had reached the
boundaries of the Ute reservation. All
effort to preserve peace there would be
futile in the future. Congress must look,
then, at the question squarely, fairly and
plainly, aud must decide it in the interest
Of Justice. He did not believe in treating
with the Indians a with equals. He be-
lieved in the policy of regarding the whole
of the lands within the limits Of the juris-
diction a. public domain and the Indians
a. citizens of the United States and of
teaching them to obey the law and UNDER
stand that when they killed innocent per-
cons they wess guilty of murder.
Representative BKLFoRD stated hat the
resevvstiou IN Colorado consisted of
IL, 900, 900 acres. or about 1000 acres
IL every man, woman and child in the
tribe. He Was opposed to the committee
amendments to the Senate bill, and he pre-
dicted that if they were adopted the next
year would witness q renewal of the con-
flict which had attracted the attention of
the country. He challenged Representa-
tive Conger or any officer of the Interior
Department to point his finger to . CONS
plant ever made by the Ute Indians
against the people of Colorado. If these
amendments were adopted, a. certain as
teeming thousands which would pour into
Colorado would cross the line of that feser-
walton and would prospect the mountains
for mineral wealth, and the Government
would not have power to arrest the pro-
gress of the vast tide. If the Government
desired to prevent war and protect the
people of Colorado it must provide some
method that would secure the removal of
the Indians from the State.
Representative CONGER asked what sort
of bill that was which required for its
sanction and support . reference to all the
worId-renowned rascalities practicej on the
Indians since the discovery of America
This great nation had made . treaty
eleven years ago with the mountain tribes
of Indians, BY which those Indians were
permitted to 20 far into the unknown
mountains, supposed to be almost uninhab-
liable BY civilized men, and to remain there
They had been driven from the foot hills,
driven up from the plains, driven away
from all lands which 1t wa theirs through
the sverice and greed of the white men.
Now the enterprise and svidity of the
whites had discovered treasures of silver
and gold in the neighborhood of these
mountains and ore had been found within
twenty-five miles of the Ute reservation
In former years men had waited until the
miners or sgricullurits had stepped over
into the Indian reservations; but now,
Trey were becoming holder and now, they
had come in sight of the mountain and
soon they would come to the foot of the
hills, twenty miles of. A committee ap-
pointed to protect the Indians in their
rights brought ia . bill to remove the In
dams from their habitation and reservation.
The whites had not yet passed into the res
ervation.
Representative HAsKELL denied the laet
statement and said that already the noun.
rains to the west of Lesdville and in the
Ute reservation were filed with miners and
that it was the conflict With those miners
that brought about the difficulties.
Representative CoNekR welcomed the id.
that none but friendly Indians should 90
on the reserv alton.
Representative HAsKELLC"The Utes
have left their reservation"
Representative CoNGER-"Why have the |
miners gone On this reservation? Why |
have citizeoe of the United States violated |
The treaty? Because they have power TO 90 |
here and because they can make disturb
lnce there and excite the Indisns and can
hen rush to Congress With . dema6a that
he Indians be driver from their reeervs.
ion. The history of the past and history
If the present run on all fours"
Represent alive BELToRD-"I must en-
DENY thst the people of Colorado
,ave given these Indians any occasion for
he late outrages, and challenge the gen.
lemau to point to anything of the kind
The statement of the gentleman from
Kansas (Hsekell) 10 not correct"
Representative CoHGR-"I thought it
vas net core It, but did not dare correct
myself. [Laushter.] Twas feeling my
ray"
Representative HAsKELL-"I reaaeert
hat / asserted before, that the miners are
q 'hat reservation to-day"
Representative CoNGER IT do not enter
uto the question Of veracity between these
entlemrn. Laushtes] Ny frieId from
Isnsas msy possibly be able to stand en-
be plains Of Kansas and know about What
, taking place in the mountains of Colo
ado. The gentleman from that State
novs .sushter that if there Be any
rouble there it has arisen from violations
y citizens of the United States of the
,esty made within eleven yeazs, and the Ii
it seems, he's taken no pains
hatever to enforce that treaty and to
eep out of this Indian reservation those
aving no right to 70 there TIE very I
attle to which allusion has often been ,
lade-the very eight With our tEoops-vas 4
lused BY sending N armed force into &
lat rssesvation, contrary TO treaty stipuIs-
ons and without notice." c
Rspressntativs HEI1oRD-''They were d
ut as the request Of the aeeek" Y
Representative CoHoRa-That may b. 4
W. because individual mines went over e
y tzoaty that al this trouble hes arisen. 4
veofuro 70 an9t that . fair mvestiea- b
= Win ehow tAat DosU than /
0tuu1isGhD & R1a1ia tEuah20 Z