, 1879-02-09
INDIAN TERRITORY.

RESULT OF THE. SENATE COMMITTEES 1SyEsT1
GAT1oNs-THE INDIAN LOBBY SUPPORTED B1
THE FUNDS OF THE CHEROKEE SATIoN-A
CIVIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT NECESSARY.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-The Senate Committee
! on Territories have completed their report ar
the questions involved In their recent inycstica.
| tion into the affairs OF the Indian TERRITORY.
! The testimony taken by the full Committee
here, and the Sub Committee which visited the
Territory during the recess, covers over 500
printed pages. The inquiry was Instituted near.
! ly year ago, under resolutions adopted in the
| Senate, Jon motion OF Mr. Voorhees, instruct
ing the Committee on Territories to ascertain,
! first, whether the Companies authorized.
by Congress to construct railroads in tile Terri
tory have Issued bonds OF any kind prcdcated
upon conditional grants Of land; second, what
amount Of money has been expended BY the
several Indian tribes during the last five vears
In maintaining delegates at Washington, and in
opposing the organization OF a Civil Government
over the Territory; whether any of the school,
funds have been used for that purpose, and. if
SO, what legislation is necessary to prevent such
diversion OF tbose funds in future: third.
whether civil form Of government cannot he
ORGANIZED over the Territory for the better pro-
lection OF life and property; and, fourth,
whether the lands now held Ia common By the
tribes cannot be divided in scyeralty among the
Indians without confirming the additional
grants OF lands to the railroad corporations.
The Committee find, upon the first poInt. That
no bonds had been issued predicatcd upon
grants OF lands. 1t appeas from the testimony
that, nearly coincident with the conclusion OF
the treaties Of 1896, Congress chartered two
Companies to build railroads through the Ter
T1tory,-oRo running east and west, a,ll au-
other north aud south,--thc Indians having
granted the right-of-way, and agreed to protect
from outlaws the property Of the Companies
a and the men employed in building tho roads.
The one CoupanY-the Atlantic l. Pacific
only thrty-seven miles of road, and has long
since forfeited its franchises By failing to com.
ply WITH the essential requirements of its
charter. The other-the Missouri, Kansas E
Iexas--has completed its roud east and west
31es TIL, the snSin rsi,rto5S, distance Of 80
give" any more Of their lands, TO railroad
corporations, the Company has abandoned all
claim to the grants OF lands which were mudc
conditional upon the consent of the Indians and
rests re S content with Its rlght,of This branch
o. inc inquiry was speedily disposed OF, the |
Comn'Jttee finding that the alleged Issue OF J
bonds predicated upon tho conditional grants Of |
!al'u was an unfounded issued raised by the In |
u1an looby to rctain their lucrative positions !
here, session after session, by opposing lcpisIa
tion lookin. to the settlement OF 1he main Vucs
ZION INVOLVED III the inquiry, namely: the I
establishing of civil 1urn Of government.
anu Ae:tcreatlor Of: Courts OF Justice for tie
nener protection M q life nnd property in the
lnalan y 1errstory. The Testimony appears to bs
conflicting, with reference to, .tht. amount Of
noneIy lexpenaed, in support .ot, :, the lobby
alleged, To- 1AaEe been maintaining Itself
Isefessntlng!g; g! 1hat TIE proposed legislation
e tS!aoSA and Courts Of
lians in the Territory. Access to the books I
having been refused, the Committee we're mn
'ole 10 get at the figures, but Prof. Seelye's as