Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-26
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
4 Proposed I,svestigation into tho Abuses
Of the System.


Of the System.
Washington Special.
The Indian question will receive the at.
tention of Congress at an early day. Mr..
Scales, chairman of tho committee on In
dian affairs, will bring the subject to the no.
tioe of his committee at its next meeting,
which will be held soon. The proposition
will be in the shape of resolution asking
the authority Of the house to investigate the
causes of Indian hostilities. This investiga-
ton will be conducted by Q subcommittee,
of which Mr.. Scales will be
chairman, and who will inquire into
the workings Of the agency system
and other features Of the management of
Indians. The committee will be governed
by the result of that investigation in tho
legislation they will propose to tho house on
the subject. "1f it should turn out" Mr..
Scales said to-day, ''as some believe it will,
that the Indian troubles arc owing to the
workings of the agency system, bill will
be reported providing for tho transfer of the
Indian bureau from the interior to the war
department. think, as has been claimed
by tho enemies of the present peace system,
that 1t has laid the foundation of ali
these difficulties, whereas by putting
the Indians under tho control of the
war @ department, putting q. strong
hand over them, we may be able, to prevent
disturbances which are 80 frequently break
ing out among them. It would contribute
to the good of the Indians at the same time.
I think We could treat them better as well as
control them better ,stBnt," continued Mr..
Scales, II have not urged the passage Of the
transfer measure heretofore, because found
the House closely divided on the subject.
You remember the proposition was defeated
during the last session Of the Forty fifth Con-
gress. What effect the late hcstilities will
have upon the opinions Of the members
don't know, but il, after this investigation,
we should be of the opinion that it has been
caused by the present system, then OF course
we will take such steps as will remedy it, 80
far as possible. r. ..s,E
MIR. Scales will call meeting of his COM
mittee this week. l-..s
The ominous silence regarding the progress
being made by tho Indian commission which
has prevailed for several days, was broken by
a dispatch received last night by Secretary
Schurz, saying that the White river Utes
were on their way to Los Pinos agency, and
that the work of taking testimony will soon
be resumed. "A dispatch to local paper
stated that the Indians had arrived, and that
six hundred of them were already within
few miles of the agency; that they were
armed to the teeth, and while work was 60
ing on the members of tho commission
kept knives and rifles concealed be-
meath their blankets, for fear of
treaohery on the part Of tho red men.
Prominent officials at the interior depart
mont say that the report telegraphed here
few days since to the effect that Gen. Stanley
was doing everything in his power to i'm
pede the progress of the commission is I'm.
true. as is also the. report that Mormons in
the West were forming alliances with In
dams to fight the whites in case Of an out
break. These reports are all credited to
people in that country who are hostile to the
policy of the government in its treatnaent of
the Utes. The war department. is constant
ly in receipt of kilograms advising as to
what they should do, but they will take no
action until the result of the negotiations
now going on are known, and In no case
will steps be taken against the Utes before
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