Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-12-05

of the country. | therefore earnestly recon-
mend the enactment of n law enabling the
Government to give the Indians = title III fee,
inalicnable for twenty-five years, TO the farm
lands assigned to them by allotment. | also
repeat the recommendation made in Ely first
annual message, that a law be passed all
mitting Indians who can give satisfactory
proof of having, by their own labor, sup
ported their families for number Of years.
and who are willing to dctach themselves
from their tribal relations to the benefit Of
the homestead act, and TO grant them pa
tents containing the same provision OF in
ahenabilty for certain period The eX-
pertinent of sending q number Of Indian
children, of both sexes. to the Hampton
Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virgin
ia, to receive an elementary English educa-
ton and practical instruction in farming and
other useful industries. has led TO results SO
promising that it was thought eypedient to
turn over the cavalry barracks at Carlisle, in
Pennsylvania, TO tie Interior Department
for the establishment of an Indian school on
q larger scale. This school has now 15S
pupils, selected from various tribes. and is ia
full operation. Arrangements are also made
| for the education Of Il number OF Indian
boys and girls belonging To tribes on the
Pacific slope, in a similar manner, at Forest
Grove in Oregon. These institutions will
commend themselves to the libeTality OF Con-
gress, and TO the philanthropic munihcence Of
the American people.
INDIAN TERRITORY.
Last spring, information was received Of
the organization of an extensive movement
IN the Western States, the object Of which
was the occupation by unauthorized persons
of certain lands in the Indian Territory
coded by the Cherokees to the Government
for the purpose of settlement 10y other Indian
tribes. On the Goth of April, | issued Il pro-
clamation warning all persons against paGti-
cipation in such an attempt, and by the CO.
operation of a military force, the invasion
was promptly checked. 1t is my purpose to
protect the rights Of the Indian inhabitants of
that territory to the full extent Of the Execu-
tive power. But it would be unwise to ig-
more the fact that territory 50 large and so
4 fertile, with Il population 50 sparse and with
so great wealth Of unused resources, will
be found more exposed TO the repetition of
such attempts as happened this year, when
| the surrounding States are more Genscly set
| tied, and the westward movement OF our
! population looks still more eagerly for fresh
/ lands To occupy. Under such circumstances
\ the difficulty Of maintaining the Indian ter
| ritOry in its present state VIII greatly in
/ crease and the Indian tribes inhabiting il
t
gcncy. | therefore fully approve Of the adj
vice given 10 them by the Secretary of the
Interior on Il recent occasion, to divide among
themselves in severalty as large quantity
| of their lands as they can cultivate. TO ac-
| Quire individual title in fee, instead of their
| present tribal ownership in common, and TO
consider in what manner the balance of their
| lands may be disposed of by the Government
for their benefit. by adopting such policy
! they would more certainly secure for them
selves the value Of their possessions. and at
I the same time promote their progress in civ
( iliZation and prosperity, than ny cndeavOring
to perpetuate the present state of things i'll
l the territory.
| The question whether a change in the con-
| troll of the Indian service should be made,
was in the Forty-fifth Congress referred to a
| joint committee Of both Houses for inquiry
/ and report. In my last annual message |
| expressed the hope that the decision of that
question, then in prospect, would arrest
/ further agitation of the subject, such agita-
| tion being apt TO produce 4 disturbing effect
| upon the service as well as the Indians them
| selves" Since then, the committee having
reported, the question has been decided in
the negative by vote in the House of Rep
/ resentatives. For the reasons here stated
| and in view of the fact that further uncer-
| tainty on this point will be calculated to OBJ
/ struct other much needed legislation, to
weaken the discipline Of the service, and to
| unsettle saluiary measures now in progress
for the governmcn: and improvement Of the
| Indians, respectfully recommend that the
/ decision arrived at by Congress n its las, scs-
sion be permitted to stand
THE TIMBEE LANDS.
| The efforts made by the Department of
IL. l., !,
| timber lands of the United States have been
continued, and have met with considerable
| success. A large number of cases of tres
| pass have been prosecuted in the courts Of
[ the nited States others have been settled,
| the trespaSsers offering to make payment TO
the Government for the value of the timber
taken by them. The proceeds Of these pro
secutions and settlements turned into the
| Treasury far exceed in amount the sums ap-
propriated by Congress for this purpose. y
more important result, however, consists in
/ the fact that the destruction Of our public
! forests by depreciation, although such cases
! still occur, has been greatly reduced in eX-
/ tent, and it is probable that il the present
policy is vigorously pursued and sufficient
! provision to that end is made by Congress,
/ such trespasses. at least those on = large
scale, can he entirely suppressed, except III
/ territories where timber for the daily require
ments of the population cannot, under the
| present state Of the law, he otherwise Oh
/ tanned. | therefore earnestly invite the at
/ tention of Congress to the recommendation
made by the Secretary of the Interior, that
/ law be enacted enabling the Government TO
sell timber from the public lands without
conveying the fee, where such lands are
principally valuable for the timber thereon,
such sales to be 50 regulated Us 10 conform
q,
while at the same time guarding against
sweeping destruction of the forests. The
enactment of such law appears TO become
Il more pressing necessity every day.
AGRICULTrEE.
Ny recommendations in former messages
are removed in favor of enlarging the facil-
tiles of the Department Of Agriculture.
Agriculture is the Leading interest and the
permanent industry uf our people II is 10
the abundance Of agricultural production, rs
compared with our home consumption, and
the largely increased and highly profitable
market abroad which we have enjoyed in re-
I cent wears. that We are mainly indebted for
our present prosperity rs 4 people. We
must look for its continued maintenance to
the same substantial resource. There is no
branch OF industry in which labor directed
by scientific knowledge, Yields such lncrras-
ed production in comparison with thsklllcd
labor. and no branch ut tn" public service To
which the encouragement OF hher;I! appro-
priatiors can be more appropriately extend
ed. The OmisSi N to render sach aid Is not
wise economy : but. on the contrary, un
dOuhtclly results in losses Of immense sums
annually that might be saved through we'll
directed efforts lay the Government 20 pro
mote this vital interest The results already
accomplished with tie very limited means