The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-03-11
WASHINGTON.
The Ute and other Questions.


The UEe and Other Questions
Washington, 1Oth.-The bill agreed |
upon by the House education and
labor committee, to restrict Chinese
immigration, was reported to the
House, to-day, by Willis, Sof Ken
lucky, and under the newly adopted
rules, was placed upon the calendar
for action as soon as 1t shall be
reached in its regular order. There
are about twenty-five bills ahead OF
it, but few that are likely to occupy
any considerable time, and although
the annual appropriation bills will.
of course, be given precedence over
the ordinary calendar business, there
is no reason to doubt that this meas
ure will be reached in ample time TO
secure its passage during the present
session, as it will be remembered that
an exact copy of the sc-3alled fifteen
passenger bill that passed both houses
of the last Congress. except that the
section upon which President Hayes
based his Veto-the one expressly pro-
viding for the absolute sbrogsti0n OF
TWO articles of the BuIllngame treaty,
is omitted.
Secretary Schurz' agreement with
the Utes is criticised by Senator Tel
Ter, OF Colorado, as one which pre-
vides for u perpetuation of all the
evils Of the reservation system, with.
out any of the advantages of the
ownership Of lands in severslty. be-
cause, although the Indians are given
individual titles 10 the lands, there Is
no requirement that they shall live
upon them separately. He believes,
therefore, that they will continue to
herd together, and their tribal re-
lations will not be disturbed"
He estimates that under the
terms of this agreement the I'm
compahgne and Southern Utes will be
entitled to absorb about 100000
acres, and as they have the option Of
selecting lands on the Grand River
and on LaPlata River, either in
Colorado or across the border in Utah
and New Mexico, respectively. He
ia of the opinion that they will decide
to remain in Colorado and thereby
absorb practically all the agricultural
land of the mining region that is
nominslly relinquished for settlement.
Teller says be intends to endeavor to
have Congress eliminate this option
from the agreement and in support
of his effort he will show that in the
first United States treaty with the
Utes it was stipulated that they
should have no greater nor different
title to the lands occupied by them
than they had under the Mexican
government, and the Mexican gov
eminent, he claims, never recognized
the Utes as having any titles what
ever as owners Of the land.
Senator Hill, of Colorado, On the
other hand, warmly favors the rati-
fcation of this agreement, for the
reason that, although it does not
effect everything that might be de-
sired, 1t is nevertheless, in his opin-
ion, an extremely important step
In advance toward the settling
of the Colorado Indian problem.
Hill believes that Secretary Schurz
has done everything he could to
secure the removal of the Utes from
Colorado, and that he consented to
the provision which may allow some
of them to settle in severalty in Colo.
rado, because he would otherwise
have failed to obtain any agreement
whatever; furthermore, he believes
the commission who are to locate
them will readily impress them with
the fact that the best agricultural
lands in the vicinity of Grand River
are across the border in Utah, and
that therefore very few Utes will
decide to remain in Colorado. Hill
also remarks that while be has
worked constantly to effect the total
removal of the Utes from his state,
he does not feel at liberty to oppose a
measure which will practically result
in opening up 12,000.000 acres of
land to settlement. Representative
Bedford takes substantially the same
position on this question as Senator
Hill.
The motion submitted by Senator
Garland, just before the adjournment,
to-day, to refer the Fitz John Porter
bill to the judiciary committee for re-
port upon the intricate legal ques.
tons involved, reflects the desire of
considerable number of the demo.
cratic senators. especially southern
men, to postpone action on the
bill until after the next election, in
order to avoid what they believe will
be It's injurious effects upon party
prospects. The republicans, how
ever, are entirely well convinced that
the continuance of the present dis
cussion, with the war echoes which
it is daily made to evoke, will pre-
mote their political prospects and they
will therefore oppose GaIland's
motion and keep the bill before the
Senate unless the democrats unitedly |
decide upon the policy of pushing it |
over.
A prominent member CT Congre.s
today expressed the opinion that g
good deal of opposition will be mani
tested in the House against the
inter-oceanic canal committee Joint
resolution, which reafirms the Mon
roe doctrine so vigorously. In reply
to a question, by whom this opposi.
ton will be made, he replied: "Why,
by men of seDse. The resolution of
the committee is a declaration of
war. We are in no posit'o to haye
a war with foreign power. Such 8
war would be on water. We have no
navy; haven't ship which is safe to
send to sea with an armament and
crew. We haven't a gun in our
navy except on monitors, which are
not seaWolthy, that will pierce an
inch iron plate" The general be-
lief Is, however, that the resolution
will be adopted by an overwhelming
majority.
EUhv Will Vou