The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-27
WASHINGTON.
The POnea Commission Re
pOrE-Their sgecOm-
mendaIiOns.
Gene.a, ra,k at the Capital.

immediate consideration.
The House, committee on com
merce voted to make an sppropris-
ton for the Mississippi River i'm
Iro7ements, leaving the amount
blank.
The commission appointed by the
President to confer with the Poncas
in Indian Territory about their re-
moval, thiTther, report that their re-
movsl from the Dakota and Nebraska
reservation most unfortunately caused
a loss OF life 10 the Indians. and it
Was causeless. The United States
had coded those lands to the Indians
and had agreed to defend their title
and to protect them. The Indians
violated no treatry and never for.
feitsd their rights, and still have q
claim to those lands. Until a few
months they have they have strongly
desired to return to Dakota and part
Of the tribe succeeded in getting
back; the remainder were discour-
aged in getting back and regsining
their lands and believing they could
not obtain them they had signed an
agreement to remain. The Indians
who returned to Dakota are strongly
attached there and propose to retain
their lands. They have been entirely
sell-sustainiDg, are friendly with the
Indians and whites, are ambitious ~
learn. to create industries, to educate
themselves in morality, religion and
literature. Government should be
so,uated in settling these questions by
the same principles that would apply
to any perceable people in the same
circumstances. They therefore, re-
commend that an allotment of 100
acres lsni be made to each man,
woman and child OF the Ponca tribe
of Indians, said lands to be selected
by them on their old reservation in
Dakota and in the land DOW occupied
10y the POnca Indians in the Indian
Territory within one year from the
passage OF The act by Congress
granting such tracts of land; that
until the expiration of this
period free communication be per-
United between the two branches
OF tribes, said land to be secured to
them by patent and the title to the
same shall not be subject to lien,
alienation or encumbrance, either by
voluntary conveyance or by judg-
ment, orders or the decree OF any
court, or subject to taxation of any
character for a period of thirty years
from the date of the patent and until
sucn time, thereafter, as the Presi-
dent nave remove the restriction; that
that any conveyance made by any
of these Indians before the expiration
OF the time above mentioned shall be
void, and it shall be the duty of the
attorney general. at the request of
the secretary of the interior, to insti.
tute suit to set aside such deed or
conveyance, that the title to the
land shall be intact and that
they shall be subjec. to the laws, both
civil and criminal. including the laws
OF alienation and descent in force in |
the state or territory where such |
lands are selected; that the United |
States take immediate action to ex.
ringuish all claims that would be az
incumbrsnce to the title OF any lands
which 1t is proposed shall be allotted
to all the mem bers OF the Poncs In.
disns; that government continue its
the same as at pres
ent, not less than $50, 600 per year,
during the period OF five years from
the passage OF the act making the
allotments, as Aforesaid; the same to
be for the benefit OF the members OF
the tribe pro rata; that the additional
Ium of SIS, 900 be appropriated and
in agricultural imple-
nents, stock and seed, So. 600 oi
which shall be for the exclusive
benefit of the Poncas in Nebraska
and Dakota, the remaining $4,000
% be divided among the families of
he whole tribe, according 20 the '
lumber in each family, 10 be in full {
abstraction for the depredations and
osses of property sustained by these
Indians in consequence OF their re c
noVsl; and that d further sum OF not j
esq than $1,000 be appropriated for l.
he construction OF comfortable dwell {
iDgs and not more than 5000 for
be erection of schoolhouses for the q
'oncss in Nebraska and Dakota aud a
hat suitable persons be employed by d
overnment for their instruction ia n
eligious, educational and industrial b
and to superintend,
are for. and protect all their inter- Y
SITS. ;,
We respectfully suggest that the :
elfare OF these Indians requires US =
emPhosiz9 the necessity o! prompt !,
ctlon IN settling their affaire to the
nd that this long pending coniro. :
srsy may be determined according
, the dictates of humanity and ms 4
ce. In conclusion, we desire to give -
zpression to the conviction forced
pom US by our Investigation of this
Ise, tnat it is OF the utmost impor. 9
nce to white and red men alike, that
/ Indians should have an opportu-
ty of appealing to the courts for pre- -
ction and tho vindication OF their i
gifts, of person and of property.
Idisus cannot be expected to under
and the duties existing under the IT
rms of civilization until they know IL
being subject 30 the authority of
lble law as administered by the
urts, and are relieved from the IN n
rtainties and oppression frequently VI
lending their subsection to arbitrary
d personal authority.
The evidence taken by the COM
ssion, together with the documents Ia
raining to the inquiry accompany
} reports. The members of the
nmission were Brigsdier-Geuerals ~.
orge Crook and Nelson A. Miles,
lited States army; VIM. Stickney,
and Walter Allen, OF
wton, Mass. Walter Allen SUBJ Nm
tied an additional report in which Dlu
gives in detsil the history of the
.ious treaties with the Ponca In. r
ns and the facts oftheir treatment. dull
The failure of the dem ocrsiic ma
ity in the House of Representatives
make up a quorum to day, when
republicans abstained from yot.
:, and the marked success OF the 4
.er's f1lihusteriug tactics, will pro- 81
,ly lead 10 posiponement Of fur E
r efforts to pass the electoral reso- H
on until Taylor, the democratic E
mber who lsfs for Tennessee on
nday TO take part in
senatorial contest, shall Is
49, ODD parba1a until a.. E'