Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-31

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-The dispatch sent
last night relative to the proceedings yesterday
in the Senate Ponca committee meeting, was
obtained from official source. The following
statement with regard to that dispatch and
proceedings which it embodied, has been fur
nished tonight by Senator Dawes, of the Sen
ate committee, and Walter Allen, of the Ponca
commission:
"WAsH1NGToN, Jan. SOTO the public: The
report telegraphed hence last night and widely
published this morning of what occurred at
the meeting of the Senate committee having
under consideration the case of the Ponca In
dians, which report is understood to have
been furnished to the associated press by the
secretary of the interior, Is, so far
as it purports to represent the testimony
given by the undersigned, not only incomplete
but grossly inaccurate, unfair and misleading,
as will clearly appear whenever the commission
publishes full and true report. What mo-
tive a high official of the administration may
have for thus assuming the rcle of a sensa-
tlonal Journalist and absolutely attempting to
prejudice public opinion in advance of official
reports with regard to matters in which the
dignity, wisdom and honor of the government
are involved by his acts, the public must judge.
(Signed) WALTER ALLEN,
Member of the Ponca Commission
STATEMENT OF SENATOR DAWES.
WASHINGTON, Jan. S0.-As member of the
Senate select committee charged with inquiry
concerning the removal of the Ponca Indians
TO the Indian territory, l was present at the
meeting held yesterday during the examina-
ton of Messrs. Stickney and Allen, members
of the Ponca commission, appointed by the
President. The report of the proceedings
published this morning does not accurately
represent either the relation or significance
of the testimony given on that occasion ac-
cording to my remembrance of what oc-
CURED, and Is published without authority of
the committee. These gentlemen were called
before the committee and examined at the sug-
gestion of the secretary Of the interior, who was
present with his private secretary, and was
allowed TO examine them as if he was himself
a member of the committee. The secretary
brought with him manuscript copies of the
report made by the commission to the presi-
dent and Of the evidence taken by the commits
sion, or what he represented to be such, which
reports and evidence are not in possession Of
the State or committee. When members of
the committee requested to be allowed to see
these papers which he read and asked ques-
tions upon, he refused to allow them to pass
from his hand. While Allen was being exam
ined, but two members of the committee
being present, he repeatedly protested
against the unfarness of being submitted to
such an examination, and against having his
answers as to the authenticity and significance
of certain selected portions of the report and
testimony, presented out of their relation to
the whole, taken as q contradiction or i'm
parchment of his Judgment.
In view of all the information obtained by
him, as member of the commission, Allen
was not understood by me to criticise any por-
ton of the report as unfortunately worded,
but when the secretary OF the in
terror read certain portion of
the report, giving it his own gloss and ques-
toned about its meaning, he said if lie had
written that portion of the report, he might
have worded it differently, but did not him
self understand it as written, or to have the
significance which the secretary attached to
IT. Subsequently, when newspaper copy of
the report was handed to Allen, he discovered
and pointed out that the secretary had, in his
questions, omitted a portion of the
paragraph, which was essential to right
understanding of the remainder, and plainly
justified Mr.. Aliens apprehension of its sig
nifcance.
All desire to add is that the whole pro-
ceeding was something entirely outside of my
previous experience OF the conduct of q Con
gressional committee Investigation, or of tol-
Grated treatment of witnesses.
(SignedO Fl. L. DAWES.