Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-06-25
WHEEIINC w. VA. SATURDAY MORNING, 25. 1881
WASHINGTON.
Cause OF the Trouble I'm the In
dian Country.

Cause OF the Trouble I'm the In
dian Country.
WASHINGTON, June 24.-The trou BILE
in Indian Territory arises mainly from
different interpretations Of the treaty
stipulations and of the permit laws
passed by the Choctaw and Chickasaw
legislaturesin 1875, requiring merchants,
farmers, mechanics. laborers, &c, who
are citizens OF the United States to pay
q small yearly tax for the privilege OF
plying their different vocations within
the limits OF these Indian countries.
The Secretary OF the Interior decided
In 1877, that these permit laws imposing
taxes on foreigners were without author
ity as far as the collection OF a tax was
concerned. Many white settlers and
Individual Choctaws and Chickasaws
construed this decision to permit per.
sons to enter the country without the
consent OF the Indian authorities, and
since then many whites, at the invita-
tion of individual Choctaws, have estab
lished themselves in the Indian country
and ever since refused to remove or pay
yearly tax. The question OF the
validity OF these permit laws was
submitted to Congress and referred
TO the Judiciary Committee Of the Sen.
ate in 1879, who reported the laws were
not invalid. Secretary Kirkwood being
pressed on the one hand by the
Indian authorities to aid in the expul-
sion OF the alleged intruders. and on the
other hand by the friends OF the white
settlers to prevent the expulsion, and
in view of the uncertainty of the laws
bearing on the matter, has decided to
submit all the legal questions involved
to the Attorney General for his consd.
Grafton, urging a speedy opinion from
him. In the meantime Agent Tufts has
been directed to request Governor Nc
Curtain TO suspend action under the
permit" laws until further advised by
the department.
Secretary Kirkweod to-day received
telegram from Fl. Smith, Ark, em.
bodying resolutions adopted at a
mass meeting OF the citizens OF
that place yesterday. The resolutions
complain that the Indian authorities OF
the Choctaw nation passed a law as
signing very high tax on all white
persons without the Indian rights, who
carry on any kind OF trade or occupa-
ton in the territorial limits OF the ma
ton and deploring the action OF the
ChOctaw nation in attempting to enforce
such law at time when such an en-.
forcement would work great hardship,
injury and suffering on the white set.
tiers. The Secretary is earnestly i'm
pIored TO take such steps in behalf Of
the people 8 in his judgment may be
necessary to postpone the enforcement
OF the law in question until the present
growing crops are gathered.
The Christiaucy Divorce eCase-5omethi
SPICY Anticipated.
WASHINGTON, June 24.-The Chris.
tiancy divorce case was before the Equity
Court to-day, OH the question OF fixing
the time for stopping the taking OF the
testimony, The defense represented
that the prosecution had nine months
in which to take testimony and the dt-
fence only two, and now the prosecu-
ton is trying to limit the time OF the
defense. The court made an order al
lowing the defense sixty days more and
after that the prosecution to have ten
DAYS 10 wind mp the case. The counsel
for the defence said that they proposed
to rip up Christisncy's character, that
they intend to show the bad conduct on
his part in this country and in Peru;
that he put spies on Mrs. Christiancy's
,rack ahnSeI and maltreated her. alsO
that they will show that Mrs. Christian
cy's letters TO Giro were obtained by
fraud.