The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-06-09
LO! THE POOR INDIAN.
A Congressional Committee about to
Tell Him to ssEHoye on's -DeIe-
gate Nagiunls ON the Plains
of the GomEai ssion.

/ Martin Maxinnis, of Helena, Montana
| delega 4 ~ congress from that territory
arrived at th+ Grand Pacific hotel yester-
day. Knowing that he was instrumen.
locating the S.aux Indians and opening
ND some valuable Indian lands to settle
ment, a rep ,llerJor the Times Interview
ed him Yesterday on the subject. JUS
before the senate adjourned" began Dee
gate Maginris, lit passed a resolution ap-
pointing Senators Dawes of Massachusetts
Logan of Illinois, Cameron of Wisconsin
| Vest Of Missouri, and Morgan of Alabama,
| and the cooperation of the house was asked
an il anpoin;rd Haskell of Kansas, Magin-
mis- of M.rtana, az someone else, all OF
whom constitute a commission to visit the
different Iudi,n agencies in Montana and
assign the Indians there to comfortable
quarters and at the same time give the
country tn" benefit Of valuable lands which
are now prac, c,ieally worthless to man
kinl, l4ecuuse of the Indian ownership of
th M
''W hen will YOU commence your work =
I'VE will meet at the Grand Pacific in
this city Aug 13. Gen. Sheridan, it is
expected, will 90 with us, and President
Arthur has signified his intention to go
with us as far as the Yellowstone park.
The Indians will be examined, and we shall
settle the Indians on such portions of their
reservations as may he needful for them,
and treat with them for the cession Of the
remainder and open it up as public domain.
We are authorized to submit a report con-
cerning our operations to the next con
gress.'
'sYou do not expect the Indians to readi-
Iy submit to your propositions?o
"Well, the Grows have larger reserya-
tion than they require for their own use,
and think they will agree to be settled
on piece Of land east of the Big Horn, or
that portion of their present reservation
which lies in the Big Horn valley, For
the lands the government takes they will
be content to receive cattle and money"
"How about the Blackfeet?"
'Thcse Indians occupy the whole of the
northern part Of Montana, a territory larg-
er than the whole ofNew England. They
will be given reservation sufficiently am
pie to sustain them, and annhities and other
helps to civilization viii be given them for
The other portion of the lands"
"What becomes Of the Flat Heads %
1.-The Flat Heads are partially a acivilized
tribe. They have been asking for some
time that they should be removed away
from the line of the Northern Pacific
railroad and the request will probably be
aeceded TO by the commission.
s'What led to the appointment of Dawes
and Logan on the commission ?"
Both of them have always manifested
such an interest in these indians that it
was known the reports Of the department.
al officers were not satisfactory to them,
and as they have been anxious to visit the
reservations and see for themselves they
were put on commissions"
MI. Maginnis, whose address before the
Army of the Potomac gathering at Wash
ington, last week, met with great favor,
said thai before the nominations for presi-
dent Of the society commenced it had all
been arranged, and generally agreed upon,
that Gen. Newton should receive the uni
ted support of all hands, and that there
was not one man who yotei for Newton
that would not have been proud to vote for
Gen. Grant for the place, but they knew
that The latter did not want it, and his
lame was sprung on the assembly. TIL
would have been unjust, Mr.. Maginnis
thinks, to have gone back on Gen. Newton
after whit ,ad been agreed upon.