The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-06-11
limited STATES SENATE.


MY DEAR SIR:-I am in receipt of
yours of the 10th in reference to the
proposed reduction of the reservations
of the Indians in northern Montana &C
cording to the bill introduced by Mr..
Vest. The committee gave this subject
q good deal of attention II were very
DESTROYS of reaching a result at this ses-
sion of congress. There was nc differ
ence of opinion in the committee upon
the propriety of a very large reduction
in the limits of those reservations. The
Indians can make no use Of a large pOr-
ton of the reservations, and a small
part selected with care upon the river
bottoms would be of much more service
to them than if they had the liberty to
roam over the entire reservation. The
committee found no difficulty in coming
to the conclusion that the title OF the
Indians to this land was only that de-
rived from an act of congress, and there
fore the lines of their reservation could
be changed at the will Of the govern
ment. They found some difficulty,
however, in coming to a conclusion
from the limited information they had,
as to what was a proper reservation upon
which to fix these Indians with a view
to a permanent residence, and if posi-
BILE to their doing something toward
their OWL support. This difficulty arose
from the fact that upon submitting Mr..
Vests bill to the Indian bureau the
commissioner returned it to the COM
mittee with a map of the reservation,
upon which was outlined the reserva-
ton proposed by MI. Vests bill, and
another and much larger reservation
proposed by him, upon the recommen-
dation, as we understood, OF the agent,
Mr.. Lincoln. lit was understood that
the secretary would favor the establish
ment of the reservation according TO
Mr.. Vests bill, but the commissioner,
following the information received from
the agent and others, was strongly OF
the opinion that a reservation OF differ
ent boundaries and containing a much
larger area was necessary. The COM
mittee were inclined at first to take the
boundaries suggested by yourself and
Senator Vest, thinking that you a
personal knowledge sufficient for u
action, and entirely confident that you
would not advise unwisely, but 1t be-
came necessary to send a commission TO
the Grow agency for the purpose OF de-
termining the boundaries OF that reser-
walton, and it was finally concluded that
it would be safe and wise to authorize
this commission to visit the reservations
in northern Montana, and while upon
the ground to fix suitable boundaries to
new reservation and at the same time
determine the location OF the agency
and other matters relating 70 care 81
the Indians which would arise from SO
radical a change in the boundaries. 1t
was this that led the committee to rec
ommend, instead of the passage OF MI.
Vests bill, that the commission visit
these reservations, and upon the ground
determine what would be suitable n
proper boundaries for a new reservation.
They regret greatly that they were una
BILE to conclude the matter at this session,
and they saw mo reason to doubt that
your recommendations would be wise
for the government, and safe for the In
dams, but a lack of information on our
part and the difference of opinion enter
tanned by the Indian bureau, led to the
conclusion | have stated. | trust it will