Omaha daily bee., 1884-03-10
TIE SIouK RESERVATION.

The Sioux reservation, a large portion
Of which is to be thrown open TO settle
ment, includes SO, 600 square miles, lying
between the Missouri river and the Black
Hills country. The senate committee
on Indian affairs has recommended the
passage of a bill providing that 1000
square miles, or about ten million acres,
be opened for settlement. The land is
in two tracts. The frst is situated be.
tween the Cheyenne and White rivers for
the northern and southern boundaries,
and the Black Hills and the Missouri
river for the western and eastern bound
aries. The second strip is between the
l02d and 103d meridian of westlongitude
aud the Cheyenne river Of the south and
Cedar Creek on tho South Fork of the
Caonon-B Ball river on the north. The
committee proposes that for this cession
the Indians shall receive MS many cattle
as, in the opinion of the secretary of the
interior, they can well use. The bill
which accompanies the report provides
for the sale of this coded tract to actual
settlers only, for homestead purposes
alone, at 30 cents per acre, the payment
to be made for each section OF land in
four equal annual installments. The
proceeds of this sale are to be invested in
a fund by the secretary of the interior to
be kept for the benefit of the Indians.
The bill exempts this tract from %theoper-
atoms of the presumption and timber cul
ture laws.
BY this arrangement both the Milwau-
kee and Northwestern roads will be en-
abled to build west from Chamberlain
and Pierre to the Black hills, and the
Northern Pacific to put out a spur to the
south.
The Milwaukee and the Northwestern
have paid the Indians So per acre for the
land which they need for their right of
way, and bills are now pending in the
senate for the ratification of these agree.
ments There is little doubt, that they
will be ratified, so that even if there
should be delay in securing tho benefit of
the entire tract the railroads will have
the right of way.
The ope ing of the reservation, how
ever, will probably not occur as soon as
expected or desired, owing to the fact
the proposed bill reaffirms the treaty of
1868, which provides that no treaty
with the Sioux shall be binding
unless ratified by three fourths
of the adults. Last summer the Sioux
utterly refused to sign the treaty then
offered, but if this bill passes both houses
Senator Dawes committee will visit their
country next summer and try to induce
them to accept its liberal provisions. The
members of the committee feel that the
pressure upon the Sioux reservation ia
too great to be longer resisted, and that
the Indians will do best to accept the
liberal provisions now likely to be offered
them. Under these circumstances IL VIII
be seen that the opening of the reserva.
ton cannot be made until some time
next winter. Therefore the reservation
will remain closed for another year a
least. The members of the Dakota del,
egation in Washington are provoked al
the delay, and are not at all pleased will
the proposed bill on account of its TOT
liberal provisions for the Indians. On,
principal cause of dissatisfaction is said t,
be that the lower Brule Indians are to b,
given a large portion of the valuable tim
bered lands Immediately to the nortl
and west of Chamberlain, which the Da
kota spectators had expected to apprc
pirate.