The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-12-04

B E5lt-G ts1 it1lJraG5S. and II the secretary
did uCt deem himself authorized to
interfere, q joint resolution of congress
should be passed making it his duty
To do sc. The debate broadened into
; general GiscGsSion on Indian lands
and supplies, Mr.. Beck stating the gov
/ ernment had paid $40 head for cattle
worth $12.
Mr.. DAVIS said these leases of Indians
! lands while wrong were not more out
rageous than the authorized enclosure
| by wire fence of thousands of acres
public lands of one tract o 102 600
acres of Indian lands, 85 600 acres were
inexclusive possession of outsiders,
whose herds consumed Aevery thing
| that grew while the Indian bureau
had been obliged to advertise for beef
| to support the Indians on whose res
erVation these herds were feeding.
Had the Indians used the reservation
for themselves they would supported
| themselves. In one instance the In
dlans had, in one year, sold 1900
| bushels of wheat from reservation
now occupied almost entirely by pri-
Vate individuals without any power
on the part of the government to dis
| possess such individuals. The evils
consequent on leasing lands and fenc-
ing in public lands, Dawes continued,
imposed grave duty on congress. If
remedial action was not taken in time
the public domain would pass irreco-
verably into possession of large land
owners, foreign and navtive. He hoped
the maSGer would not be allowed to
end in that or be confined to Indians
lands. Congress had power to clothe
I the executive officers of the govern
ment with ample authority in the
premises and should do so.
At the request of Mr.. Conger the
matter went over one day.
Adjourned.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December g.
Mr. Wilson, OF Iowa, presented the
credentials of Mr.. Smith, member
elect from the seventh Iowa district,
to fill the vacancy occasioned by the
resignation of Mr.. Kasson. Mr.. Smith
took the oath of affice.
Mr.. Follett, as a question of privi-
lege, presented the following preamble
Wright, United States marshal for the
southern dirtrict of Ohio, of high
crimes and misdemeanoIs. l charge
him with usurpation of power and
violation OF the law in that he ap
pointed large number of general and
special deputy marshals to stand at
the several voting precincts in Cincin-
natl, at the election for members of
congress On the 18th of October, 1884,
and armed said deputy marshals with
pistols and other deadly weapons, said
to have been furnished by the war de-
partment of the United States gov
ernment; in that a number of deputy
marshalS SO appointed and armed
were notorious criminals, men of
known vicious and brutal habits and
reputation, and many of them were
residents of Cincinnati and the state
of Ohio; in that said deputy marshals,
acting under his orders and directions
aided, abetted and encouraged 1raudu-
lent voting, the intimidation of voters
and gross outrages upon the elective
franchise and the rights of the honest
voters of the city in furtherance of
the interests of political party and
its candidates; therefore,
Resolved, That the committee on
expenditures of the department OF
justice be required and directed, as
soon as the same can reasonably be
done, to investigate such charges and
report to this house as follows: First
How many deputy marshals, geoeT-
al and special, were appointed ard au
thorized by said United States mar
shals to serve at the several voting
precincts of the city, with the name aud
residence of each and the voting pre-
cinct to which each was assigned.
Section-What citizens, it any, of the
several precincts asked the appoint
ment of such deputy marshals, with
the names of such citizens and the
reasons, if any, assigned for such re-
quest. Third-Whether any, and II
so how many such deputy marshals
have, prior to such appointment. been
accused or convicted of crime, or were
men of known vicious and brutal
habits and reputation. Fourth
Whether said deputy marshals were
under the direction and control of
partizans and used the power vested
in theln in the interests or any politi
cal party, and aided fraudulent voting
in the interests of such political party
and its candidate. Fifth-What num-
ber and what kind of pistols
or other deadly weapons were
put into the hands of deputy mar
shals; who furnished the weapons;
from where and hence were they
received; why furnished, and how
many of such weapons have been re-
| turned, together with the names of
such deputy marshals as have failed
to return weapons furnished them.
Sixth, What amount of money has
been paid such deputy marshals, and
by whose order and at what rate per
day. Seventh, Any other matter or
thing connected with or germaine to
the general subject of such 1nvesti-
CATION. The committee to be invest
ed with full power, and the expenses
Of the investigation to be paid out of
the contingent fund.
! Mr.. Keifer made a pointof order
against the reception of the resolution,
| but the speaker overruled it, deciding
that the resolution presented matter
of privilege, and the house could de-
| termine for itself how fa2 the inVesti-
cation could be proceeded with, and
what committee should have charge
of it.
Mr.. FoIlets said the single question
presented the committee for investi-
cation was whether certain officers
mad, or had not, performed one of the
highest duties of an officer of the
government.
The protection of the ballot in pur-
suance of law or in known violation of
it, that only did he desire the house to
be informed on.
Mr.. Keifer thought before ihe house
was prepared to impeach a United
States marshal in Cincinnati it was
important it should know the whole
situation surrounding that officer
when he undert ook there should be a
peaceable election, where all persons
of all ages go ond cast ballots. At the
very time when the deputy mar
shals were appointed in Cincinnati
there were going about the streets OF
that city officers or men pretending to
be officers of that municipal corpora
ton, seizing men simply because they
were colored men, locking them up by
, hundreds, and keeping them there uyl-
til the polls closed. He might not be
entirely correct, but a newspaper stat.
ed that in one station house 300 col
ored men were held through election
day, in order that they could not go tc
the polls and vote. He would like &c
amend the resolution so as to wider
the scope of investigation. Til:
would help the house to decide
whether the officer acted wisely Of
prudently in the light of greai
responsibility thrown upon him wher
bo on ,1nncnalIu Iorcra nr1pn