Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-12-03
FORTY-ElGHTH CONGRESS-.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.

NASHiSGTON, Dec =.
After the reading of the journal Mr.. W. P.
Sheffield. the new senator from Rhode Island
was sworn in.
report of the secretary of the treasury and
of the clerk of the court of claims containing
a statement of all judgments rendered by that
court during the past year.
The chair also laid before the Senate as a
memorial, the joint resolution of the general
assembly of Vermont, urging congressional
action Looking TO the national control of
interstate commerce
Mr.. Vest offered a resolution directing an
investigation by the commissioner of Indian
affairs into all leases of land in the Indian
Territory for grazing and other purposes by
Indian tribes.
A debate on the subject of the leases ensued
in which Senators Vest, Dawes, Maxey and
Beck took part. The debate broadened into
a general discussion of Indian lands and
supplies. Mr.. Beck stating that the govern
ment paid $40 head for cattle worth only
Sl2.
Mr.. Dawes said that these leases of Indian
lands while wrong, we're no more outrageous
than the authorized enclosure by fences of
thousands of acres of public lands of the
of Indian lands, as many as 5000 were in
absolute and exclusive possession of outsiders
whose herds consumed everything that grew
on it, and the Indian bureau had been obliged
to ask for beef TO support the Indians on
whose reservations these herds were feeding
Had the Indians u.ed the reservation for
themselves they could have supported them
selves.
In one instance mentioned by Mr. Dawes
the Indians had in one year been able to sell
1000 bushels of wheat from a reservation,
now occupied almost entirely by private
individuals, without any power on the part of
the government to dispossess them.
The evils consequent on this leasing of
Indian lands and the fencing in of public
lands, Mr.. Dawes continued, imposed grave
duty on Congress. If remedial action was
taken in time, tine public domain would pass
into the possession of large land owners,
foreign and native. He hoped the matter
would not be allowed to end in talk or be
confined to Indian lands alone.
Mr.. Conger hoped the resolution would be
made sufficiently comprehensive to afford full
protection to the Indians and desired the
matter to go over for one day.
The matter went over accordingly and the
Senate then entered into the confederation of
At Lao the Senate adjourned till to
morrow.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Wilson of Iowa presented the creden-
tisls of II. 6. Smith as member elect from
the 7th Iowa district, to fill the vacancy
occasianed by the resignation Of John A.
KassOn.
Mr. Smith took the oath of office.
Mr.. Follett of Ohio, as a question of priv
ilege, presented resolutions, in which he
personally impeached MIR. Wight, U. S.
marshal of the southern district of Ohio, of
high crime and misdemeanor, charging him
with usurpation of power and violation of
law, in that he appointed large number of
regular and special deputy marshalls to serve
at several voting precincts in Cincinnati, at
the election of members of Congress on the
l4th of October, and armed three deputy
marshals with pistols and other deadly weap-
ons, said to have been furnished by the war
department of the U. S. government; in that
said deputy marshals, acting under his
orders and directions, aided, abetted and
encouraged fraudulent voting, ,intimidations of
voters and gross outrages upon the elective
franchise and the rights of honest voters.
The resolutions provided for an investigation
by the committee on expenditures in the
department of justice.
Mr. Kiefer of Ohio made point o f order
against the presentation of the resolution.
Mr. Reed of Maine contended that in
substance the resolution was merely one for
the purpose of investigating certain special
matter. committee was directed to discover
certain facts, but not to base on them articles
of impeachment. If a resolotion looked
towards impeachment, it should go to the
judiciary committee, but if the investigation
simply had reference to expenditures in the
department of justice, the committee on tina,
subject had charge of it properly.
The speaker thought that under all previous
rulings, resolution presented matter OF
privilege. The House could decide for itself
how the investigation should be proceeded
with, and what committee should have charge
of it, Therefore he called point of order
The committee decided to make as far a.
practicable, an appropriation of % per cent
of the estimates made by the corps of army
engineers and limit it to IS, 900, 900.
After long discussion the Follett resolu.
ton was adopted.
The House has proceeded to the considera
tion of the interstate commerce bill. The
discussion will run all day.
G. ID. Wise of Virginia asked unanimous
consent TO offer a resolution for the investi
CATION of the conduct of the U. S. marshal
for the eastern district of Virginia during the
recent election.
Mr.. Reed of Maine objected.
Mr.. Reagan of Texas called up the inter
state commerce bill and offered as a substitute
the bill known as the Reagan" bill. and
entered into an exhaustive comparison of the
two measures.
At the conclusion of his remarks the House
adjourned.