The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-01-21
Washington Notes.
INDIAN LAND LEASE SCANDAL.

INDIAN LAND LEASE SCANDAL.
WAsHINGToN, Jan. 2O.-Thomes Il.
Berry, of Wellington, Kansas, one of
the lessees of the vacant lands of the
Sac and Fox Indians, testified to-day
before the senate committee on Indian
affairs, that Special Agent Townsend,
of the Indian bureau, and a licensed
trader, named Picket, obtained the
leases while they were officers of the
government from Iowa. They tried to
get leases from the Sacs and Foxs, but
witness was Instrumental in preventing
it.
Mr.. Townsend used his authority as a
government agent 10 procure the lease.
The kiowas, so Berry testified,
had not acquired title to their
reservation, and Mr.. Townsend made
them believe that he would get title for
them, il they would give them leases
Witness said the Indians believed
Townsend was the government, and on
that belief let him have the lease.
Berry also charged that Townsend
used money TO get his lease. He
preferred charges against Townsend
before the Indian bureau, but did not
hear from them until he got Senator
Plumb to inquire about it.
He was then advised that Townsend
had resigned and the referee of the In
dian commission could not do anything
with him. Witness testified that it was
understood that corruption fund was
used TO obtain the Cherokee strip leases.
ARELIEF BILL FOR THOMPSON.
The house committee on judiciary
will report bill providing for the pay
ment OF 5000 to John G.. Thompson, to
reimburse him for expenses incurred in
the trial of the Acknowledgment
case.
IIAzING.
By vote Of to- the house committee
on naval affairs decided to report rasO-
luton providing for the appointment OF
a committee to investigate hazing at the
naval academy at Annapolis.
WILL THEY FIGHT.
Tho ad jutant-general OF the army to-
day received q telegram from Bragadier
General Augur, commanding the do
partment of the Missouri, an
nouncing that tho number of settlers
on the Oklahoma lands was
steadily increasing, having reached
nearly 400, and that resistance to federal
authority was threatened Secretary
Lincoln had conference with the pres
ident on the subject this afternoon, the
result of which was that Gen. Augur
was instructed to concentrate more
troops at the settlement and
to remove the Invaders from the terri
tory in rs peaceable manner as pos
sible.
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE.
The house committee on postOilices
and postroads will next Friday consider
the various bills relative to the reduce
ton OF newspaper postage. The COM
Mittee is in receipt OF memorial
on the subject, prepared by Messrs.
Morrison, Mumford, DR.. Locke
and William Penn Nixon, as
a committee representing the nowspa-
per publishers of the west and north.
west. This committee was appointed at
the last annual meeting of tho Western
Associated Press, held Nc Detroit, to
call the attention of congress to in-
equalities of the postal laws bearing on
the rate charged for newspapers and
periodicals. The memorial saws
In part: Newspaper publishers
are not mendicants, but they claim to
have such relations to the diffusion of
light and knowledge among the people
of the day, which we understand was
one of the objects for which the postal
department of the government was
created, as gives them the right TO do
mand a fair hearing and just enact
ments.
TRANSPORTATION OF LIVE STOCK.
Representative Clardy was instructed
by the house committee on commerce,
to-day, to report iavorably Represents
tive Hopkins resolution, introduced
last session, directing that committee To
inquire into such evils as may exist In
the transportation Of live stock. One OF
thoevils cited in the resolution Is that
by tho present system of transporting
live stock by the railroad companies
10 per cent Of the animals perish In con-
sequence Of barbarous treatment and
the flesh Of the doad animals In sold Il
the public.
soNrIRMATIoNs:
John Davis, District Of Columbia, Il
be judge OF the United States court o
claims.
William A. Richardson, chief justice
of the United States court of claims.
THEY WERE BECOMING COMMON.
The secretary of war has declined u
order court martial for the trial o
Chief Signal officer Hazon ON the char
yes preferred by Lieutenant CARING
ton, and has decided TO take no further
action regarding the expeditions.