The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-01-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22-The Ok
Iahoma resolution of Plumb, Ve%i
,.laced before the senate. Vest with.
drew his resolution. In doing SO he
ok OCCASION to say there Guild b.
no doubt whatever that, as the law
stood, the Oklahoma laud! e
not, 1T this time, open to settlement
nv the whites. The President there
fore, was unable to do otherwise than
he had done.
| Vest said he was astonished t, see
the statement had been made ut the
| Other end of the Capitol to the Ell Ct
| that the President in bis action in
| this matter was violating the law.
| Nothing cpuld be further from the
truth. The president was compelled
to execute the law aud the law was
| clearly and unQuestionably agains'
| permitting white settlers to go On
these lande. Yes: believes 1t inevita-
| bis that the lands would in time be
! opened up to such settlers, but
| that time was not now. He expressed
the hope that congress would take
| action on the matter and avert blood
shed. The remaining rights of the
Indians to the lands in. question
should be purchased.
Dawes said we had nc right to open
no these lands for settlement. The
United States could not trample OIL
her own treaties. .
Harrison suggested that the COM
NIT ee on Indian aft airs might ut
once report unfavorabfy on the petit
ton recently presented to the senate,
which prayed for the opening Of the
Oklahoma, country. On the question
of adopting such q report the yeas
and nays might be called and record
the sense Of the senate, which, thus
secured, might have the effect to pre-
vent the conflict now threatened.
Maxey said there was q good Op-.
portunity for the government to put
its seal of condemnation upon the
lawlessness which formed the sub
ject of this debate. 1t had never
beef surveyed, sectionized or subdi-
vided. They were therefore in no
way open for settlement.
Plumb believed most of the people
that went into the Oklahoma country
went there under the conviction that
they had a legal right to do SO.
Maxey did not see how they could
entertain such q conviction since
they have been notified by every pos
sible means that they had no such
right.
Plumb said much misunderstand-
ing had been created by the rumOr
that the United States Judge in Kan
sas decided these lands We're public
lands of the United States. The de-
cision was not to that effect; how
ever, Plumb's opinion was, the lands
could be opened to settlement by
Congress and the President without
the consent of the Indians. If prompt
action were taken Plumb had no
doubt an entirely just and peaceful
solution of the difficulty could be ar
rived at with due regard to the rights
of the Indians.
Plumb's resolution calling on the
President for his views on the prpsen
status of the Oklahoma lands, was
then agreed to.
Vest then re-offered his resolution
directing the secretary Of the treas
what terms the Creek and Seminole
Indians would surrender all their re-
naming rights to the lands in ques-
ton. He requested that the resOlu-
ton be laid over till tomorrow, When
he would make it more comprehen-
sive. The resolution Was laid over
acc ,rdlngly.
The senate then went into ex Gu.
tive session in reference, it is under
stood, to the Nicaragua treaty.
On motion of Lapham the senate
amendments were coucurred in tn
the hou-e dill authorizing the ap-
pointment of a commission to run
and mark the boundary lines, between
a p,r.ion Of the Indian Territory and
Texas in connection with q similar
commission appointed by the state of
Texas.
Cobb presented the conference r..
port On the Oregon Central forfeiture
bill, agreed to. The house receded
from its disagreement to all of the
senate amendments. The house then
went into committee Of the whole on
the Indlau appropriation bill.
The house committee on public
health decided that by reason Ut. the
late stage of the Sc sion and crowded
of the calendar it be inn
possible to pas this session the bill to
pubic health, recently pre-
pared by delegates from the various
boards of health. The COM
mittee however decided to recon
mend an appropriation OF $25, 600 for
national board of health and
$500. 600 will be US ID at the discretion.
Of the president in preventing the
spread of cholera should it appear in
his country before the next congress
assemblies.
Cutcheon offered an amendment
providing that any Indian commit
ling q crime against the person or
rOperty of another L dian or other
PERSONS or any of the following crimes,
murder, manslaughter, rap, assault
With intent to kill, arson, burglary,
md larceny, shall be subject to the
awof the territory In which such
crime is committed and shall be tried
in the anne courts and in
he st. me manner and shall be subject
% the same penalties as are other
persons charged with the commission
# said crimes. and permitting Indians
o prosecute in any court, any civil
'ction at law and equity. Adopted.
Ryan Offeredan amendment author
zing The president to commence
negotiations for the purpose of open
ng the Oklahoma lands to settls-
nent under the homestead laws.
Adopted. The committee rose, the
ill passed aud the house adjourned.
General Grant Ola the Witness Stand.
New YORK, Jan. 22.-In the Chat