The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-01-08
CONGRESS-.
Petition from the Oklo-
homa Settlers.
BAYARD AND INGALLS, SPAT.
Discussion of the Interstate Com
merce Bill in the House
Other Business.
The Senate.

WASHINGTON, January Among the
petitions presented, was one by Plumb
from Oklahoma settlers who set forth
that the land they occupy, had been
long since bought from the Indians by
the United States and paid for; that the
United States did not expect or intend
the Indians should again occupy the
land, and the petitioners, therefore, see
no reason why they should not be al
lowed to remain in the homes established
for themselves and their families. They
protest against the cruelty of their re-
moval, and say they would not have
been disturbed but for the great influence
of wealthy and powerful cattle owners,
who do not themselves pretend to have
any title to the land, butwho use the
land for grazing cattle. The petitioners
add that they have gone to Oklahoma
to stay with their plows and axes, and
that thousands of their friends expect to
go there, and pray Congress to with
draw the military forces and instead
take early steps to organize the Terri
tory of Oklahoma into State.
In the presenting the petition, Plumb
said: 6 Although those settlers may be
guilty of a technical violation of law,
as the law was interpreted by the Attor-
ney- General, yet Congress had already
said the lands in question should not be
again occupied by Indians" and it
seemed to him the time had come
when Congress should say yea or nay
on the question of the occupancy of
these lands by white settlers. He hoped
the committee on Indian affairs would
act on the subject at the earliest OPP
portunity.
Dawes said the committee had already
examined the subject, and reported
that in the present condition of the
title to the lands, they could not be
opened to settlement, and the Senate
had adopted that report.
The Senate passed the House joint
resolution appropriating $4,000 to re-
lieve the wants of destitute Indians.
Morrill, called up his resolution, de-
claring that reciprocity treaties with
nations of infer Tor population and re-
sources, should be regarded with dis
favor, and spoke at length in its sup
port.
Cullom replied that the House had
been discussing the subject for ten
wears, and it was not necessary for the
Senate to wait on the action of the
House. The Senate would not do its
duty to the country If it did not pro
coed with the bill.
Bayard preferred to wait and see
what sort of measure the House
would presentto the Senate. He could
not but feel that there had never been
so much power committed to any five
men on the earth as it was proposed by
this bin. to commit to five commits
sioners.
ingalls, was surprised at the position
taken by Bayard that the Senate should
not consider the subject contemporane-
ously with its consideration by the
House. 1t was tantamount to an adj
mission that when the House had any
topic in hand the Senate would have
either to take up some other topic or go
into executive session. There was no
subject of greater importance to the peo-
pie of the United States than that OF
transportation, and with two months
of the session remaining, we were adj
vised to await the result of the delibera-
tons of the House. "We may as well
deal plainly with this subject" con-
tinued ingalls,. 1.-The Senate of the Uni
ted States, 1 use plain language, the
Senate of the United States is
suspected by the people OF this
country witt a desire not TO do
anything on this subject. l do not need
to appeal to the consciousness of any
Senator / do not need to appeal to the
current strains of observation made in
the public press. What l say is, the
Senate of the United States is not
an object of public adulatien at
this moment in this country,
and regretted to hear the Senator from
Delaware (Bayard) who is supposed to
be leader of the new public opinion
under the new eyangel of reform. In the
days that are to come, grayely recon-,
mending the Senate OF the United
States to pursue the do-nothing policy
that has characterized Congress ON this
subject for ten years past"
Executive session. Adjourn ed.