, 1885-01-23
A SERIOUS SUBJECT.
What Shall the Oklahoma
Harvest Be?
Piutes Who are Living on Thin
Winter Diet.
The Illinois Legislative Tangle
Still Continues.
The Matter.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22--The Okla
homa resolutions Of Senators Plumb and
Vestwere placed before the senate. Senator
Vest withdrew his resolution. In doing
so he took occasion to say there could be
no doubt whatever, hat as the laws stood
the Oklahoma lands were not at this
time subject to settlement by whites.
The president therefore was unable to do
otherwise than as he had done. The presi-
dent was compelled to execute the law
and the law was clearly and unquestion-
ably against permitting white settlers to
90 on these lands. Senator Vest believed
it inevitable that the lands would in time
be opened up to such settlers but hat
time was not now. He expressed the
hope hat congress would take action on
the matter and avert bloodshed. The
remaining rights of the Indians to the
lands in question should be purchased.
Senator Dawes said we had no right to
open up these lands for settlement. The
United States could not trample on its
own treaties.
Senator Harrison suggested that the
committee on Indian affairs might at once
report ~unfavorably on the petition recent
ly presented to the senate which prayed
for the opening up of the Oklahoma
country. On the question of adopting
such report the yeas and nays might be
called and a record Of the sense of the
senate hus secured. which might have
the effect to prevent the conflict now
threatened.
Senator Maxey said this was a good
opportunity for the government to put its
seal of condemnation upon lawlessness.
The lands which formed the subject of
this debate had never been surveyed,
'~'sectionized'' or subdivided. They were
therefore in no way open for settlement.
Senator Plumb believed that most peo-
pie that went into the Oklahoma country
went there under the conviction that they
had a legal right to do so.
Senator Maxey did not see how they
could entertain such a conviction since
they had been notified by every practical
bic means that they had no such right.
Senator Plumb said much misunder-
standing had been created by the rumor
that an United States judge in Kansas
had decided that these lands were public
lands OF the United States. The decision
was not to that effect, however. Senator
Plumb's opinion was hat the lands could
be opened to settlement by congress and
the president without the consent of the
Indians if prompt action were taken. He
had no doubt hat an entirely just and
peaceful solution of the difficulty could be
arrived at with a due regard to the rights
O the Indians Plumb's resolution call
ing on the president for his views Of the
present status of the Oklahoma lands was
agreed to.
Senator Vest then re-offered his reso-
luton directing the secretary of the treas
ury to ascertain and report upon what
terms the Greek and Seminole Indians
would surrender all their remaining rights
to the lands in question. He requested
that the resolution lie over till tomorrow.
when he would make it more comprehen-
siye. The resolution was laid over ac-
cordingly. The senate then went into ex-
ecutive session in reference to the Mica
nuguan treaty.