St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-23
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Arrival of the united States Senat
Committee i'm ST. Paul.

Committee i'm st. Paul.
Among the names placed on the register
of the Ryan yesterday morning were Ben
Harrison, indianapolis, Ind. james K.Jones,
Arkansas, John j. ingalls,, Kansas, Charles
p. Wilson, E. w. Halford, S. ID. Miller
and J. J. Christie. They constituted the
United States senate committee on Indian
affairs, and the clerks and Stenographer
that have accompanied the committee on It's
visit to Dakota, where the committee has
been investigating the affairs OF the WINNIE
bago Indian reservation. The party took
rooms. and later in the forenoon went TO
Fort Smelling TO confer with Gen. Terry.
To a GLOBE reporter who called on Sena-
tor Harrison he outlined the object OF the
committees visit. and the meeting 1t mad
held with the Indians.
BY a proclamation President Arthur
opened up to settlers a portion OF their
lands. but soon after the change of admins
tiation this order was revoked by President
Cleveland. AS result the settlers and the
Indians had become involved in trouble,
the Indians claiming that under the
TERMS OF A TREATY
made some fifteen years ago with the Sioux.
the lands cannot be opened. Settlers who
have put up buildings more or less. and
have gotten farming operations well under
way object. Oh the other hand, to being
moved away Testimony was taken from
both Indians and settlers, which will receive
due consideration from the committee.
There is at present no sign OF any
hostilities between the two classes
of claimants, though when the settlers first
began to move in there were threats of an
outbreak. Since the order of President
Cleveland the Indians have become quiet,
generally believing that their treaty rights
were to be respected; whites also ceased
to move upon the territory and in few
cases they abandoned their claim to the
lands.
1--WE, of course, express no opinion as to
the right or wrong in the case" said Sen
ator Harrison, ''as we were sent out to get
information rather than to give
it; and it would be prema-
ture for us to give any opinions
on the matters in hand before we have re-
ported to the full committee. We should
have visited the reservations had not Presi-
dent Cleveland rescinded the order, as that
action did not occur until after the adjourn
ment of congress. So our visit was one of
general inspection aside from this particular
matter"
''This question brought up by the presi-
OCIlO dNOlO1
INVOLVES THE WHOLE QUESTION
of the right to enter any reservations, and
hence is of considerable importance. A
belief has been expressed in Washington
by several prominent men that the agree
ment was not treaty, and hence reaction
of President Arthur was legal. If it was a
treaty under which the reservation was
held, and the president assumed to open it
by a proclamation without action of con-
gresS, it would not be recognized; but it is
not certain, as / said, that treaty
was involved. Beside the particular
instance named, the Indians in
other reservations claim that the
ranchmen in Montana and in Kansas have
gone onto their lands and have appropri-
ated in all something like million and a
half acres for grazing purposes. Our branch
Of the committee will pay some attention to
this claim.rE
At Fort Smelling yesterday forenoon
the senators were the guests of
Gen. Terry. They were given very cor
dial welcome, a salute of seventeen guns,
which Gen. Terry said was the proper num-
Der for a senatorial committee, being fired
on the arrival of the party
and an exhibition of rife shooting being
given. The object of the visit to Gen.
committee from the nearest railway point
to Fort Custer, a distance of some thirty or
forty miles. Arrangements were made,
and the party spent the afternoon visiting
Minnehaha and looking over the fort, re-
turning to st. Paul at early evening. The
senators will be
ENTERTAINED TO-DAY
by prominent gentlemen, and this after
noon they will leave over the Northern
Pacific for Montana to look into affairs on
the Crow reservation. After this Senators
Jones and Ingalls, will go for visit to Salt
lake, and Senator Harrison, whose wife ar
rived last evening, will join her at Helena
and spend portion of his summer vacation
in the far West.
During the interview Senator Harrison
said to GLOBE reporter that there was
about the usual amount of grumbling in
Indiana that is always incident to change
in administration. This perhaps was con-
fined mostly to the politicians of both par
ties, who were bound to be dissatisfied on
some points at every change.
ION general principles l shall expect
Ohio to go Republican at the next cleo
ton" said he, land if the Prohbitionists
are not strong enough to defeat us we shall
carry the state"
The senator said he had been in st. Paul
several times before, his last visit having
been about seven years ago, and he made
the usual remark of visitors on the growth
OF the city. ''The only thing | have
against the Northwest" said he. lis that il
has attracted too many good Republicans
away from Indiana. L find them every
where"