The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-01-23
The Senate.

WASHINGTON, D. c., January 22.-The
Oklahama resolutions of Plumb and
Vest were placed before the Senate
Vest withdrew his resolution. In doing
SO he took occasion to say there eonId
be no doubt whatever that as the laws
stood that 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.
Vest said he was astoDished to see
statement had been made at the other
end of the Capitol to the effect that the
President in his action in this matter,
was violating law. Nothing could be
farther from the fact. The President
was compelled to execute the law and it
was clearly and unquestionably against
permitting white settlers to go on these
lands. Vest believed it inevitable that
the lands would in time be opened up
to such settlers, but that the time was
not now, He. expressed the hope that
Congress would take action on the
matter, and avert bloodshed. The re-
manning rights of the Indians to the
lands in question should be purchased.
Dawes said we had no right to open
tup these lands for settlement. The
United States could not trample ON its
own treaties. go "
Harrison suggested that the commit
tee on Indian affairs might at once re-
port unfavorably on the petition re-
Gently presented to the Senate, which
prayed for the opening up of the Okla
hama country. On the question of
adopting such report, the yeas and nays
might be called and the record of the
Senate be thus secured, which might
have the effect to prevent the conflict
now threatened.
Maxey said this was a good oppor-
tunity for government to put its seal of
condemnation upon the lawlessness.
The lands which formed the subject of
this debate had never been surveyed,
sectionized or subdivided. They were
in no way open for settlement.
Plumb believed that most of the peo-
pie that went into the Oklahama County
went there under the conviction that
they had legal right to do so.
Maxey did not see how they could en-.
| terrain such conviction, since they had
| been denied by every practicable means
that they had such right.
Plumb said much misunderstanding
had been created by the rumor that {
United States judge in Kansas had de
cided that these lands were public land:
of the Unitsd States; the decision was
not to that effect, however. Plumb.
opinion was that the lands could b.
opened to settlement by Congress and
the President, without the consent O
the Indians, if prompt action were
taken. Plumb had ne doubt an entirely
just and peaceful solution of the diff
Guilty could be arrived at with due regart
to the rights of the Indians.
Plumb's resolution calling on the Pres
ident for his views as to the present
status of Oklahoma lands, was ther
agreed to.
i Vest then offered his resolution di-
recting the Secretary of the Treasury t.
ascertain and report upon what term:
the Creek and Seminole Indians ,woulc
surrender all their remaining rights te
T the lands in question. He requisite,
that the resolution lie ever till to-mor
row, when he would make it more
Comprehensive. The resolution was lait
over accordingly.
The Senate then went into executiv
session in reference, 1t is understood, t
the Nicaraguan treaty.
} When the doors reopened, the Senat
adjourned.