Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
What the Texas Members Had 10 DO
with the Passage Of the Blll for the
Allotment Of Lands to Indians.
Part OF Senator mexes's DoiDgs in the
Last Session OF Congress Care.
fully summed Up.
CoIrespondenco Of lhe Garette.

OF affairs at the national capital indicates
a disposition to dispatch business. The
bill to provide 70. the allotment OF lands
In severalty to the Indians on the various
reservations and to extend the protection
of the laws OF the United States aud Of
the territories over the indians, and
for other purposes, has become law.
IL Is the same bill, substantially, that
was introduced seven or eight years ago
In the house by the old veteran, Gov. j.
w. ThrOckmorton Of Texas, whose knowl.
edge OF the Indian enabled him TO know
better than most men how to humanize
and civiliZe him. This bill was reported |
In the first session Of this, the Forty
ninth congress, simultaneously bv SEN
ato-s Coke Of Texas and Dawes Of Massa-
chusetts, but the latter being chairman OF !
the committee on Indian affairs, reported J
mis- own bill, the provisions of which are /
In substance as follows: The president
shall cause to be issued to every tribe Of I
Indians in the United Ststes, except the |
| i've civilized tribes OF the Indian Territory
and the Seneca nation of New York,
patents to the lands they now hold, good
for twenty-five years, at the expiration of
which time, II Ia his judgment they are
| fit to become citizens, he (the presiuent)
shall cause to be issued patents
in fee to each Indian as follows:
To each head OF family, one-quarter
OF section.
To each single person over eighteen
years Of age, one eighth OF section.
To each orphan child under eighteen
years OF age, one-elghth of section;
| and
To each other person under eighteen
years now living, or who may be born
prior to the date Of the order OF the sec
retaIy Of the interior directing an allot-
ment of the lands embraced In any
reservation, one-sixteenth of section
Provided, that In case there is not sulii
cient land in any of said reservations TO
allot lands to each individual of the
classes above named In quantities as
above provided, the lands embraced in
such reservation or reservations shall be
allotted to each individual of each OF said
classes pro rata In accordance with the
provisions Of this act, and should the
lands be grazing lands, twice that amount
shall be patented to esch class respect
ively.
Section Z provides that after the allot-
ments and patentiDg of said lands
each and every member OF the
respective bands or tribes of Indians
to whom anOtments have been made shall
have the beut III OF and he subject to the
laws, both civil and criminal, of the state
or territory in which he may reside. The
same st ction restrsins any state or terri
tory from passing any law denying any
such Indian the equal protection OF the
law.
Section 10 provides that congress shall
have the right to condemn lands for pub
| s,4lr 10 tnf4 fFr.af nh
lines, ETC., upon making just compensa-
ton.
Hon. Mr.. Throckmorton ably supported
: this bill in the house. In the debate he
stated that during the vacation twelve oil
fifteen members OF one of the tribes upoI
the Comancte reservation visited him To-
:. the purpose OF urging congress to Civ
!. them lands In severalty. Ho urged tina
= l60 acres of arabic land and $50 of grazing
land be given to each head Of family.
. Senator Coke has been suffering from
d a carbuucle on his back, which has con-
e fed HIM to his rooms for several weeks
Z, but he is now much improved.
!. AS Senator Maxey's record Is a matter
g of peculiar interest TO the people o
r Texas at this time shall make especial
y reference to his valuable services in the
IS first session Of the Forty-ninth congress
n First, he introduced and secured the
e passage of bin for the defense OF thu
4 Texas frontier, amounting to S2OO,OOO
D. subsequently an additional bill, for N,
C. same purpose amounting to SAC, 900 whlcl
g. last became q law In one week from tn
time OF its introduction, a circumstanc
that never occarred before in the cor
gress of the United States, and show
concluslvely that Mr.. Maxey Is a man c
N talent, tact and energy, and also that h
70 has great influence in both houses OF cor
10 gress,
~ Next came the bill for the erection c
D. the soldiers barracks at San Antonio
= with an appropriation of $4,000
w DEPRECIATION CLAIMS.
~ Few people are aware that Texas ha
y, raid to her citizens 81 100000 to rein
40 burse them for property stolen and carrie
y. away by Indians, but such is the cast
"a To indemnify the state, Senator Make,
Az enlisted the senators from Kansas NJ
yada, Oregon and California, and { G
drafted bill known as the consolidate
bill for the purpose Of reimbursing thos
~ states, which secured to Texas IN
bo amount of 81 800 900 that had been pat
- out already from the taxes of the state
- In order to carry out the provisions G
~ that bill an additional appropriation
"a $40, 900 has been secured during tne PREF
ID ent session of congress, aud Senate
~ Maxey says the amounts appropriated !
's' the several states will now be paid INT
''i their respective treasures.
In the case OF Greer county MaXey an
" Lanham introduced bills simultaneous
IVY Ia the senate and house TO determine II
a" ownership Of the county. The countr
knows the result. The commission
met but could not agree. 4,
Then came the bill TO authorize u
Red River Bridge company TO ouild
eat bridge across Red river, and to amend =
I'VE act granting right Of way through u
re- Iudlan Territory to the st. Louis II
no Francisco Railway company. This cor
on pany has forfeited ITS charter by reas'
In. Of the stringency in money In 1881, b
Mr.. Maxey by securing the smendme
ot restored the chartered rights OF the co
Il