Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-25
WHAT NEBRASKA WILL GAIN.


; With the opening OF the Sioux reser-
tion valuable strip Of territory, said TO
be the finest portion OF the reservation,
will become part OF Nebraska. This
territory lies north of and on the Mo
brara river, and is distinctively known
as the Ponca reserve. 1t was ceded by
an act of congress in 1882 to extend the
northern boundary OF Nebraska, to
which the assent OF the state was given
in that year by a dill passed at the
special session of the legislature. The
condition of the cession was that it
should become q part OF Nebraska on the
extinguishment OF the Indian title. The
strip contains about seven hundred
thousand acres Of excellent land, and
under the provisions OF the act of con-
gress for opening the Sioux reservation
the Poncas will be entitled to allot-
ments and to all other benefits in the
same manner and with the same condi-
tions as II they were q part OF the Sioux
nation. The act of the last congress re-
garding the reservation distinctly rec
ognizes the act of 1882 "to extend the
northern boundary OF the state OF Ne
braska," in view Of which it would seem
safe to conclude that when the condition
Of the cession is complied with in the
extinguishment of the Indian title
tho government will concede the right
Of Nebraska to extend its jurisdiction
over this strip.
A correspondent OF THE BEE. refer
ing to the letter of the commissioner of
the land Office, recently published, re-
garding the preliminary requirements
| to an opening of the Sioux reservation,
taken in the view that any further
action by congress is necessary. He
| quotes from the law to show that when
| the consent Of the Indians has been OBJ
| tained, and satisfactory proof thereof
has been presented to the president, the
| president shall make the same known by
| proclamation, whereupon the reserva-
tion will be open for settlement. The
act does not provide for the further
| consent OF congress, but obviously set
| tlement can not be made until there
have been surveys of the portions of the
territory that have not been surveyed, =,
in order that the Indians may first re-
celve their allotments, of which, as we
understand the act, they have the right
OF selection. 1t is doubtless true as to
those portions which have been
surveyed, as for example, the
strip that will become part
of Nebraska, that squatters may
locate upon it, but they would neces-
sarily do so without any certainty of re-
naming where they sqatted. The pro-
visions regarding allotments to the
Ponca and other Indians on the lands
described in the act to extend the north
ern boundary of Nebraska requires that
such sallotments shall be made within
SIX months from the time the act shall
take effect, so that there is proba-
bility that under the most favorable cir
cumstances this portion of the reserva-
tion may be ready for settlement
before the close OF the year.
But the commission Must meet
with prompt success that is
hardly expected, and the president
allow no delay in proclaiming the re-
suit, In order to enable anybody to eff
feet permanent settlement even in the
surveyed territory within the present
year. In any event, however, the open
ing up Of the reservation has special
Importance for Nebraska, and care
should be taken that the state is not de-
prived OF any part of the benefits that
| should accrue tO st.