Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-25
OPENING THE RESERVATION.
The Statutory Provision in. Relation
Thereto.

Thereto.
NIoBRARA, Neb., May 22.-To the Editor
of The BEE: The letters of Commissioners
Stockslager and Mr. William r. Payne, and
your editorial in the issue of the 2ist re-
gardlng the Sioux reservation, are hardly
exact as to the method of opening it to set
tlement. While it is true that tho great part
of the Sioux reservation is still unsurveyed,
yet the commissioner does not seem to un-
derstand that a portion of that which will
become q part of Nebraska, as soon as the
Indian title is extinguishsd by the pending
negotiations, has already been surveyed in
uniformity with the Nebraska survey. The
commissioner also seems to be poorly posted
as to the requirements of the Sioux bill,
which provides merely for the proclamation
of the president and not the furthe consent
of congress, to effect, its opening, as section
% Of the bill llprove, viz:
"That this act shah take effect, only, upon
the acceptance thereof and consent thereto
by the different bands of the Sioux Nation Of
Indians, in manner and form prescribed by
the twelfth article of the treaty between the
United States ana SAID Sioux Indians con-
cluded April 80, 1868, which said acceptance
and consent shall be made known by procla-
nation by the president of the United States,
upon satisfactory proof presented 30 him
that the same has! been obtainted in the
manner and form required by said twelfth
article of said treaty, which proof shall he
passage of this act, and upon the failure Of
such proof and proclaim alton this act be-
come OF no effect and null and void"
While it is held that the portion Of the
Sioux reservation that is about to become
part of Nebraska is mo Mans Land" the
government is a power behind ALL and will,
as matter OF policy and good government
settle the matter by arbitrary rule. But
Ia lob hn
the means Of keeping Off settlement for
''squatters," as another provision of the bill
(section 13) reads thus:
90 And said Poncas shall pe enti-
tied to all other benefits under this act in tho
same manner and with the same conditions
as il they were part of the Sioux Nation,
receiving rations at one of the agencies
herein named When the allotments to the
Ponca tribe of Indians and to such other
Indians as alotments are provided for by
this act, shall have been made upon that por-
tion of said reservation, which is described
in the act entitled, AN act to eytend the
northern boundary OF the State of Nebraska
approved March %, 1882, the president shall,
in pursuance of sad act, declare that the
Indian title is extinguished to all lands de-
seribed scribe in said act act .n, not so all
Of SAID land not so allotted
and included in said act of March 49, 1882,
shall be open to settlement as provided in
this act; provided, that the allotments to the
Ponca and other Indians authorized by this
act to be made upon the land described in
the said act entitled. AN act to extend the
northern boundry of the State of Nebr aslsa,'
shall be made within six months from the
time this act shall take effect''
Nebraska's part in the Sioux reservation
is of considerable Importance to this portion
of the state as the land contained in the
strip is the best of the reservation. 1t is
therefore, worth wanting. Unless the presi-
dent is very slow in making his procama-
ton, this reservation should be ready for
settlement providing the Indians consent,
by next fall or winter. 1t is thought the
commission will rot be longer than Is abso-
lutely necessary, the demand for its open
ing being SO urgent.