The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-24
He and His POSSESSIONS Fill Up q
Day in the United States
Senate.
Commission to be Appointed to
Buyup the Puyallup Reser-
walton.
The voluminous Correspondence with the
English Government Relative to
Behring Sen.

NAoAASsWAONt VsAAy Aes lSk'OVAosssJ ~ 40
the most lively debate on, and the creates
interest manifested in, the Indian appro
priation bill was when tho amendment pro
viding for a commission to investigate the
Puyallup situation, near Tacoma, Wash
ington, was under consideration. Chair
man Dawes moved to insert provision fc
prevent any person in the state of Washing.
ton from being selcted as one of the
commissioners. He then went on to ex-
plain the situation at Tacoma, how it was
situated on one of the finest harbore OF the
country, that tho reservation was prevent
ing the development of the city. and that
Indian lands had become very valuable, and
the reservation covered large part of the
harbor water front, which was greatly
needed. In answer to question as how
large reservation it was, Senator Squire
said it contained 1900 accres, and that
it was situated as to prevent
railroads building into the city
and the erection of docks.
which was hurtful to the interests Of Taco
ma. Senator Dolph called attention to the
fact that the state had the right to the tide
water. Senator Allen objected to any dis
crlmination being made against Washing
ton men being ON the COMMITTEES, saying
that this was reflection on the state.
Dawes insisted and told about speculators
who had got contracts with the Indians,
and that they had tried to get lands away
from the Indians, and a story was told how
some man got bill through congress for a
road which would have taken the entire
water front OF the reservation, but was de-
feated in the contamination of the scheme
by the Indians themselves. Senator
German tool up the bill passed
by the house granting the Portland
and Puget Sound road the right Of way over
the reservation, and characterized it as q bill
giving corporation rights which it ought
not to have. He said Allen should not op-
pose the amendment. and that he would
not if he was familiar with the forms Of
legislation here. Allen replied that the inn
putation was that il Washington man was
put on the commission that he would inject
in the report something like that which had
been put into the house bill, and he re-
sented it. Senator Mitchell said he had
tried to have those Indians removed five
years ago, and Dawes said, II opposed you
and you were right" The discussion con-
tinued at length. Senator Squire ex-
hibited map of Tacoma, showing
that the Indians were hindering the
progress of the city. The amendment
prevailed, because it was not desirable to
show an absence of quorum. Senator
Mitchell introduced his amendment re-
garding the Warm Springs agency, ap-
pointing commission to settle the dis
puted boundary, and Senator Allen had
provision added that the same commission
should negotiate for the cession of part of
the Colville agency in Washington. Both
provisions were agreed to.
Secretary Noble to-day made an impor-
tant decision in the case of Cornelius Knapp
against the Northern Pacific Railroad COM
pany, involving homestead in section II.
township 8, range 2, Vancouver district.
The land is within the primary limits
of the Northern Pacific grant. The
withdrawal for the road was made
prior to Knapp's entry, although Knapp
had been making improvements prior to
that time. His entry was cancelled because
of failure to comply with some rules Of
law. The question is AZ to the legality of
a reinstatement Of his entry when it is
shown that the land had been excepted
from the grant to the road. The secretary
holds that it may be reinstated as the land
was under the jurisdiction of the depart
ment as soon as it was settled that it did
not go with the grant. j. E. Allen has
been appointed postmaster at Glendale,
Beaverhead county, and J. g. Charter at
Grass Range, Fergus county.