, 1890-12-18
INDEMNIFY SETTLERS
Heymann's Indian Depreda-
tions Claims Bill.
IT PASSED THE LOWER HOUSE
II Involves over S2o,ooo,ooo-A
Gallant Fight Made by
Its Friends.
Ispecial Service Of the REVIEWS Washing
ton Press Burcau.l

Especial Service OF the, REVIEWS washing
ton Press Burcau.l
WAsiilsoTos, Dec. 15.-A great victory
was achieved to. day by Representative
Hermann in the passage through tho
house OF the Indian depreciation bill.
As chairman of the committee on TINS
class o, claims Mr.. Hermann has slabored
tor nearly two years to perfect measure
which would relieve congress from the
impossible task of considering these
claims and induced the committee to
report his bill, providing for a court to
consist ot three judges, only two OF
whom shall be OF the same political
party, which shall adjudicate the depre-
dation claims exclusively. The juris.
diction Is confined to such claims ms
have been heretofore, and since lslh
filed IN the departments or presented to
congress. Judgments are To be rem
dered on such claims as have been el-
ready investigated and allowed by the
interior department. all judgments are
to be certified to the secretary of
the treasury, and he Is to include the
amounts of each in his annual estimates
to the appropriation committee, through
the house. The attorney general Is re-
quired to appear on behalf OF the gov
ernment. The claims now on file in the
interior department amount TO $50
0oO. Mr.. Hermann estimates that oil
these over $1,000 600 represent oregon
claimants while about S3,00o,0Oo are
from Nevada and California, and $780,
900 from Washington. The state OF
Texas has the largest amount involved
and Kansas comes next. Mr.. Hermann
made a strong showing to the house as
to the legal and moral obligation of the
government to indemnify the settlers of
the frontiers for property destroyed by
hostile Indians, and narrated the long
line of precedents and legislation through
which congress had recognized the ma
tion's obligation for eventual indemnity.
Holman. of Indiana, and kilgorc, OF
Texas, and Cannon, oflllinois earnestly
opposed the bill, and the policy of
paying such claims. Mr.. Mills, Governor
Sayres and Colonel Lanham, of Texas,
Heard, of Missouri. and Peet. Of Arkan-
sas on the democratic side, and Per
kins, of Kansas, Townsend, of Colorado
and Bartine of Nevada, on the repub-
lican side, spoke in favor of the meas
ure. Various dilatory motions were re-
sorted to- but the friends of the bill were
too strong. and by two-thirds vote the
house suspended the rules and passed
the bill. In the amount of money In
volved this Is the largest bill that has so
far passed this session. Senator Moody
chairman Of the senate committee on
Indian depreciation claims, thinks the
senate bill, providing that local and
United States courts should pass upon
these claims, should be substituted for
Hermann's bill, but this is not likely TO
occur.
Land Commissioned Croft said to-
day that the act under which
the appropriations were granted
to the new states for making surveys
OF public lands would not prevent max
ing the survey for state selections prior
to the settlement. He said the rules of
the department, prepared for surveyors,
had interpreted the law SO as to make
the appropriation available for survey
ing the lanGs needed to file the grants
in the new state The principal delay
in Washington state is due to the diff
Guilty in making contracts with reliable
surveyors at existing rates. The com
missioner said he would recommend to
congress that in the bill to be passed
this session, the rate would be made S24,
S22 and $40, instead of SIS, $l6 and Sl4,
as at present.