Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-07

ment, the organization Of Oklahoma and
the negotiations for the cession OF Indian
lands furnish some of the particulars OF the
increased work; and the results achieved
testify to the ability, fidelity and industry
of the head of the department and Dis
efficient assistants.
Several important agreements for the
cession of Indian lands negotiated by the
commission appointed under the act oil
March 2, 1889, are awaiting the action OF
Congress. Perhaps the most important OF
these is that for the cession Of the Cherokee
strip. ThiI region has been the source OF
great vexation to the Executive Depart
ment and of great friction and unrest be-
tween the settlers who desire to occupy It
and the Indians who assert title. The
agreement which has been made by the
commission is perhaps the most satisfactory
that could have been reached. It will be
noticed that it is conditioned upon its ratl-
fcation by Congress before March A, 1898.
Lands to Be Opened.
The Secretary of the Interior, who has
given the subject very careful thought,
recommends the ratification of the agree
ment, and 1 am inclined to follow his
recommendation. Certain it is that some
action by which this controversy shall be
brought to an end and these lands opened to
settlement is urgent.
The form of government provided by
Congress on May II, 1884, for Alaska was,
in its frame and purpose, temporary. The
increase of population and the development
of some important mining and commercial
interests make 1t imperative that the law
should be revised and better provision
made for the arrest and punishment of GRIM
inala
The report of the Secretary shows a very
gratifying state of facts as to the condition Of
the General Land Office. The work of issu-
ing agricultural patents, which seemed to
be hopelessly in arrear when the present
Secretary undertook the duties OF his Office,
has been so expedited that the bureau is
now upon current business. The relief
thus afforded to honest and worthy settlers
upon the public lands, by giving to them an
assured title to their entries, has been OF in
calculable benefit in developing the new
States and the Territories
A Prospect of Development.
The Court of Private Land Claims, estab-
lished by Congress for the promotion of
this policy of fspeedily settling contested
land titles, is making satisfactory progress
in its work and when the work is COM 4
pleted a great impetus will be given to the
development of those regions where un-
so long exercised their repressive influence. |
When to these results are added the enor-
nous cessions of Indian lands which have |
been opened to settlement, aggregating |
during this administration nearly 26, QUO, 900 |
acres, and the agreements negotiated and |
now pending in Congress for ratification by |
which about TO- 600, 900 additional acres will |
be opened to settlements will be seen how |
much has been accomplished.
The work in the Indian Bureau in the |
execution of the policy of recent legislation |
has been largely directed to two chief pur-
poses; first, the allotment of lands in sew
crafty to the Indians and the cession TO the |
United States of the surplus lands; and, |
secondly, to the work of educating the In
dians for their own protection in closer \
contact with the white man, and for the in
telligent exercise of his new citizenship. |
Allotments have been made and patents |
issued to 5000 Indians under the present /
Secretary and Commissioner and ., 900 ad-
ditional allotments have been made for |
which patents are now in process of
preparation. The school attendance of In
dian children has been increased dur
ing that time over Is per cent, the |
enrolment for 1892 being nearly 20, 900. A |
uniform system of school text books and of !
study has been adopted and the work in |
these national schools brought as near as NAV |
be to the basis. of the free common schools |
of the States. These schools can be trans
ferred and merged into the common school
systems of the States when the Indian has
fully assumed his new relation to the organ
lied civil community in which he resides,
and the new States are able to assume the
burden.
A Good Degree of Efficiency.
have several times been called upon to
nd mt hu
have done so promptly upon every sustained
complaint of unftness or misconduct. l be-
lieve, however, that the Indian service at
the agencies has been improved, and is now
on the whole with q good de-
gree of efficiency. If any legislation is pos
sible BY which the selection of Indian
agents can be wholly removed from all par
tisan suggestions or considerations, 1 am
sure 1t would be great relief to the Execu-
tive and great benefit to the service. The
for the subsistence
made at the last session of Congress
was inadequate. This smaller appropria-
tion was estimated for by the Commissioner
upon the theory that the large fund belong
ing TO the tribe in the public Treasury
could be and ought to be used for their sup
port. In view, however, of the pending
depreciation claims against this fund and
other considerations, the Secretary of the
Interior on the 18th of April last submitted
q supplemental estimate of $50, 900. This
appropriation was not made as it should
have been, and the oversight ought to be
at the earliest possible date.
In special message to this Congress at
.he last session stated the reasons why 1
mad not approved the deed for the release to
he United States by the Choctaws and
Jhickasaws of the lands formerly embraced
n the Cheyenne and Arapahoe reservation,
md remaining after allotments to that
ribe. A resolution of the Senate express
ng the opinion of that body, notuithstand-
ng the facts stated in my special message,
hat the deed should be approved and the
money, S2,991, ,450. paid over, was presented
o me May 10, 1892
A Controversy With Congress.
Ny special message was intended to call
he attention of Congress to the subject, and
n view of the fact that it is conceded that ;
he appropriation proceeded upon a false
,asis as to the amount of lands to be paid
or, and is by $4,000 in excess of the
mount they are entitled to (even if their
lain to the land is given full recognition
t the rate agreed upon), l have not felt :
Wiling to approve the deed, and shall not
10 so at least until botl Houses of Congress .
ave acted upon the subject 1t has been
proposed BY the claimants to re-
ease this sum of $50, 900, but have no
'ower to demand or accept such release,
nd such an agreement would be without
onsideration and void.
I desire further to call the attention of
congress to the fact that the recent agree
lent concluded with the KiowGs and 4