The sun., 1892-02-05

any blue-bonneted Salvationist lassie. or even
SCHMIDT himself. who Is up at Albany In the
interest Of the anti-bsrmsid bill. desire the
enactment Of law for the abolition Of that
ancient and sociable Teutonic customp
INDIAN DEPRECIATION CLAIMS
TIE ExpeAie.ey or Settling The. without
wrongisg or Discoursging the Tribes.
WASHINGTON. D. G.. Feb. 4-There are
now on file in the Interior Depart
ment more than 5000 unsettled claims for
depredations By Indian tribes. involving about
S2OOOO.OO0. On the last day OF its second
session the Fifty-hrst Congress. after pro-
| longed consideration. made these claims.
which had been accommodating for generations.
| transferable to the Court Of Claims for adju-
| dication. It was wise disposition Of them.
| yet the law providing for 1t Is now believed to
require amendment In order to avoid doing
| injustice.
First and last, therc have been many more
such claims. numbering In fact up to July l.
1901. no fewer than 1885. and aggregatlng
s25.5s9.0O8. However. 242 OF them. involving
about S75O.O00. had. prior to 1885. been paid
or otherwise finally disposed of. about S425.-
600 being allowed on them. And in that year
| Congress passed law under which nearly
1.50O more were investigated and reported by
installments annually to Congress for some
disposition Of them Altogether the claims
thus paid or acted upon by the Secretary OF the
Interior numbered over 1.70O. with an aggre-
gate of s5.5tS. 800 involved and $2.OOO.51 al
lowed. This left on file In the Indian Office on
June 80 last about $3.50 claims. involving
$19.92O.2O6 II the allowances made on them
| should be in the same ratio as on the claims
already paid or investigated. the Government
would be called upon for the further sum
Of about $7.0OO.0OO. This would make the
whole amount allowed about S9OOO.OOO. OF
which. II We rightly read the figures. only
about a twentieth part has been paid.
That the General Government has made It.
self responsible for the settlement OF valid
claims OF this description there can be no
question. AS long ago as 1906. Congress pro-
vided that where Indians should tako or
destroy property the owner should present his
claim to the agent Of the tribe. who should
then demand satisfaction from the Indians.
II this was not secured within eighteen
months the agent was to report the facts to
the United States Government. which was to
guarantee eventual indemnity. provided the
] revenge" It IT, was 0 further enacted that the @
am9unt an thus paid @ as a. compeIns.ation SHOULD
nea states she
with the condition that claims should be barr
from the date OF the injuries complained
Of. A quarter OF a century passed. and then.
out ~ Of the ct treasury was as. repeafed. % Wills they
were still left cha.rgeable .g against the Indian
sg prdsdE In sat sses cs sn
should be paid without special appropriation
OF Congress-: and two years later regulations
claims. which by that time had t amounted to
@9rS IN fh%n 0oT wits an s,sEFsgsts e nearly
made to put the accommodating list In train OF
settlement. with the result. as has been seen.
81 F Of st ae% Wn3ef the
the transfer of the business to the Court Of
Claims; Thus far. however. It apPears that
haySe hhS been paid Or; iinally disposed o. Indeed
only 7G3 UP to July !: had taken advantage Of
although neGecting TO do SO will bar them at
h ss uts TsysT Of ma tns ss9ss
saarantse @ the settlement Of indian depreds.
ns @ the Risks Of war Which would resut vi from
the attempts OF settlers to secure private salts
posed to inemnify the Ireasury through r; its
hold upon the tribes under the treaties and
her arguments. In the act approved last
March the following provision is made:
S 5
that the depreciation was committed. and shall be de.
.d N ns'T1s a
btCOnu, II no Annulttb arc duo or available, then
s sss q ess
n @ f 70. s of :
fourth & such annu1y
be paid from the Treasury Of tho United States: Pro
re United States shall remain charge .k.imst such
& BE- S sny an
hsfsafsf become due from tho United States to such
Tn thio nrovisiop howavor tbaro I;aa a pou
sbe souree of in5ustcs to Tie Indians CONS
missioner Morgan points out ana confirms by
a
present generation Of Indians cannot possibly
S s assaosanxy ep
anG great or
Burden % created BY their fatRerss wlie d yet ;t IN
st state OF sayaGery:" It is admitted that some
back more than half u century. might be re-. o.
shcad ds@ Il woad nGt s
Tsssa Sss SssS ha
that Congress might thereafter r enact ma N law
appying to anpultiss therein, mentioned. and
tness a nas dver % ths g4y
TSs rsms5y Y sss and Az Ssss !;
discretionary with the Secretary OF the In
terror whether judgments obtained In the
the annuites OF any tribe In view Of its Imam.
cial condition. There Is q very obvious objec-
With such bSt sae
haps the desired end could be reached by q
provision for calling. upon the Secretary to
that Congress would have to reject ii By a
specific act, In order to make the indemnity
adiudGed payable by the tribe instead Of by the
Treasury.