The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-13
no cHAsCs ron raE soosxas.

Aoo4 O0co Declares ITSELF % RooA
Late shs Celviils Reservsaaoa.
The agitation recently revived By A 81.
esoufe, editor Of the Loomistou Journal
concerning the alleged frauds that are
being perpesrated in the Colville reserva-
ton ~ the British Columbia Indians.
who, 1t 10 said, are gohbsing up thousands
OF acres in the hopes Of profting BY the
aliotments. which matter was brought BE-
fore the Seattle CHAMBER Of Commercs by
J. B. Mescaife, on the advics of Register
O'Too!e. has resulted In Q letter from
Land Commissioners Lamoreux explaining
the situation in regard to the opening Of
the reservation. After the Chamber Of
Commerce prepared . Get OF resolutions
calling the attention Of the land depart
ment to the alleged frauds, Register
O'Tcols wrote letter urging the depart
! ment to look into tho matter and for
wardsd IL, together with the resolutions.
TO Commissioner Lamoreux. Recently
Register O'Toole received letter from the
commissioner In reference 70 the matter,
In which he says:
"No part OF the lands embraced in the
Coiviils reservation have yet been thrown
open 20 settlement July q. 1882. Hon.
John w. Noble, secretary of the interior.
it had been reported that many persons
had gone upon the reservation for the pur-
pose OF making entries or making mineral
locations when the lands we're proclaimed
open to settlement and entry, and ~ no
proclamation had been or would be made
until the lands had been sufficiently sur.
veyed TO warrant sueh opening with JUS
tice to all concerned, notice was thereby
given that all entries. locstionA aud SET
Elements upon the reservation At
tempted to be made prior to the
time Of opening by proclamation
of the president, yet TO b issued. were, by
the notice declared to be illegal, and no
person who ha0 heretofore or who
might thereafter attempt to make such
entries. locations or settlements prior to
the opening BY proclamation would gain
any advantage thereby. but on the con-
trary, the preference would be given to
those who legally entered upon the reser.
walton after it wa legally opened The
notice concluded: 1t is intended that
those abiding By the Law shall b pro-
tected by il, and not those who disregard
1t and seek thereby TO obtain an undue ad-
vantage over their fellow-citizens. and all
persons now upon the reservation without
express authority are warned to leave the
same without delay
at would seem from the foregoing that
the attitude which the department and
may be making illegal settlement upon
the Coiviile reservation, when their acts
come IN question, il fully and sufficiently
declared BY the notice OF the department.
referred to. II this Office 10 informed with
sufficient ciearnsss Of any special acts of
trespass committed upon the lands en-
braced in that part of the Colville reserva-
ton which il to be hereafter thrown open
to settlement, it win take immediate ac-
ton to bring the offenders to justice. You
are further informed that the lands In the
Colviile reservation to b hereafter thrown
open to settlement have not yet been sur
veyed. And until such survey has been
made and approved and the presidents
proclamation issued opening the lands to
settlement, all the warning conveyed by
Secretary Mobiles public notice is in full
force and effect. When the lands are
finally thrown open 1t will be the pleasure
of this office to protect iaw-abiding citi-
gems snd defeat, wherever possible. the
schemes OF those who presume to violate"
1t 10 learnedfrom reliable source that
only about 500 indians have legal rights In
the reservation. but that there are about
I. $50 in the reservation, the majority OF
which interlopers have come across the
line from British Columbia In speaking
Of the matter last evening J. b Aetcalfe
called attention the following from the
LOomlSton Journal:
'It appears that little attention Is being
paid to the Indian frauds that are being
rerpetrated in the Coiviile reservation.
Not citizen OF this locality but desires
our own Indians to have just what the
government agreed TO give them, but our
people do object to British Columbia In
dams troopIng across the border and COB
bling mp thousands Of acres Of the best
lands TO the exclusion of the white settlers
who never needed lands more than now.
The interior department will fall far short
of its duty II II allows these frauds to cul-
inmate in the coarse way the Indians are
working them. Any amount Of authentic
testimony can be gathered as to the iegiti-
mate occupancy or not OF the Colville res
ervation lands. and Why the department
will allow such proposed frauds TO culmi-
nate is past understanding"
Episcopal Bishop southgate Dead.
ASTORIA. n. Y. April i2-Bishop Ho-