The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-07

Civi Ins commonly known as the Fiv;
Rr; .s.a Tribes in the Indian Territory
10 ba.y me purpose of negotiations were
The establishment Of tribal titles to ans
ann wltnln that territory now held by
hv oo anl all such nations of TRIBES, either
NJ -, oos - OF the same or some part there'
and W s ehe United States, or by allotment
ar,a' ulvlslon of the same in ssVeralty
} rrihag tne Indians Of such nations OF
tba Ties o respectively as may be emitted &c
bno same or by such other method as may
10 agreed upon between the several ma.
U,uls and tribes aforesaid, or each of theni
waeh sne United States with view tC
aou an adjustment upon the 5Rsis OF
Soss'oe and equity as may. with the con-
aons OF the said nations OF Indians so far
as may be NECESSARY be requisite and suit
Snae 20 enable the ultimate creation OF a
oeate or States of the Union which shall
1 Ta nraoe the lands within said Indian
Territory,
lne commission met such opposition
rom the beginning The Indians were
very Slow to act and these in control
manifested a decided disinclinasion to
Meet with favor the proposition submitted
W mem little more than three years
aeeef their organization the commission
eHeeted an agreement with the Choctaw
naGion alone the Chiokasaws, however.
reused to aarse to it's terms and as they
lave common interest with the Choc-
Jaws Id tbs lands Of said nations. the
agreement with the latter nation could
nave no effect without the consent of the
lorraer: Tin April 90. 1897, the commits
| sion eneoted an agreement with both
nrines-the Choctsws and Chiokssaws
lnis agreement, it is understood, has
ueen ratified by the constituted authorl-
eies Oh the tribes or latiOna parties there
10 anu only requires ratification by Con-
gress to make it binding.
Un the 27th of September, 1887, an
agreement was effected with tina Creek
nation, but 1t is understood that the ma
tlonal council of said nation has refused
TO rasify the Sans. Negotiations are vet
20 be mad with the Chsrokess, the plost
populous of the five civilized tribes, and
Win the SeminOleE, fne smallest in point
OF numbers and territory.
line provision in the Indian aDpropria-
tion act approved June 10. 1896, makes il
enc duty OF the commission to investigate
ana determine the right of applicants or
cltlzensh1p in the five civilized tribes
ana TO make complete census polls of the
citizens of sHid tribes. The commission is
aG present engaged in this work among
the Creeks and has mads appointments
Tor taxing the census of these people I'D
TO and including the 30th of the present
month
SnouId the agreement between the
Choctsws and Chiokasaws be ratified by
| Congress ana should the other tribes fail
TO maze an agreement with she commits
sion. then it will be neoess ary that some
Legislation shall be had by Congress
which, while just and honorable to tine
Indians. shall be equitable to the white
people who have settled upon these lands
| by invitation of the tribal nations. Hon.
Henry L. Dawes, chairman of the com
mission in letter to the Secretary of the
interior under date of October II. 1897.
says:
Individual ownership ia in their (the
commlssion) opinion absolutely essential
to any permanent improvement, in pres
emit conditions, and the lack of it is the
root Of nearly all the evils wchih SO griev-
ously afsent these people. Allotments by
agreements Is the only possible methods,
unless the UnitedS Estates courts are clothed
with the authority to apporton the lands
among the citizen Indians for whose use
it was originally granted %
| concur with tn g Secretary OF the Int
rior that there can be no cure for the evils
| engendered by the perversion of these
great trusts except BY their resumption by
the government which created them.
QUARANTINE LAWS
number OF oitiss and towns throughout
the South has resulted in much disturb
| anoe OF cOmme and demonstrated the
| necessity OF suoh amendments 80 our
quarantine laws as will make the reyula-
tions of the National quarantine authori-
| ties paramount. The Secretary OF the
Treasury IN the portion of his report rs-
lating to the operation of the Marine Hos
pital seryices calls attention to the defects
in the present quarantine laws and raoom-
mends amendments thereto which will
| riVa a nrpacnrv rtr 1or1t fho IL,
lite authority TO prevent the invasion OF
epidemios from foreign countries and in
times of emergency like that OF the past
summer Will aid to the efficiency Of the
sanitary measures for tbs protection OF
the people and at the same time prevent
unnecessary restriction OF oommercs.
| L C0n0ur in his recon- mendation in q
further effort to prevent the invasion of
the United States by yellow fever. the
Importance of the discovery of the exact
cause of the disease which put to the
present time has been undetermined, is
obvious. and TO this end a systematic
hacteriologiGsl investigation should be
made. | therefore recommend that Con-
gFess authorize the appointments of a com
mission by thePresidenG to consist of four
expert psychologists. one to be selected
from the medical officers Of the Marine
| hospital service, one to De appointed
from civil life. one to be detailed from
bne medical O1ncer6 OF tne army and one
from the medical officers OF the navy.
THE PACIFIC RAILWAY.
The Union Pacific Railway, main line,
was sold under she decree of the United
States Court tor the district Of Nebraska
on the first and second of November oil
this year. The amount duo the govern
Hnent consisted of the principal OF the
subsidy ponds Sa7. 236, 513 ana she accrued
interest thereon, S31, I'll, nj 75, making
the total Indebtedness s5S, 446. 1893. rs The
bid at the sale covered the first mortgage
lien and the ensire mortgage claim of the
government, PRINCIPAL and interest.
The sale Of the subsidized portion OF
the Kansas Pacific line. upcn which the
government hold second mortgage lien
has been postponed at the instance of the
government to Oeoem Der 49, 1897. Tns
debt of this division OF the Union Pacific
railway to the government on November
l. 1897. was the principal of the subsidy
bonds, $6. 626, $50. 80, making total oil
S12. 929. $50 33.
The sale M this road was originally ad-
verGised for Noven Der 4, hut for the DUR
pose of securing the utmost public notice
Of the event it was postponed until De
| te Il