Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-19

Head of the Interior Department Pre-
pnres His Re,.o nd tiOns.

WASHINGTON. Nov 1S.-secreta-y OF
Interior Bliss, N his annual report. made
public today submits estimates aggregattne
s15d, 532. 41g for appropriations by congress
for the fiscal year ending June go 1899.
Discussing pensions. he says 200 900 pen
sion claims are awaiting adjudication, and
ii is estimated that 40 or 30 per cent o.
these will be finally admitted. Il they
ara rapidly ad5udcated they will swell
the pension roll from $4,000, 600 10 81 000 900.
When however these claims are ad1udicaced
and the first payments made thereon the
amount of the pension roll viii dzcre-ac
very rapidly, possibly to SIZE, ,900, 600 or $780,
600 600 The first year
The total Indian population Of the Uuitad
States. exclusive OF the New York Indiana
and the five civilized tribes, appr1ximates
TT. IT'S located On TT reservations. which
contain approximately 33. l04 237 acres. OF
-less 4j35 have accepted allutaenCs Of
land which aggregate about 644 I+T acres.
Secretary Bliss says while the opening of
he Wichita reservation in Oklahoma "a
white settlement would greatly promote the
development Of the Country, vet. in view
of the unsettled conditions Of the questions
affecting their rights. he does not see how II
can be done without causing great iutury
and distress. To guard ag~3nst this recon-
mendagion is made that the Dawes CON-
mission be authorized % Investigate ques-
lions As 70 their rights and claims and report
rEcommenJt2tiCns for speedy and Just set
tlement.
Referring Ia the work Of the Dawes cam
mission, il is announced ttlt the iuvestga-
tim Of the rights Of applicants for citizen
snip in the Five Nations mas been practically
completed anu the commission has besn pre-
pairing me rails Of citizenship of the several
tribes and has negotiated three agreements.
rhgt with both the Chcctaws ana Chick
saws OF April % 1897 IS before congress
and has been ratified by those tribes. Thai
made with the Creeks September ~ last
rejected almost unan inuusiy bv The
Creek council. ana there is little prospect
Of any agremeent with them. The CherD-
kees have refused 70 make an agreement
and negotiations with them have been anan-
dOned far the time.
SUCH agreements as have been concIuGed
vary SO IN their conditions that IN view of
the fact thac eventually 1 uniform plan of
government must be provided FOR the indian
terrirary, il Is questionable, the report says.
whether lny further agreements should De
ratified by congress- until the desired and
NECESSARY uniformity can be secured.
The seeretay says the i've tribes have un-
dnubted!y violated in many ways the spirit
OF their agreements win the United Suites
under which the Tertiary is now held and
governed and while he does not
recommend any harsh action. the
secretary calls the attention at rhe
president and congress "a the chaotic con-
methods OF legislation.
indians have absorbed great tracts 20 the
exclusion or the common people and govern
menc by an Indian aristucracy has been
practically established 70 he detrimenr Il
the people. From so Gao 10 $50 000 whites
BY permission Of he Indian government
have settled IN the territory. but are merely
tenants by suferance.
No government for she Indian territory
viii be satisfactory until congress shall pro-
vide for the establishment Of a single uni
form system for the entire Indian territory
that snail place all irs inhabitants in pussea-
sion 0r me rights Of American ciriZena.
Recommendation is made that the period
for me allotment of IAndH 20 the Cnenm-
pahgre Indians De extended such time be-
N1nd April I, 1898, as congress snail deem
besr Reference is made % the eanten-
lions OF he Uncompahgres as to the allGt-
menis requirements, and II Is stated that
the proceeds Of the CalorziO lands when
reeeived over ami above the cost Of the ~
noval Of the Indians s429 557l and the trust
fund ~ 81 250. 600 il 70 be applied 50 far
as requisite 20 the reimbursement az the
linf4as, whose lands ara 10 De taken.
The Incnmpahgrea conCury % their
Ideas, 10 not IN fact gay for the dildtments,
( sxeept as marter Of exchange II the sales
df the Colorado lands nnut immediately
yieih sufficient for reimbursement OF the
tintahs the government IS urged % advance
the necessary sum q await the sales 0f the
iands n9r rs avn reimbursement The sum
or a,22b,ssS = nov IN tas treasury % tas