The Florence tribune., 1898-12-24
HOUSE MEMORIAL No. 4.
To the Senate and house of Representa- lives Of the United States in Con
 eress Assembled:

We, your Alemorialists, the Nine
 teenth Legislative Assembly of the l Territory of Arizona, respectfully rep
 resent that the National Irrigation Congress, held iu Phoenix, Arizona. on the 18th of December, A. D. 1896, unanimously adopted the following.
 Whereas The Pima and Marlcopa Indians tribes numbering in the aggregate ten thousand souls, have been deprived of the waters used by them in irrigation before tie advent of the white in America, through the appropriation of such waters by settlers on the headwaters of theGiia river; and
 Whereas. Through the loss of such waters the lands once cultivated by these tribes have become barren and worthless, and the mem 1 bers of such tribes have become charge on the Government, and forced by the loss of their fields into lives of degradation and penury; and
 Whereas, Such tribes have from the ear- Hest days been the friends and allies of the white race and
 Whereas, The people Of the United States have pledged themselves by solemn treaty to protect such tribes in their property and property rights; and
 Whereas. The Government of the United States has and now is engaged in the expendi ture of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the construction of works of irrigation for the reclamation of lands belonging to other Indian tribes; therefore, belt
 Resolved, That this Congress do approve the proposed construction, under the plans of the |. 5. Geological Survey. of the Buttes reservoir, ia PiTal county, Arizona, recently reported. to again reclaim the lands of these tribes, believing that by so doing can the Government alone honorabIy redeem the broken pledges made by 1t to these people. and thus preserve from further want and degradation two of the surviving Indian tribes of the American continent that have always been the eeonstant friends ofthe white race
 Resolved. That we approve the proposed construction of such reservoir not only as just and philanthropic. but as economical and good policy, us in a comparatively short time the expense of maintaining such In- dians us Government charges will far exceed the cost of the irrigation works required to
 
 specting community.
 Now, therefore, your Memorialists, the Nineteenth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Arizona, desire to go on record as earnestly endorsing the above commentators Of the Sixth National Irrigation Congress for the following reasons:
 l. The reservoir site referred to having been withdrawn from entry by Government authorities, cannot now be utilized by any private corporation, and the Government therefore occupies the indefensible position of doing noth- ing itself or allowing any one else to improve this great natural reservoir site.
 ?. We firmly believe that the inter- ests of humanity dictate that the h. dians should be gathered on the reser- l vations, have lands allotted to them in severalty, and that they be furnished with farming implements and an mex haustible supply of water for irriga- ton of their lands, to the l end that they may become self supporting. By this means will home life be furnished for the Indian and he will more rapidly advance in as a consequence. He will abandon his nomadic life his children will be kept at home and educated ia schools, instead of being sent to large Indian schools at 3 dis 5ance where they are kept Gas it would seem) for mere pursoses of show. After being instructed in the arts of for time they arereturned to savagery, to become more unhappy md discontented than if they had 1eyer received the questionable advan- ages. We feel that the present policy ,f the Indian department is all wrong n this regard.
 8. The Pima and Maricopa Indian contains $50 ,000 acres of as critic land as lies within the bound 4ries of Arizona, and is admirably .dapted for homes for these people, as yell as the wandering Papagoes, who re now compelled to prey upon the Ierds of our farmers and ranchmen for 
 1. The construction of 8 storage res ,.vf,;, at 4I,a Rntfes bv fhe Gavaru aent offers a plain business proposi- ion for the correction of these evils.
 Resolved, That the Secretary of the territory be instructed to transmit [ opy of the foregoing Memorial to our delegate and Delegate-eleet in Con ress, and also . copy each to the Presi- ent of the Senate and Speaker of the Louse of Representatives.