The Springfield herald., 1902-01-31

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Clapp of Minnesota, as sub-commit.
tee of the regular committee on Indian
affairs are drafting bill to entireiy
abolish the tribal relations of Indians.
1t Is proposed to have all moneys in
the United States treasury credited to
the tribes divided per capita and in
dividual accounts kept with each In
dian. Allotments are to be treated
the same way. The property Of de-
ceased Indians is to go to heirs, In
stead of revert to the tribe The whole
idea of the bill is to treat the Indian
as an individual, instead of an unrec-
ognized part of tribe, in all govern
ment transactions. The plan Is sup
ported by the Indian commissioner and
favored in the Senate and House.
The general board of army officers,
which has been examining army posts
in the United States with view to
future action concerning them by the
War Department, has made report
which has not been made public. 1t
is known that the report recommends
that Forts RUSSELL Wyoming; Logan,
Colorado, and Douglas. Utah, be made
permanent military establishments and
that each of these posts will be en-
larged considerably. Forts Russell and
Douglas will be enlarged to accommo-
date Il full regiment of infantry and n
company of artillery, which is an in
crease over their present size of about
fifty per cent. Fort Logan will also
be increased in about the same proper
ton. A number of smaller posts in the
West have been designated as tempo
rary" and some of these are recon-
mended for abandonment, though not
Immediately.
The treaty of ccssion of the Danish
West Indian islands from Denmark to
the United States has been signed at
the State Department by Secretary
Hay and Constantin Brun, Danish
minister. The treaty will be submitted
to the Senate for ratification imme-
diately. Following the invarinble rule
in such cases, the State Department
officials decline OF make public any
of the details of the treaty, so that it
is not possible to state positively the
price to be paid. though this is believed
to be in the neghborhood of S5,OOO,OOO.
1t is known also that Denmark has
abandoned the position she was in
clined to occupy toward the conserva-
tion of the political rights of the In
habitants of the island, and leaves to
the United States n free hand to deal
with them, without pledge of Ameri-
ileges. So 1t is assumed that the status
of the Danish West Indian islands,
politically and commercially, should
the treaty be ratified, will be similar to
that OF Porto Rico.
The details of bill restricting an
nrchy and anarchists have been deter
mined upon by the special committee
of members of the House judiciary
-. VGsiI
subject. The language Of some of the
provisions is yet to be settled, but all
of the essential features of the forth
coming measure are determined upon.
The measure will provide the death
penalty for an attempt to kill or as
sault the President, or any one In line
of succession for the presidency. An
accessory before the fact is to be
treated as principal and an acces-
sorry after the. fact is punished in
less degree than n principal. Any per-
son who counsels, advises or adVo-
Gates the assaulting or killing OF any
officer of the United States shall be
fined or imprisoned. No alien who ad-
vocates an overthrow of organized
government, or who is affiliated with
an organization holding such views, is
to be admitted to this country. Pro-
vision also is made for the punishment
of those conspiring in this country
against foreign ruler. The special
committee probably will report to the
judiciary committee within the next
few days and Il report to the House
is expected soon thereafter.
Former Secretary of State John W.
Foster appeared before the Senate
committee on immigration on the I'D
and spoke in opposition to the Chinese
exclusion bills which have been intro
duced in Congress. His remarks were
directed more partic.larlyto the Mitch
ell or Pacific coast bill, which, he said,
was plain violation of our treaty with
China. Mr.. Foster said our govern
ment had four times asked emma to
modify existing treaties in the interest
of American citizens. and that in every
instance China had acceded to our re-
quest. He then submitted for the con-
sideration of the committee three prop
ositions: The first was that any law
passed by the present Congress which
continues the exclusion of Chinese la
borers beyond 1907 would be not only
without international authority, but
would be in violation of treaty stipula-
tions. He said that during the neSo-
tiations resulting in the treaty OF 1884
the United States sought to have the
exclusion of Chinese laborers extended
to twenty years and that the Chinese
government refused to make 1t for
more than ten years. He also insisted
that when the treaty of 1894 came to
an end. the Burlingame treaty Of 1S6S
would be received and come into force,
whcih treaty stipulated for the free
and unrestricted immigration of Chi
nese of all classes into the United
States The trentY. he said. had only