The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-07
POW. IS OYER
Maj. James Mclaughlin Returns
From His Conference With
the chippewas.
Indians Would Not Agree to Terms
but the Major Is Not Dis
couraged.

Major James Mclaughlin, inspector OF
the Indian department, who has just re-
Lake band of Chippewas, was in Minne-
apolis to-day as the guest Of H. +.
Douglass.
He is not discouraged by the result of
his conference with the Indians and does
not consider the incident closed. In
March, 1902, he visited the same band
and made treaty with them, which al
tho acted favorably upon by the senate.
did not meet the appreciation ofsthe lower
house Of congress sand was rejected be-
cause it necessitated 1.-THE payment to the
Indians of $1,000,000 for the lands they
were about to cede. The second treaty
attached as a rider to the. bill passed at
the short session Of congresss in March
this year apprepriating funds to. meet the
current and contingent expenses of the
Indian department. was extremely brief.
1t did not provide any immediate payment
for the lands but proposed to pay them
the same sum under entirely different
conditions. It specified that the coded
lands should be sold at auction at a min
ceeds should be given to the Indians. Pur-
chasers were to make six payments, the
first when the purchase was made and
the other in five equal instalments. The
second treaty also contained a clause that
did not appear in the first, by which sec
lions 16 and So out of each township were
| to go to the state of Minnesota as part
of its school lands.
! The lands that the Indians were asked
to cede embraced 256,152 acres. The
school lands that were to be set aside
out OF this tract amounted to $4,000
acres. Major McLaughln's estimate OF
the price likely to be obtained at auction
was average Of Sc an. acre for three
fourths of the land That which is 10
l inf Dr. u Sc ot
present prices $25 or $50 an acre.
/ There are altogether 1870 Indians or
/ the reservation, each of whom, under the
/ first treaty, would receive an allotment
of $50 acres upon the nonceded portion
I Of the reservation, and about $37 in
money. If the prices obtained for the lands
reached the expectations of persons fam
1 iliar with the property this sum would be
materially increased but purcha sers
| would be obliged to pay the members Of
| the tribe, who had made Improvements or
lands which they had taken as allot-
ments, such sums as the arbitrator might
determine, and also pay the expenses OF
removing the bodies of those who had
been buried on the reservation.
/ Major Mclaughlin was greeted kindly
by the Indians and during the entire
conference was treated with the greatest
respect. The conference lasted about a
week and ended last Saturday. The rnajol
| lGll the reservation OH ueSOdy. "A iSpHlt
of opposition to the treaty developed carly
| in the conference. Five spok esmen, most
Of them chiefs, propounded queries all
| thru the conference. They said that they
supposed the treaty of March, 1902 was
! final and that they were to receive the
1 amount specified, without awaiting the
/ slow process of sale and the possibility
| that q large number of the purchasers
4 might default in their payments and SO
cheat them out of their money. They also
apparently feared that before the time for
| the last payments arrived, the govern
ment might proclaim the lands open to
settlement, in which event they would
have no redress
As a matter of fact the government
can under the provisions of the Nelson
act proclaim the lands open to settlement,
/ whenever it pleases to do SO, the agri-
! cultural lands to have a market value OF
i $1.25 acre and the timber tracts
whatever the timber on them is worth ii
j the open market. It may be, if the LAT
4 est treaty is not acted upon favorably BY
the Indians, that the proceedings will bs
closed. In that case the sum obtained
s is to be divided among all the Indians il
4 Minnesota.
4 Major Scott, the Indian agent, was
present at the meeting between Major
& Mclaughlin and his wards. but took nj
part in the proceedings. He had had I
4 conference with them about three week.
4 before the majors arrival. Under a re
s cent decision Of the supreme court O
4 the United States the Indians are ella sset
as wards of the government and are sub
i ject to such measures as their guardian
may consider for their benefit. In otl1e
Il words. the government can act withou
consulting them.