The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-12
PULLMAN CLAIMS
 II IS OUTRAGEOUS Claims Allowed for Indian Agents are "ViciOuS' NICE REPORT TO SPOONER Senator LaFeIIette cites Case In Which One Firm Got $75o,ooo for
 Services to the In.
 dians.
NICE REPORT TO SPOONER

Washington, Juns 1.-The Senate to- day resumed consideration of the re- port on the Indian appropriation bill Sen ator T1llman renewing his attack on the provision ratifying the acts of A. J. Brown as administrator for certain minor children of the Seminole Indians In the disbursement of sla6,0OO. He again de- nounced the provision as outrageous" and when he said the conferees had prom ised to make an effort to prevent the ac- ceptance of the paragraph, Senator Clapp. who was one of the eonferees, interrupted with. the statement that he had refused to make any promise to the senator from South Carolina, but he had been accused of bad faith by tse latter on former occasion. MT. Ifllnan admitted the truth of this statement. but said the promise had been made by the other Senate con ferees. The objection to the bill was based on the ground that the proposed legislation would prevent suits against ef- forts to recover money properly account ' ed for by Brown. He took especial ex- cepton to the employment of Butler and Vale at attorneys for Brown.
 Senator Teller said Browns accounts as administrator had been approved by the courts. and the Indians, being scitiZens of the states Congress was under no spe- cial obligation 10 open up the question, especially as the claim was made on the part of individuals and net for the tribe as a whole.
 'Others can be brought out in court" MT. ,rillman Interrupted to say. If the senator would wait until 1 get through" responded MT. Teller. N'rm making this l,, about the matter"
 He claimed that the litigation was gnot in the interest of the Indians, but that in other certain claimants. Speaking of the country's dealings with the Indians the senator from Colorado declared that Tt is the bIackest and most dlsgraceful part of our. history"
 Exception to Butler Claim.
 Senator Simmons took exception to the provision looking to the settlement of the claim for $150,0D0 of former United States Senator Marion Butler and J. M. Vale In connection with the election of the Col win Indian reservation in the state of Washington. He expressed the opinion that the claim was exhorbitant and said only a part of the claim should be paid. Later MT. Simmons took the position that no legal service had been rendered. He, therefore concluded that the claim was
 
 should place its seal of condemnation on that Immoral and Illegal praetce--a prac- tice which he though should be brought to the attention of district attorneys
 Senator Spooner attacked the Brown amendment, saying that 1t was, 'avicous 1egisla ton. " f t.o
 Senator Clay spoke of the Butler-vale claim. contendlng that the Senate amend ment has the effect of reyiving a claim that had proceeded four years ago.
 Senator LaFollette returned to his at- tack on the conference amendment con- corning the enrolment of the Choctaw Indians. which he said would do an in- justice to 20O0 persons. He cited case in which one firm of lawyers in Indian Territory had been paid $l50.00O for ser vices to the Indians.
 "Another case in which the cornfield lawyer failed to attend to business" re- marked Senator Spooper. glancing mis- chievously at Senator Tilman, who re- pied:.
 ''The cornfield lawyer cannot attend to all the stealing; If he die he would never sleep"
 Tried Case and Rendered Verdict.
 Continuing MT. LaFollette said that with in the past few days he had beeen told that in 1903 an assistant of the commis- sion to the five civilized tribes had been given leave Of absence, and during that absence he had been employed in the firm above referred to in brlfing their cases for the exclusion of Indians from the rolls, and that he had then returned to his own office and proceeded to pass officially on cases which he had briefed. These cases were, he said the same that are covered by the pending amendment. He added that he haG been informed that this already had been brought to the attention of the interior department with in the past few days, but that 1t had not been taken up, The Wisconsin senator also said that he had been told that a brother-in-law of the senator who had reported the legislation for the Indian Territory courts, had been appointed a member of those courts.
 The vote was then taken on the aceep- tance of the report and 1t resulted favor ably 30 to 1s.