Show flare up in iii alic Sei senate NEW jan 22 the ills heralds washington correspondence sa says s in the executive session of the senate to today day ayan an angry discussion arose between J judge ild e douglas aid ai d senator fitch when words orda were used m which aich it is is thought must lead to a duel the debate occurred on the question of confirming potter of ohio as collector of toledo mr pugh opposed potters nomination as the man displaced was ins his friend he said it the president desired an issue with him ae pu pugh ii lie he was ready for it ile he denounced flie ar appointment and called on every senator mho v ho was his pughs friend to vote against it mr douglas res responded saying that he would vote with the senator from ohio lie ile then branched off on to the illinois appointments ard said that they were dishonest dib honest corrupt and incompetent senator fitch interrogated douglas and said it was untrue douglas again reiterated what h t he had said itch fitch ago again in said it was untrue cries of order atie w ci e then made douglas continued the debate fitch replied to dou douglas Ia with great bitterness and slid said that senators knew how to prize prie anything m coming from that quarter cries of order mr air douglas then replied and was called to order motions were then made that douglas be allowed to go on in order MT jeff davis opposed it arid and said turning to douglas that he had listened with indi indignation na to the language language used and it was that of a highwayman hig higi wayman valman an and bravo the debate was continued continue some gome tune time when allen a motion was made and the senate adjourned it was said that the lie wan was given ard and most severe personal remarks made washington january 19 1659 Th through the courtesy of the hon Alex alexamder auder II 11 stephens chairman of the committee on territories in in the house of representatives I 1 am enabled to lay before the readers of the republican the foll following oming highly interesting letter from the commissioner of indian india affairs in in advance of its publication elsewhere X HOUSE or OF representatives jan 11 1859 drar DEAR SIR will you ou be pleased to give me all the information in in your our possession session in in relation to the territory now proposed to bo be organized out of the western parts of kansas and nebraska on the platte river I 1 wish particularly to be informed as to the number of the inhabitants the tl e character of the productions duct ions or suitableness for agricultural purposes as well w ell as mineral resources also the tribes of indians occupying occupy ing it their names and numbers as far as you are informed and all other oher information bolt i oi may have pertinent to the object of my inquiry yours truly ALEX ALE 11 STEPHENS to gov gova J IV W DENVER ac 0 ac OF till INTERIOR oft office ice indian affairs january 18 1859 01 S sin n in reply to your note of alth instant asking for indol mation in in relation to the territory now proposed to be organ organized organised sed out of the western parts of kansas and a I 1 beg leave to tate state that not having seen a copy of the bill and therefore being uninformed as to the extent of the proposed now new territory I 1 will assume that the eastern boundary is is to be the degn deg of longitude west from greenwich and the southern line to be the northern line of new mexico this will ill include a part of utah as well as parts of kansas and nebraska nearly the whole of this county country extending six six degrees from north to south and ei eight abt from last east to west may properly be termed mountainous the rock rocky mountain chain passing through its entire len lenth length th from north to south forming a curve to the east from which branch out numerous spurs which in in themselves form a considerable chain the most important of these thebe are the black hills there bein being several ranges ranges be called some of the highest peaks within v the united states are formed in in these ranges amorico among aich are pikes longs iongi laramie and fremonte fi Fr emonts amid these mountain ranges 11 are some fine valleys among which the most remarkable perhaps are the three parks which are in in fact three extensive valleys surrounded ly by the very crests of tile the rocky mountains where abound some of the sources of some of our most noted rivers rivers the north fork of the platte has its source in n the north park the grand river of the west in in the middle park and the south fork of the and arkansas Arkin sas rivers rise rise in in the south park the green river nier has its source I 1 in n the wind river mountains flows south and forming a junction with grand river river is is afterwards called rn rio colorado w which aich empties into the pacific ocean through the gulf of california the sweet water one of the principal tributaries tributa ries of the north fork of the platte also rises in in the wind river mountains but flows cast until within the year just juat past there were no white inhabitants in n this ahia country except a few traders and trappers the principal trading posts were bents fort on the arkansas st Vrain ti fort on the waters w aters of the south fork of the platte and Bri dewaters fort on the west of green river liver laramie once a trading post was some years since convex converted ted into a military establishment and the same has recently been done with fort bridger five fhe or six six years quite a settlement was made in in the vicinity i of fort bridger by the mormons cormons Mor mons but not long iong since since they abandoned abandon edit it last year the discovery of gold mines mines on the headwaters head w waters aters of the south platte induced quite qi ite a large number of persons to go 10 out there a good many of whom remained during the winter while probably the larger number returned to their homes intending to go back again in in the spring trie the number wintering there has been variously arious ly estimated at from to 1000 and those who intend going out in in the spring will number many thousands I 1 before stated the general character of the country is is mountainous to lo which the spanish word arii montana would ifould apply very appropriately it is is not and never dever can be an agricultural country the fertile land comprises a very small portion of ibo whole ind and even e en when w hen that is is found it can be made productive only to a limited extent while at F fort ort laramie La ramia in in 1830 1 was informed by officers of the army who had been stationed there that nearly all their crops had been destroyed by hail storms which visited the eastern cistern slope of f the rocky mountains every year with terrific violence aside from this however the great altitude of the country would prevent ent tho the cultivation of products other than such as are common to high latitudes herds of buffaloes frequent the plains alon along Z he file eastern sides of the rocky mountains but none have ever been found further fertl er to the westward ard indeed there is is scarcely any evidence that buffaloes ever crossed that rocky barrier their range seems to have been confined almost exclusively to the great v valley alley of the mississippi the mineral resources have been but very partially developed but there la is no doubt of the existence of gold in in considerable quantities over a large extent of country As far as my knowledge extends the discoveries of gold have thus far been to the eastern slope of the moun mountains taing the principle working of the mines mines having been been on the head N waters vaters of the south platte it has been found also as I 1 have been informed on the north platte and on the arkansas above bents fort there can be put little doubt however from tile the geological structure of the country that tile the western slope of the mountains will be found richer than the eastern and such si ch will be found to be the character chi of the mineral deposits southward for some distance into now new mexico to where the silver silv er and copper mines take the place of the gold god in this connection it may maybe be well to direct your our attention to the importance of providing rules and reg regulations ions for the government odthe of the mines at this time there is is scarcely any nations on the globe with mines mines of precious metals so extensive as ours and yet strange to say congress has passed no laws in m relation to them nor has it yet et been decided whether congress has the ri right 11 ll t to sell or otherwise dispose of the mines in nes the laws of spam spain ind and mexico lecog nise nise the mines of precious metals as a part of the eminent domain which belongs to the sovereignty and cannot be alon alienated abed the common law of england agrees with tins this rule in in every cv ery par nicular in the celebrated case of pollards lessee vs hagan II aganet et al 8 howard supreme court reports the court decided that congress could not interfere with the eminent domain even in in a territory but could hold in in trust only for tho the future state if this be so with regard to the territories the argument would seem to apply with much greater force to the states of tho the union the sovereignty of the state governments wit within hin their respective states sta t es is is un doubt ed cd and the right of eminent emin ent domain can belong only to the sovereign power in several of the state and all of the territories the fedrial government is is a great land owner her lands are exempt from taxation ta by agreement with vv ith the state but in in nothing else does the ehe occupy it i different position with regard rard to the rights of ownership owner hip or with wit 17 regard to the rights of eminent domain from that of aty any other land proprietor she may exercise acts of ownership over hr her property but can not interfere v with ith the eminent domain with w ith the sovereignty thus 1 I bus far congress has in in no instance acted in in contravention of the principle nor have miny many of the states slates asserted their r right to 0 o the mines mines of precious met als found wi within bin their borders bir ders though some of them hav have 0 done so is is for in in stance now new york and pennsylvania the settlement of these thee questions is is of the greatest importance to the mining mining interests of the country and no correct correct settlement is is likely to be had unless they are thoroughly understood madei stood however this question may be decided with regard to the states there can be no diozt doubt but congress may even as trustee of the future states adopt uch such rules and regulations for foi the manage management of the mines mines ill m the territories as may be deemed necessary and the sooner this is is done the better beher one thin tiling arid and only one seems to have been determined delei mined on and that is that the mines shall bo be left free for all to work without paying a rental to the W this was certainly a wise wise and liberal policy and one that should not be departed from the laws of spain which were w ere adopted entire by mexico constitute the most complete mining code in in the world but they provide thata that a portion of the proceeds ot of the mino mine shall be paid over oer to the government goi ern ment after changing them in in that particular they might then be adopted with advantage for cor the government of our own mines they are equitable and just and while they fully protect the mining interests none of the other great interests of the country are neglected the lands may be sold but the minerals are reserved by operation of law as a part of the eminent domain any one may enter the land of another and work a mine mine but before doing so he must pay the owner the agricultural or razing grazing value for so much of the land a as s may be necessary for carrying carr ing on the business thus it will be seen that the rights lights of all are protected of the indians found within the proposed territory I 1 believe behe e none of them e or permanent but are purely nomadic in in their habits their numbers are not known with any degree of certainty but they jhc thc consist of nura numerous erous tribes known as the caman ches Kio ways crows crofts sioux shoshones iho Sho or snakes and my M opinion is is that a proper course for the government to take towards tow ards these indians would godbe be to assign them a small reservation ceseri aaion furnish them with w ith an instructor and the means of cultivating cultis atma the soil and then require them to support the themselves in if they have settlements give give them the te lands they occupy but ii in no case give them money annuities or other presents except such as may be necessary to carry on their farming or agri agricultural operations every one must admit that the system heretofore p pursued towards tow ards the indians has proved ed to be a most lamentable failure taking them as a mass they are not as well off today as they were half a century ago notwithstanding more than fifty fiat millions of dollars have been expended by the government in ii efforts to civilize to say nothing about the expenditures and exertions of other parties instead of chiv civilizing il izing it it has converted the larger portion of them into paupers haupers pau pers who rel rely y on the small sum of money p paid al d t to each each I 1 once or twice a year for subsistence and which generally draws dras around them some of the very worst of the whites naturally rally dis inclined to labor they rely on the government for support all and d thus we have gone on year after year building up a vast i ast pauper establishment without conferring any corresponding benefit our presents attract the cupidity cupidi tk of the whites and the indian having gotten rid of his share kits felts down wistfully list fully and ekes out a miserable existence until the next payment is made when tho the same thing is is done over again thus there seems beems to be no likelihood of a termination mi nation of this pauper system but with the extinction of the whole race some change is is necessary in order to stay their r downward course and in in my opinion the first step to be taken is is to teach them to labor this can only be done by making their subsistence depend on their own exertions I 1 know of no do reason why the government should be required to support the indians in in idleness while the whites are compelled to labor for a livelihood at all events our present system can hardly be chan changed all for the worse unless it should be determined to increase increase the money annuities in my judgment the proposed territory ought ought to bo be organized with lith about t the he boundaries I 1 have indicated although as stated its agricultural resources must always be limited yet the mines mines will attract a great number of people and choir remoteness from any any organized government will force theril them to adopt an organization for themselves as was once done in in oregon this should not be the benefits of govern go ern ment ought to ie be brought w athin the reach of all I 1 have the honor to be very respectfully your obedient sonant servant J IV DENVER conlin Comm commier lion A 11 STEPHENS house of representatives |