Page 314 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

310 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
remove themselves to Green Bay. This law is memorable as
being the first ever passed by the New York Legislature to
give an Indian tribe full value for their lands. The lands of
the Hew York Indians, purchased of the Monomonees, being
endangered by a re-purchase, made by the United States offi-
cers, he was sent in 1828 to petition Congress, in behalf of the
United New York tribes, for the recognition of their rights to
such lands. He, however, failed, and the Stockbridge tribe lost
their home at Kaukana, upon the Fox river, the General Gov-
ernment barely allowing them $25,000 for their improvements.
Mr. QUINSEY seeing this, entered at once into a new plan, and
finally, after great labor and protracted efforts, he obtained, in
1832, the grant of two townships upon the east side of Lake
Winnebago, where the tribe still rcside. About the year 1833
he framed a Constitution, as the basis of a tribal government,
which mas adopted by his people, and led to the abandonment
of hereditary power, and a choice of republicanism. In 1846,
he effected a repeal of an act passed by Congress in 1843,
which made citizens of the tribe, and had his people restored
back to enjoy their own customs and government, and obtained
for them $5,000 on account of their old claims. The tribe
made a treaty in 1843, in which he took a prominent part, the
Government stipulating to find the tribe a new home west of
the Mississippi, and to remove them thither within a certain
time, but after many, but unsuccessful attempts, on their part,
to select and remove, in which Mr. QUINNEY engaged with un-
tiring zeal, he finally conceived the plan of getting back the
township of Stockbridge. Efforts were immediately com-
menced, which have finally terminated in the formation of a
new treaty, by which the Government cede back to the tribe
their old home. In 1854, he succeeded in the passage of a law
by Congress, which gave him a fec simple title to 460 acres of
land in Stockbridge. At the election held in 1852, he was
chosen Grand Sachem of the tribe, which office he honorably
filled for three years, encouraging education and everything