George Gibson Coote
Progressive
Mr. G. G. COOTE (Macleod):
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the petition of Philip Big Swan and others in the Peigan reserve be read.
The Clerk Assistant thereupon read the petition as follows:
Petition to the hon. House of Commons assembled _
The petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:
That a portion of the Peigan Indian reserve has been leased to the Hon. A. J. McLean, although a large majority of the Indians voted against the lease;
That the Indians were assured by Commissioner Laird, who negotiated the treaty with them in 1877, that their reserves could not be occupied without their consent;
Therefore we the undersigned members of the Peigan band pray that the said lease to Hon. A. J. McLean should be cancelled and the land restored to the Peigan band.
And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.