Report of the special committee appointed to investigate the troubles in Kansas,: with the views of the minority of said committee.

KANSAS AFFAIRS.
home on the fair plains of said Territory, are assembled at Salt Creek
Valley for the purpose of taking such steps as will secure safety and
fairness in the location and preservation of claims:
Therefore, be it resolved,
1st. That we are in favor of bona fide squatter sovereignty and
acknowledge the right of any citizen of the United States to make a
claim in Kansas Territory, ultimately with the view of occupying it.
2nd. That such claim, when made, shall be held inviolate, so long
as a bonza fide intention of occupying it is apparent, and for the purpose of protecting and defending such claim, we agree to act in concert,
if necessary, to expel intruders.
3d. That every persons of lawful age who may be the head of a
family, who shall mark out his claim of 160 acres, so that it may be
apparent how the same lies, and proceed with reasonable diligence to
erect thereon a cabin or tent, shall be deemed to have made a proper
claim.
4th. That any person marking out his claim shall be deemed to
have forfeited it unless he commences his cabin or pitches a tent
within two weeks thereafter, unless the same shall be on lands such as
prohibit it by military or Indian reservations.
5th. That all persons now holding claims shall have two weeks
from this (lay, in which to make the improvements contemplated by
the foregoing resolutions.
6th. No person shall be protected by the squatter association who
holds in his own right more than one claim.
7th. That a citizen of the Territory be appointed as register of
claims, who shall keep a book in which he shall register the name and
description of all squatters, and their claims and the date of making
the same, for which registration he shall be allowed the sun of fifty
cents for each claim, to be paid by the claimant.
8th. That we recognise the institution of slavery as already existing
in this Territory, and recommend to slave-holders to introduce their
property as early as possible.
9th. That we will afford protection to no abolitionist as settlers of
Kansas Territory.
Stockbridde resolutions, adopted July 8, 18Sa4.
3d. Resolved, That we adopt the resolutions an(l proceedings of
the Salt Creek Squatter Association, held on 10thi June 1854, so far
as they do not conflict with the following.
4th. That the making of improvements, by erecting a cabin, tent
or fence is essential to the validity of any claim laid on the Delaware
lands.
5th. That all claims must be registered with intelligible metes
and bounds.
6th. That all persons holding claims shall be allowed two weeks
from this day in which to make the required improvements.
7th. That D. Dodge, Fort Leavenwortli, be appointed register for
the Delaware lands-that all claims must be reg,istered within two
weeks from the time of making them-that the sum of fifty cents
954