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Show It is gratifying to know that deserving claimants am at last to be reimbursed for the losses and damaged which they have suffered, and that these particnlm claims are to be paid without injustice to the In-dians or iu violation of their treaty rights. But inasmuoh a8 the large mass of such claims still remains to be acted upon, I deem it my duty again to invite attention to the provision conta,inedin the act of March 3, 1891, which practically constitutes a lien on the funds of Indian tribes which have or may have money for the payment of such claims. Tbat provision is as follows: That the amount of any judgment so rendered against any tribe of Indians shall be charged against the tribe b r whioh, or bv members ofwhich. the canrt shall 5-n a-that thedepredation was aommitted, and scdl be deduoted and paid in the follow-ing manner: First, from annuities due said tribe.from the United States; second, if no annuities are due or available, then from any other funds due said trihs from the United States, ariaing from the sale of their Ian& or otherwise; third, if no such funds are due or available, then from any appropriation for the benefit of said tribes -- - other than appropriations for their current and necessary support, subsistence, anp education; and, fourth, if no aueh annuitieq fund, or appropriation shall be due or availsble, then the amount of the judgment shall be naid from the Tressurn of the United states: Pvovided, That anyamiunt eopaid from the Treasury of theunited States shall remain a, charge against such tribe, and shall be deducted from sny annuity, fund, or appropriation hereinbefore designated whioh myhereafter become due from the United States to moh tribe. When the bill (E. R. 6457) '(to provide for the adjudication and pay-ment of claims arising from Indian depredations," which substantially became the law of March 3,1891, was referred to this office for 6' con-sideration and report," I suggested, by letter of February 28, 1890, a number of changes or amendments, among them one proposing that Section VI be amended so as to provide that the amounts of the jndg-ments- Shall he pad out of any moueill in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, un-less, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior, it should be deducted from any annuities or permanent funds in the hands of the United States belonging to said tribe or tribes when ascertained, in which latter event an account shall be kept against such tribe or tribes, end each payments shell be charged against them and deducted from any funda which may become due them, as the Seoretey of the Interior in his disoretion shall direct. In support of my rewmmendation of this amendment, I quoted the language of Oommissioner Atkins and Secretary Vilas, March 24,1888, as follows: The annuity funds of all the Indian tribes,exoept the five civilized tribes and the Osageq are suah that if taken from them for the payment of my claim, however just, would subject them to conditions of such dependenee and want ils would tend to drive them to acts of hostility and crime, and thereby neoassitate additional ap-propriations for their support. If the Indians have no funds or snnuities, or if they have such funds which will not. a11 thinea considered. bear the draft of such payments as may hbe justly oharged igninst thorn, I think the payments should be made out of moneys in the Treasury not otherwise epproprist~da nd sn troco~mt be kept of such n-nv.m ents ender the heed of the tribes o;ba.nds committine t.lm d e ~ l - - rstlstions, to the end that a ~ c pba yments may be charged against any fnuds that ,nay |
