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Show 8 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFI'AIRS part thereof, a report of such expenditure, with the necessity for the same, to he made to the next succeeding Congress. The necessity for an increase of the clerical force of this office has been for some time apparent. The regular force of the office consist^ of sixteen clerks, appointed under various acts of Congress, passed in the years 1853, 1854, and 1857, and seven extra clerks, paid from specific annual appropriations. An examination of the records of the office will show that since the year 1857 the amount of its business has very much more than doubled; and the result is, that the office is under a continual necessity of employing additional clerical assistance. I t is therefore earnestly recommended that Congress be requested to authorize, by permanent legislation, the appointment of such number of clerks as will he adequate to the transaction of the current business of the office. WASHINGTON SUPERINTENDENCY. Superintendent Hale represents the affairs of the Indians lately under his charge as generally prosperous, and the people peaceably disposed towards each other and the whites. In the case of one small tribe, however, the Quillehutes, a white man had been killed by them, aiid the tribe had thus far refused to surrender the offender, and defied the power of the government, there being no sufficient military force at hand to compel submission. Definite action by government is called for to extinguish certain claims to lands upon Indian reservations, the holding of which by whites is a great obstacle to the improvement of the Indians. The superintendent especially refers to cases at the Port Madison and Chehalis reservation3, both of which have been the subjects of reports to the department; and it is hoped that s satisfactory settlement of them both may he soon obtained. During the last summer Suoerintendent Hale visited the tribes in the north-eastern $ion of the Sratc, fhr whom the colnmanding officer at Fort (!ulville haa thud fur ~ c t e dan Indian agent, cx ~&io.u11d embracing !lie following tribes, viz: rlie Snn Poi~llcnO, kanncous, Lake I~idianeP, end d'Oreille3. Cnur d'Alcnea. Spokanes, and Colvilles. l\e!+e tribes were found to be disposed to remain od A e - n d l y terms with the whites, and willing that tbey should travel through their country, hut indisposed to any treaty, or cession of land. Many of them show 8 desire to cultivate their lands, and ask for aid in the form of seeds and tools. They number about 5,000 souls. Agent Howe, at the Tulalip agency, has under his charge tlre following tribes, numbering 3,675 persons, viz: at the Tulalip reservation, the Snohomis, Sno Malmies, and Skwamish; at Port Madison, the Du Wamish; at Perry's island, the Shagct aud Sno Domish; at the Lummi reservation, the Lummis,Noot Sacb, and Samiah. .The general condition of these Indians is good and decidedly promising, as will be seen by the special reports of the teachers and other em-ployes. They have eighty-nine frame houses, 1,300 fruit trees set out, have raised over 15,000 bushels of vegetables and thirty tons of hay, and 80,000 feet of lumber have been sawed for and used by them. Agent Webster, in charge of the Makahs, at Neeah hay, numbering 654 souls, reports them in good condition, and their school-house-from the completion of which, and establishment of theschool on agood foondation,muchis expected-as nearly ready fur occn ation There h a y b.gn seventy-six scholars in at-tendance at the school luring. the year. The ihe owns property valued at $30,000. Agent Bancroft, of the Yakama agency, furnishes in his reports the most grati-fying evidence of the progress of the pcople of his charge towards oivilization and Chri>tianity, ascribed mainly to the successful working and iinflueiice of the manual labor school. Some 200 acres of land have been cultivated, producing about 5,800 bushels of grain; and the scholilrs, besides making good progress |
