| OCR Text |
Show XLII REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. received during August, September,Ootoher, November, and December, 1884, had tb be examined in this office, the calculations in each instance veri,fied, a,nd the inspection certificates and receipts of transportation oontractors scrutinized They are jacketed and put up as '' claims" in the name of the parties furnishing the goods, the amounts are charged to the various appropriations according to law, and they are forwarded to the Second Auditor of the Treasury; from that office they are sent to the Seoond'Comptroller of the Treasury, who certifies to the balance which he may find due in each case, and sends the settlement to the Indian Office, where a requisitiou is isaued on the Secretary of the Iu-terior for the amount oertified to be due by the Second Comptroller. On this requisition the Secretary of the Interior issues a requisition on the Secretary of the ~ r e a s u ra~nd, after this requisition has passed through the hands of the Secoud Auditor and Second Comptroller, it goes to the warrant division of the Treasury, wherea warrant isissned and signed by the Secretary of the Treasury, countersigned by the First OomptroUer and Register of the Treasury, and is then sent to the Treasurerof the United States, who issues a draft in favor of the claimant. CASH PAY&NTS TO INDIANS. The sum of $522,333.63 was paid in small per capita snms to Indians during the past fiscal year for the following purposes: Permanent an-nuity; annuities which are limited and will expire in the near future; interest on Indian money invested, and on Indian moneys held in trust in lien of investment; rightof way to railways to cross reservations; and compensation fordamages by railwars to private property of Indians. Payment was also made of the money which was first apl~ropriated in act approved July 4,1884, as $10,000 to pnrchase stock and other articles necessary to the civilization, education, and encouragement towards self-snpport of the Medewakaton band of Sioux Indians in Minnesota, but which it was found impracticable to apply to the benefit of these Indians until, on the recommendation of the Department, Con-gress modified the act by subsequent legislation, approved March 3, 1885, allowirlg $9,280 of, this money to be paid to these Indians per capita in cash, and $720 to be expended in the employment of a practi-cal farmer to in~t ructth em, and also confining the benefits of the act to full-blood Indians. Of these there were found to be residing in Minne-sota 180 men, women, and children, making the share of each a fraction over $51.56, some families receiving over $360, and the average to a, family being abont three shares, or 8154.65. The agent, who made the payment in April last, reported that these Indians were deserving of enconragement, and that it was his belief that, with very few excep. tions, they would use the money strictly for the purposes for which it was appropriated. A special payment was made this year to tile iVisconsin Winnebagoes of the final three-fifthqabout $75,000) of the sum referred to in the second section of the act of January 18, 1881. I fear that these Winne- |
