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Show REPORT OF TEE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 37 anoe with instructions contained in Department reply dated July 3, this offim. sent to all Indian agents and school soperintendents having citi-zen Indians nnder their jurisdiction the following letter of instructions dated August 30,1899: The attention of this office h%, a t va~iouati mes, been called t o the onsatisfsatory mrunner in whioh the personal estates of deceased Indiana and of minor Indian wards are managed; it being reported that in many oeaes the administrators and guardians are irresponsible and their sureties worthless, so that the proper heirs and the Indian wards get very little or no benefit from what is rightfully doe them. Seetion 6 of the general allotment act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stats., p. 388), pro-vides that 8U Indiana who have received llotments are entitled to the rights of citizenship, and shall have the benefit of snd he subject to the laws of the State or Territory in which they reside. By virtue of this law the personal estates of decewsd Indians and Indian wards are under the control of the ooonty or probate judges, who appoint the edministrators and guardians and pass upon their aats such. After eonaidering v&ions plans for the correation of the abuses mferred to, it has bsen oonolnded that the cooparation of the courts of the counties in whioh such citizen Indians reside, in the appointment of guardisbus and administrators and in the administration of mtates, eto., should he secured. The Acting Secretsry of the Interior has direotsd this office to give yon proper instructions to that end. I have, therefore, to direot that yon arrange for a conference with the oonnty or probste judge at your earliest convenience, expldn to him folly tbe situstion and the wishes of this Depaztment, and, if possible, effect an arrangement with him whereby in thefutnreonly snohadministrtators and gnardia,ns aa first meet with your approval, and whom you adjudge to he proper and fit persons for such trusts, shall be appointed. You will alee endeavor to secura the concurrence of the judge to a plan requiring you to first axsmine and approve sll the aooonnts end other papers of administrators and guardians before they are filed with the oourt and approved by it. With such plans hamoniously tarranged and faithfully carried out, and with the appointment in the future of proper and responsible persons only, with good aore-ties, the evil now complained of shoold be <educed to o minimum. As the axrange-ments snggeated will materiallx aid the aourts in securing the honest andimpartial administration of estates-a, thing to be desired dike by the Government and the 1 0 ~ 1a~u1th orities-I am sure the oonnty judge will gladly cooperate with gon in arranging and carrying out the plans snggeated. Yon wiU make every proper endeavor to have the same effected. I have dao to direct that you examine the records of the county oonrt and ascer-tain the names of all persons who are now acting as administrators md guardians, whether Indian or white, who their enreties are, and t,hen proceed to investigate the character and responsibility of all the pwties. Shonld you find that any changes are desirable in these positions of trost, you will present the matter folly to the court and endeavor to have them effected. All annnity moneys are under the absolute control of this Department. If irre-sponsible or improper persons beappointed by the local aourts ss guardians for Indian minors, md n change in such guardianship csn not be effected, yon will withhold the payment of annuities in soch cases and the same should he returned to the Treas-uryand held, subject to fntnre disposition for the benefit of the annuitant under tha direction of this office. As effecting the good of the Indian service and the interests of individnal Indiauq thin entire sub.ieot is one of the most imoortant comine under .v. our "iu riadiction sa an agent. Yon will give the name your personal attention and pug forth every effort m your power to seonre en improvement in the administration of Indian eataten and the suppression of the abuses now so frequently oomplained of. |
