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Show REPORT OB THE school cannot be supported, nor can missionaries be had to occupy such diminu-tive fields of labor, and consequently the Indians remain ignorant, vicious and degraded, and are the willing victims of the gambler, the whiskey seller, and all their attendant vices. In the western part of the State are about three hundred Indians known as the Pottawatomies of Huron, and the Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawatomies, who are entitled to permanent annuities, but have no reservation. They are very poor and destitute, and are much in need of the fostering care of govern-ment. I most heartily approve the recommendation of Agent Leach, that au-thority be given by Congress to divert some portion of their permanent annuities to supplying them with stock and agricultural implements, and that an attempt be made to induce them to concentrate upon some of the reserves. I also agree witb the agent in requesting an advance of ten thousand dollars from the sum of two hundred and six thousand dollars, which wiU be due to the Ottawaa and Chippewas at the expiration of ten years from the making of their treaty. The Iudians have often asked for such an advance, in order that they may supply themselves with stock and farming implements. I have no doubt that it would prove much more beneficial to them if expended in this manner, than it would if paid them as provided by treaty. NEW YORE AGENCY. In my last annual report I recommended legislation on the part of Congress autboriiing negotiations with the Indians of this agency, haviug for their object a final settlement of all their claims against the general government, and the surrender to them of the trusts we have hitherto held for them. This recom-mendation I now respectfully renew. The Iudians have made very considerable progress in the arts of civilization, and are still rapidly improving, as is evidenced by their houses and barns, their cultivation of the soil, their churches and schools, and especially by'the general interest they manifest in the subject of education. Numbering about four thousand souls, they have some sixteen or eighteen free schools established under authority of the State of New York, at which the average attendance is good, and the advancement made by the pupils is very gratifying to all who feel interested in the subject of Indian civilization. They have about fifteen thol~sand acres of land in cultivation, upon which, during the past yep, they have produced of wheat, 18,809 bushels ; of corn, 26,500 bushels ; of oats, 28,600 bushels ; over 1,000 tons of hay; some 4,200 bushels of apples, and a considerable surplus of garden vegetables, such as peas, potatoes, straw-berries, grapes, kc.; and in addition to these, have made some 3,500 pounds of sugar. They own near 1,000 horses, some 1,400 neat cattle, and over 2,000 head of swine. I t cannot be doubted that a community exhibiting such gratifying evidences of thrift and propriety as are indicated by the foregoing statistics no longer re-quires the continuance of those relations which are maintiiued between the generalgovernment and the uncivilized tribes of Indians within our borders. |
