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Show THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. When the War Dtpartment was created by Congress under the act of August 7, 1789, the duties assigned to it included those " rel-ative to Indian affairs." A Bureau of Indian Affairs was organized in the War Depart-ment on March 11, 1824, with Thomas L. McKenney as its chief, and among the duties to which he was assigned were: The admin-istration of the fund for the civilization of the Indians, under reg- I ulations established by the department, the examination of the claims arising out of the laws regulating the intercourse with In-dian tribes and the ordinary correspondence with superintendents, agents, and subagents. He was succeeded September 30, 1830, by Samuel S. Hamilton, whose successor about one year later was Elbert Herring. By the act of Jul 9 1832, there was created in the War Depart-ment the ofice of %-issioner of Indian Affairs, who, subiect to the Secretary of War and the President, should have 'I the diiection and management of all Indian affairs and all matters arisin-g out of Indian Felations." On June 30, 1834, an act was passed "to provide for the organi-zation of the Department of Indian Affairs." Under this enact-ment certain agencies were established and others abolished, and provision was made for subagents, interpreters, and other employees, the pa ment of annuities, the purchase and distribution of suppl~es, etc. &is may be regarded as the organic law of the Indian De-partment. When the Department of the Interior was created by act of March 3, 1849, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was transferred thereto, and hence passed from military to civil control. Section 441 of the Revised Statutes provid~sth at "the Secretary of the Interior is charged with the supervision of public business relating to * * * the Indians."' Section 463 of the Revised Statutes reads: '' The Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior and agreeable to such regulations as the President ma prescribe, have the management of all Indian affairs, and of a 1 matters arising out of Indian relations." ?= nr |