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Show X REPORT OF THE COMMIBBIONEE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. The agent of the Fort Peck Agency, Montana, says that this court- Haa been of practical value to me. All minor offenana and difficnlties that fre-quently arise, that of necessity most be adjusted, are turned over to the judges of the court. The Indians are willing to abide by their decision and submit to the penalty imposed. The decision and authority, camiug as it does from their ovn people, has the moral tendency to educate them up to the idea of isw. The agent of the Nez Perc6 Agency, in Idaho, says : The court has done a good work during the past yeax incorrecting error and crime. The following is a list of oases passed upon by said court: I No. of Finea oaaes. I collected. Dronkenness ............................................................. 17 $168 25 Theft ..................................................................... 3 25 00 Wife-beating .............................................................. 2 23 00 Plorslity of wivea ........................................................ 1 20 00 Diaorrlorl7 ~unauot ....................................................... 1 10 00 Contempt of aourt ........................................................ 1 -- 10 W 250 25 h o m t d h e a imposed and not yet wlleoted,$30. The agent of the Standing Rock Agency, Dakota, says that he organ-ized the court of Indian offenses at his agency in October last, and is- Plesaed to statethat ithasgivenentireai~tiafwtion. The judges are goodmen, who command respeot and have the confidenoe of the Indians, and their decisions have been just and impartial, and have in every case been austsined by public sentiment. Seesions of this court ase heldevery nlternate Saturday, and it aids me materislly in sdrninistering the affairs of the agency. The agent of the Devil's Lake Agency, Dakota, says: The court of Indian offenaes isof great aasiatance to an agent in keeping the Indians under D- ro-v er restraint and enforcing- the lews ~ubl i shedb y the De~ar tmenfto r the punishment of offenses, for without their assistenoe the faotsin the oases would never be got at. "It takes a thief to catch a thief;' and it requires sn Indian lawyer to sift an Indian statement and the evidence of Indian witnesses. Crimes and much petty trouble me prevented, hecsuae the Indians know that the tme facts in the case will be understood and learned by the Indian judges; whereas a white man oould be fooled. as the"7 0XD.r088 it. The system also relieves the aeent of much dise"zr eeable work sod udinrntl iu connerrion with the lduty oiimposillg fiuas or impnaonnwnt upon oR'eudurs. I haredividdd tho raservalion iuto thne ~nhnol diarricrs, and tho iudwe reaidine in each distriot is rea~onsiblef ar the attendance st mhool of the childienin that d k c t . If these men ;ere under pay the task of keeping children at school woold he s, lesa mduous one. During the year the judgbs have tried forty-two oaaea and passed ssntenoe of imprisonment or fine upon thirtrfour offenders. !Che agent of the White Earth Agency, Minnesota, says: The court here hes relieved me of many trying oases, and now it would seem as if i t would he imposriible to do without them. Their jodgment in moat cases has been excellent, and their decisions submitted to without soy complaint in moat oaaea. There area few laalesa persona here that have been able to do as they wished for many yeam, and the restraint that this court has been to them has caused some little dissatisf&ation. But it is only a question of time and it will become aperma-nent fixture and racogniaed as the only way to settle the little differences among them. If these judges could be paid s, reasonable salary for their time and servicea there would not be any doubt of the oontinned good results from this eourt. |