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Show 16 REPORT OF THE ence on the charity of the whites, or on depradations committed on ' their property. Humanity and policy require that provision should be made for them, and I therefore renew the suggestion heretofore made, that funds be placed at the disposal of the department to abate the nuisance complained of. Regulations, with accompanying forms for application, by Indians, for bounty land, under the act of March 3, 1855, were issued from this office in April last, copies of which are among the documents herewith. About eleven hundred and fifty applications have been presented here, under these regulations, and referred for the definite action of the commissioner of pensions, with the request that war-rants, when issued, be sent to this office for transmission through its local agents to the owners, without the intervention of agents or attorney^. Measures have been recently instituted, with your approval, for carrying into effect the 6th clause of the 19th article of the Choa-taw treaty of 1830, for the benefit of the Choctaw orphans ; and the lands set apart for that purpose now remaining unsold, with those reverted and acquired, from previous sales, have been advertised to be sold in the month of December ensuing. Notice has also been given for the sale of the unsold Creek Indian reserves in Alabama, as pro-vided by the act of March 3, 1837. These sales are to take place in the Coosa land district, on the 26th December, and in the Tallapoosa district on the 9th January next. The policy of paying the annuities of Indian tribes in semi-annual instalments, which prevailed to a considerable extent at a former pe-riod, has, in certain cases, within two years past, been revived. Within the central superintendency, where funds can, without much expense, be placed in the hands of the agents as required, and where the In-dians participating in the several payments are concentrated within a narrow range, this policy is believed to be eminently beneficial ; espe-cially in oases where the amount of the annuity of the tribe is large, and thepw capita of each individual is a considerable sum of money. Under treaties negotiated in 1854, large payments are required to be made to many of the tribes on the frontiers-within the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska ; and, as respects some of them, this policy seems to be peculiarly fitting and appropriate. The Indians having acquired the right to locate separate tracts of land for individual homes, it seemed proper to afford to those who might desire, and to stimulate to the desire those who otherwise would not have it, facili-ties for making improvements on lands, and collecting about their family residences the comforts and conveniences of civilized life. By adopting semi-annual payment of the annuities, as the knowledge of a judicious manner of expending money for these objects has been acquired, funds would thus be placed in the hands of the Indians for use. In case of a few of the treaties referred to, it was stipnlated that the tribal annuity should be paid in a particular month of the year; but generally the whole subject of the payment, as to time and manner, is left with the President. After due consideration and with a wise and humane purpose of tio arranging the affairs of the tribes as to promote the well-being of their people, the President has |
