OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAIT AFFAIRS. 13 approved August 20,s 1789 (Stats., 54), appropriated $20,000 to defray expenses which might attend negotiations or treaties with the Indian tribes, and provided for the appointment of Oommissioners to manage such negotiations and treaties.* Licensed.trade.-By an actof July 22,1190 (1 Stats., 137), Oongressin-augnrated asystem of trade by which no person wa.s to be permitted-to carry on any trade or intercourse with the Indian tribes, iithout a license for thst purpose under the hand and seal of the Superintendent of the Department Restriction of sale of Indian lands.-This act also provided that no sale of lands made by any Indian or any nation or tribe of Indians to any pel.,son or persons or to any State should be valid, LL unless the same ,shall be made and duly executed at some public treaty, held nnder the authority of the United States?) t Trespass upon Indians or Indian lands.-It also provided for the punish-ment of persons going into any town, settlement? or territory belonging to any nation or tribe of Indians, and committing any crime upon or trespass against the person or property of any peaoable and friendly Indian or Indians. A11 ofthe provisions of the act of 1790, which was to expire by limi-tation Maroh 4, 1793, were reEnacted by Congress March 1, 1793 (1 Stats., 329), with others necessary to the proper regulation of trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes. This act in turn was superseded by an act approved May 19,1796 (ibid., 469), by which certain boundary lines established by treaty between the United 'States and various tribes were to be ascertained and definitely marked, a penalty for set-tling on 11idia11l ands was prescribed, and the maiu provisions of prior gcts respecting trade were revived or continued in'force. Government trading houses.-In addition to licensed traders ~oniress, by act of April 18,1796 (ibid., 452), authorized the establishment of trad-ing houses on the western and sonthern frontiers, or in the Indian country, ccfor the purpose of carrying on a liberal trade with the In-dians within the limits of the United States," and the appointment of . agents to conduct them under the direction of the President. For the purpose of carrying on this trade $150,000 was appropriated. This act from time to time (as by limitation it expired) mas revived by Congress, and in 1806 (2 Stats., 402) the office of Suporintendent of Indiau Trade was established for the term of three years, which term was extendea three years in 1809 (ibid., 544), again three years in 1811 (ibid., 652), and from time to time t,hereafter until 1822, when the law was permitted to The offiae of Superintendent of Indian Trade was not established by law until Marah 2, 1806, and it is presumed that by the term "Superintendent of the Depart-ment," here used, Congress had reference t6 the offioer who had been assigned under an ordinanoe adopted in 1786, beforethe ooustitution went into effect, to superintend onr relations with the Indian tribes, or to such other person as the President of the United States might appoint for that purpose. t This provision is now incorporated in section 2116, Revised Statutes. |