| OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF TEE COMMISSIONER. 23 In the annual report of last year the fact was referred to that stipula-tions in various Indian treaties req~i r in~laragme onnts to be invested in safe and ~rofitablest oclrs, for the benefit ofthe Indians, have never been carried out; the United States having retained the principal and paid the interest thereon from the treasury from year to year. The obligation and the advantage to the United States of making these investments, as ~rovidedfo r by the several treaties, were fully set forth, and appropri-ations for that purpose recommended. It n-as also sug:ested, tbr rea-sons cogently stated, as being advisable to invest in like manner the considerable amounts funded, or '<held in trust" for Indians by the United States, and on which an annual interest is paid from the trea-sury; as well as such sums as ~vould he amounts of the '<per-manent annuities" and other pcrmiincnt annual dues paid to and ex-pended for various tribes. The serrral amounts to be thus invested, should the suggestion be aypro\.e<l, are as follows, viz: 1st. Amount required by treat- stipulations to be in-vested in stocks, hut which h;re not hcen.. ........ $2,396,600 00 2d. Amount funded or "held in trust," ancl interest paid thereon by the United Statea.. .................. 4,344,000 00 3d. Principal at 5 per cent. of '(pcrmanent annuities" and other permanent dues paid to and expended an-nually for various ixihes.. ...................... P,S25,000 00 The judicious investment of this large sum, while in no case preju-dicial to tllc interests of' the Indians concerned, and capable of being made, to some rstent, benetici:11 to them, would be attended with ad-vantage to the Cnited State-&first, in absorbing a considerable portion of the present large and useless surplus of funds accumulated in the tresury ; and, second, in relieving the government from the payment of the nnmc!nse sums x\-hich the annual interest and payments on the above-stated princip:lls must eventually amount to-the interest equal-ling the principal evrry twenty years. Nor would this measure be without advantage to the States whose stocks might be selected, and to the community generally, diffusing, as it would, a considerable sum throughout the country, and kceping at home valuable means of invest-ment, as well as the interest tilereon, which might otherwise have to be sent abroad. I deem it proper to call your attention to the fact, that lethe act to establish the Territorial government of LVashington." approved Xarch 2, 1853, makes no provision for tibe appointment of Indian agents within that territory. I t is very desir:ibl~t~h at the omission should be supplied by Congress as early as practic:~ble during the next session. The governor and ez-o$cio superintendent of Indian affairs for this Territory having been charged by the Secretary of War with the exploration and survey of a northern route for the proposed railroad to the Pacilic, was directed to avail himself of' the opportunities thus af- |
