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Show I COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AIWAIRS. ~XXV I say extravagant, compensation, and the minority expressed their will-ingness to comply with the wishes of the Government and their regret that the majority were not of the same mind. By this it became evi-dent that the Indians could reaah no agreement either with the Gov-ernment or with each other, and negotiations were terminated and they were sent back to their respective homes. I SEMINOLES IN FLORIDA. The efforts of Special Agent A. M. Wilson to locate the Seminolesof Florida upon homesteads under the provisiona of the act of July 4, IS&, terminated on December 30 last, when he submitted his final report stating that he had been unable to find any vacant lands suitable for the occupancy of these Indians, and that he had reached the con-clnsion that it would be folly to waste further time and money in such efforts, unless Oongress should make an arrangement by which lands selected by the Indians could be purchased for them. He believed, however, that if good land could be purchased, a few Indians would be willing to locate thereon without delay, and that with such a beginning made all the others would in time follow their example. He fully corrob-orated reports already made as to the deplorable condition of these In-dians, and the danger that, unless some effective measures were adopted to improve their condition, serious trouble mould result at no distant day. A draught of a bill authorizing negotiations for the purchase of 1a.nrls upon which to locate the Florida Indians was submitted to the Depart-ment, March 30,1888, with recommendation that the same be transmit-ted to Oongress with a request for favorable action thereon, or that, if' practicable, the substance of its provisions be iuserted in the Indian appropriation bill. The papers were transmittecl to Congress, April 9, 1888. The Indian appropriation act,for the current rear contains an appro-priation of $6,000 "for support and educatiou of the Seminole and Creek Indians in Florida, for the erection and furnishing of a school-house, for the employment of teachers, and for purchase of seeds and agricultural implements and other necessary articles," but makes no provision for the purchase of lands. Another special agent, Miss L. Pierpont, of Winter Haven, Bla., was appointedon the16th ultimotomakefurtherattemptstofindlandsforthe Seminoles and to settle them thereon. She will consult with ex:Agent Wilson, and with the benefit of his official experience an11 her own per-sonal aequaintance with some of the Indians, it is hoped that some way may be found by which they can be brought out of swamps and destitn-tion to homesteads and fairly comfortable self-support, and by which they may regain confidence in the Government which they havelooked upon with distrust and hatred ever since, in the Seminole war, they were driven into the Everglades. |