OCR Text |
Show ment and the Cherokees. The tract of 800,000 acres in Kansas, known as the neutral lands, ia ceded to the government in trust, to be surveyed and sold for the benefit of the Indians, the proceeds to he invested for them in the proportion of 35 per cent for education, 15 per cent. for an orphan fund, and 30 per cent. for the national fund. But this tract may be sold in one body for cash, at 81 per acre, the intention of the language referring to a sale "for cash," well unJerstood by both parties to the treaty, being to exclllde the receipt of a large amount of depreciated Cherokee scrip in payment for these lauds; the experience of the depr tn~enat s to the receipt of scrip representing Indian indebted~rcssin payment for lands, as in tbe caseof the Sacs and Foxes, Kaws, and other tribe^, being unfavorable. But a question has arisen whether the actual language of the treaty does not absolutely preclude the sale of the lands upon any terms of credit whatever. All sums belonging to heirs of deceased soldiers remaining unclaimed aft,er two yeaM are devoted to an asylum for orphans of soldiers, Provisions are also made for the paymeut of $10,000 for certain supplies fkr- - nished to Creeks, and for damages done to missionary establishments during the war. TREATIES PENDING IN THE SENATE. There still remain nnacted upon some important treaties-one made in the fall of 1565, by Superintendent Irish, mith various tribes iu Utah, ceding all rights of occupancy of lands in that Territo~y , except the Uintah Valley reservation, for a consideration in the form of annual payments in goods and for beneficial ohj~cts; another mith the Shawnees, ea1.1~in the preseht year, making provi-sion for the sale of their lands in Kansas, the purchase of another location for them in the Indian country, the remove1 of those who chose to go and retain their tribal state, and measures for obta~ningf ull citizenship by those who re-main; also a treaty made June 11, 1864, with the Iiansas tribe of Iediarls, I~mviding for the aale of their remaining lands in that State, and their removal to the Indian country ; and a treaty made with the Poncas, March 10, 1865, for an exchange of certain lands and payment of claims. It is to he hoped that these treaties will receive early consideration during the next session of Cougress. TREATIES NOT YET SllBXlTTED TO THE SENATE. A treaty was made in December, 1865, by Agent Upson, ul~der instructions from t,he department, wit11 the Blackfeet Indians of Montana, and with the G ~ o sV mtres of that Territory, by which all the Blackfeet country south of the r\lisso~xrwi as cedr~d; hutas advices reached this office of the Indians having almost immediately broken ont into hostility, and thus violated their treaty stipulations, it was not deemed advisable by the late Secretary to send the pa-pers to the President. Advices received fyom Montana, in the annual report of the governor and superintendent, jurtify thin action. A treaty was made in the early ryrinp of ISGG, by the late Gorernor Lyon. of Idaho, sit11 certain bands of Bnnnorh and Sanke lnrlixne in the southeast-ern portion of that 'rerritnry ; but this has alrn been retained in the files of this officef i>rf rirther conside~.ationu pon information ro be received from Gov-ernor Lyon's azccessor. The accounts of frequent collisions in that quarter between the miners and travellers and the Indians, make it quite evident that some kind of arrangement with those Indians is desirable. The nort.hr\-estern commission of last year was divided into two parts, by direction of the President, early last spring, and some alterations made in its persons. Governor Edmunds, General Curtis, 31r. Guernsey, and Rev. Mr. Reed, proceeded at the earliest possible date after the necessary preparations |