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Show EEPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 7 PARTIALLY CIVILIZED TRIBES. The condition of the partially civilized tribes on established reserva-tions has materially improved. The covetous, desire of whita people, generally living 1 near tbese reservations, to obtain possession ' of the lands, either for occupation or speculation, led to the introduction at the last session of Congress of several bills providing for the removal of the Indians, and the sales of the lands, without due regard to the rights of the Indians or the sacred obligations of treaties. ' When the attention of Congress was called to these several acts, however, and their mani-fest injustice pointed out, they were promptly abandoned. THE UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION. One of these measures, fairer than some others, proposed to submit the question of removal and sale of the lands belonging to the Indians on the Urnatilla reservation, in Northeastern Oregon, upon ' payment of certain annuities, and providing a new home for them, and commis-sioners were appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to ascertain the wishes of the Indians. By request of the Secretary of the Interior and the direction of the board, the chairman visited the reservation in August, to be present at the council, and, after a week's mature con-sideration of the proposal, during which the subject had been fully presented to them, the Indians rejected the proposal. ( See report, . A c.) INDIANS IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY AND OREGON. The chairman of the board also visited the Warm Springs and Grand Epude reservations in Oregon, and the Yakaina, Tulalip, Swinornish, Lummi, and S'Kokomish reservations in Washington Territory. The condition of the Indians in Oregon and Washington is vastly better than individual statements and common rumor have led us to anticipate. Many of them are industrious, and labor on their reserva-tions, and- others, as at Grand Konde and along Puget Sound, labor for the farmers or at the saw- mills, and receive the commendation of their employers and the agents. They have adopted the costume and are rapidly acquiring the habits of the whites. Some of them are Christians, and exemplary for their consistent lives. There are also many who have learned more of the vices than the virtues of civiliza-tion. This class, attracted as they are to the vicinity of towns and railroads, is most frequently seen by the citizen ' and the traveler, and give a mistaken color to his opinions of the race. WT hen it is remem-bered that the Indians of Oregon and Washington were only placed upon reservations from ten to fifteen years ago, but few of them more than twelve, it must be admitted that their progress toward civilization has been wonderfully rapid. ( See report on reservations in Washing-ton Territory and Oregon A d.) NEED OF CIVIL LAW OVER INDIANS. A serious detriment to the progress of the partially civilized Indians is found in the tact that they are not brought under the domination of the law, so far as regards crimes committed against each other. The difference in the characteristics of the various tribes, together with the differences in the degree of civilization to which they have attained, seems to render it impossible to frame any general law equally applica- |