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Show REPORT OP THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 11 contact with civilized life, prefer to abandon their tribal relations alto-gether, and assume the duties of citizens. Of these, during the last year, there were about one hundred and fifty- four Winnebagoes, and two hundred and fifty Pottawatomies, making in all fifteen hundred and ninety four of the latter who have become citizens; and Congress, at its last session, having made provision for the distribution of the principal of their trust fund among them, the moneys were duly paid, and they are no longer wards of the Government. MISSIONARY SOCIETIES IN CARE OF RESERVATIONS. The system of appointing Indian agents nominated by missionary so-cieties commends itself to the judgment of the board, as having effected a manifest improvement in the agencies where it is fully operative. In several cases they have been deceived in the character of the persons appointed, and instant dismissal has followed. In one or two instances the society making a nomination has not yet acted on the implied ob-ligation to take a missionary interest in behalf of the Indians thus com-mitted to their care. It is impossible that so radical a change and im-provement as is made and intended by the system should be perfected in the short time during which this has been inaugurated, but enough has transpired to warrant the most sanguine expectation of success. The religions societies which have assumed the responsibility offered them by the President, in his desire to administer wisely, justly, and hu-manely the affairs of the Government in its relations to the Indians, it is not supposed will in any case fail in their duty from lack of proper effort. SCHOOLS. The schools among the partly civilized Indians should in all cases be boarding- schools, where children of both sexes, while being taught nec-essary branches of a common education, may, at the same time, be in-structed in manual labor appropriate to their respective sexes. The day-schools are a total or comparative failure in nearly every instance known to the members of the board. The reasons are stated in the report of Air. Bruuot, before referred to. AUDITING ACCOUNTS OF INDIAN BUREAU. In addition to the duties already devolving upon the board, Congress at its last session added that of auditing all the accounts of the Indian Department, ( see act of Congress approved March 3, 1871.) This duty, though a very onerous one to the members, and, like all the powers conferred upon the board since its organization, wholly unsolicited, as it was believed to have been framed by Congress in the interests of econ-omy and honest dealing, was cheerfully undertaken by the executive committee. It necessitated the employment of additional clerks, and consequent expense. WORK OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. From March 23, 1871, to December 5, 1871, the executive committee examined J, 130 vouchers, including cash accounts of superintendents and agents, representing a cash disbursement of $ 5,210,729 00, being |