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Show EEPOET OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. any reduction of their reservation. There is reason to believe they represent the minds of every individual of the tribes, who is now, or has been,% on the reservation. At the close of the council, I made some remarks to the Indians, and to the whites who were there, in which I assumed that the question of removing the Indians from the Umatilla reservation was now finally settled. That the Government would pro-tect them in their right, and advising the whites to give up all expectation of ever get-ting the Umatilla lauds. A record in detail of the proceedings of the council and the speeches of the commissioners and the Indians, kept by Mr. Cree, is subniittted herewith. The Umatilla reservation contains probably 20,000 acres of land well adapted for cultivation, the remainder, and largest part of the reservation, being mountainous or hilly, but well timbered and watered, and with abundance of grass. It was set apart by a treaty in 1856, which was ratified by the Senate and proclaimed by the President in 1859 for the Cayuse, Walla- Walla, and Umatilla tribes of Indians, who were there confederated ; and who agreed to relinquish their title to all the land owned and occu-pied by them, except so much of it as was embraced within the boundaries of the reservation. For the lands ceded to the United States, which included the Walla- Walla Valley, now so celebrated for its beauty and fertility, they were to receive the followng sums of money and other benefits, viz: " For the first five years $ 8,000 per annum; the second five years, $ 6,000 ; the third, $ 4,000, and the fourth term of five years $ 2,000 per annum. The money to be expended by the President to advance them in civilization, by buildings, opening farms, buying wagons, agricultural implements, & c. In addi-tion to this the Government agreed to build a saw and grist mill, a hospital, two school- houses, a blacksmith's shop, carpenter's shop, and wagon- maker's shop, and a dwelling for each of the men employed in them ; also a dwelling each for two millers, one farmer, one superintendent of farming, and two school- teachers, and to pay and subsist for twenty years one superintendent of farming, one blacksmith, one carpen-ter, and two school- teachers, also to pay the head chief of each tribe $ 500 per annum, and build each a house and fence, and break for him ten acres of land. Fifty thou-sand dollars were appropriated for the erection of buildings, opening and fencing farms, buying teams and implements the first year. Special appropriations were made for the erection of the flouring- mill, and $ 40,000, I am informed, from time to time for the erection of a saw- mill. Ten thousand dollars was appropriated to make a new road and close up the old one through the reservation. And in addition to these special sums, it is presumed that the stipulated annual appro-priations have been made for payment of annuity and pay of the promised employes. What I find upon the reservation to show for these expenditures is summed up as follows: From 800 to 1,000 acres of land under cultivation by the Indians, about 2,500 under fences, and a miserably inadequate supply of worn- out agricultural implements. A group of eight or ten dilapidated shanties, used for the agency buildings, originally erected to serve a temporary purpose with green cotton- wood poles and logs, and now unfit for habitation. A good grist- mill, seven miles distant, erected from special appro-priations at a cost largely in excess of its value. A saw- mill, comparatively useless, owing to its distance from timber and the annual destruction of its injudiciously located dam. I see no evidence that it has ever made any lumber except that of which the small church is built. It cost $ 40,000, and a better one could be built in a proper location for $ 5,000. The $ 10,000 has been expended for the road ; nevertheless, the old road has never been closed, as agreed to be done, and is the one in common use. The houses for the chiefs are thus correctly described by one of them : " I see a house that was supposed to have been built for me. It is about five feet high, made of round cotton- wood logs. It is all rotten and falling down. Wenap- snoot's house, is down below. It is as if it had been made for a pig- stye. Hom- li's house is up the river, and looks like a house for pigs. They are the only houses built. I see my real house over there is made of mats; that is the one the chief lives in, but he was promised a good house with glass windows and doors." ( Howlish- Wampo's speech, page 524, council.) There seems to have been no attempt made to establish a school for some years after the treaty, although two schools were promised. In 1866, Rev. A. Vermeersh was appointed, and has since that time been employed as principal teacher. The school has never been a success, the number of scholars being only seventeen last term. A small frame building was erected by agent William H. Boyle in 1869, which is used as school- room and chapel. The physician promised has never resided upon the reservation, but lives and practices his profession at Pendleton. The hospital promised has not yet been erected. The estimated number of Indians belonging to the treaty when made was 3,500 souls. Many have died or become absorbed in other tribes, and it is probable the number was originally overestimated. By the census taken in 1870 the number was 1,622. Of this number 837 reside upon the reservation, and 785 on the Columbia River, the latter never having partaken of the benefits of the treaty. The Indians on the reservation are comparatively wealthy, nearly all cultivate small |