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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 177 2d. That tMs convention has listened with deep interest and gratification to the reports of benevolent work among the Indians during the past year. These reports prove that our Indian population are not only capable of elevation to a high standard of civilization and Christianity, but that many of them desire to realize the advan-tages and consolations they insure; that the progress of the Indians in these respects during tin; past year have been far beyond our expectations. They also show that serious obstacles in the way of this grand consummation consist in the evil example and intluence by which, in" many cases, they are surrounded, and by the insatiable cupidity and avarice to which they are subjected ; that official documents show that hundreds of millions of dollars have been expended within the last fifty years in wars against them, which might have been avoided, and that there is no just reason for withholding from these native inhabitants of our land the protection and privileges of law extended to all other people. Therefore, we invite all our fellow- citizens, without distinction, to unite with us in all proper measures to secure to the Indians all the guarantees of justice and right which we claim for ourselves. 3d. That this convention again recommend to the benevolent organizations here re-presented, to consider the expediency of forming Indian committees or associations, to awaken and foster an intelligent anil deep interest in the civilization of the Indian. 4th. That this convention favors the widest possible circulation of the information given at these meetings. Francis T. King offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted : Itesolrcd, That the convention heartily appreciates the services of the board of Indian commissioners, and extends to them our sympathy, encouragement, and co- opera-tion in their self- sacrificing and arduous work of supervision and reform in the Indian service. Dr. Ferris offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted : Resolved, That the board of Indian commissioners be requested to endeavor to make arrangements with the Government for permission to Indian agents, teachers, and physicians at their respective agencies to purchase subsistence stores at the same rates as those paid by officers of the Army. Upon motion, the convention then adjourned sine die. W. L. HARRIS, Chairman. W. NICHOLSON, Secretary. REPORT OF THE EPISCOPAL INDIAN MISSIONS. PHILADELPHIA, January 8, 1872. Hon. FELIX R. BRUNOT, Chairman : At the request of your secretary I send a brief account of the Indian missions of the Episcopal Church, by which you will perceive that the two missionary organizations have united in forming an Indian commission, which comprises fifty clergymen and laymen. In addition to the executive committee, a committee has been raised to super-vise the legislation on Indian affairs, and to protect the rights of the Indian with Con-gress and before the courts when necessary. The house of bishops and the house of clerical and lay deputies took decisive action promotive of Indian civilization. I will briefly reply to the printed questions to Epis-copal missionary societies. The Episcopal Church has the care of seven agencies, five of them in Dakota Terri-tory to Sioux Indians and Poucas, one to Sioux in Wyoming Territory, and one to Shoshones and Bannacks in Idaho. The names of agents in Dakota are: Dr. Holmes, at Yankton agency; Dr. Living-ston, at Crow Creek and Lower Brule" sub- agency; Mr. Kones, at Cheyenne agency, on the Missouri ; Mr. Risley, at Spotted Tail's Upper Brule", at the head of White Earth River; Dr. Daniels, at Red Cloud's agency, in \ Vyouiiug Territory; Mr. Irwin, agent of the Shoshones and Bannacks, in Idaho. There are five principal schools, with branches; three of them are on the Yankton reservation, one on the Ponca reservation, and the oldest and chief school is on the Santee reservation in Nebraska, where the agent is a member of the Society of Friends. All are day schools, with from 300 to 500 scholars, and in several of the missions a few Indians are taken into the families, and some are sent to distant schools for thorough education. If the various religious bodies will undertake the education of the Indian at their own expense, it will double the efficiency of their missions, hasten the work of Indian civilization, and save the Government an outlay of money fully four times as great as it will cost the religious bodies to whom the supervision of the civilization is intrusted. This matter is so important that it will be well for the board of Indian commissioners to consider it carefully, and to impress it upon Christian people if they deem it as important as we do. Our missionary associations understood the value of education, and also of medical relief in foreign lands, and surely it is even still more important in dealing with our home heathen, who are driven from their hunting-grounds by Christian civilization. 12 1C |