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Show COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 21 8 The President having appointed the two superintending agent8 811thorieed by the act cited, instructions have been given to them to report to the department the condition of the service and the progress made in the initiation of the new system adopted. No reports have been as yet received from these offioer~t o justify the expression of any opinion as to the results of the change of system above referred to. No doubts are entertained of the favorable working of the system con-templatea by the provisions of the law referred to, if the services of faithful agknts can be secured, who will take the least pains to induce the Indians to remain upon t,he reserva$ions and labor for their own support. The report of the superintendent of Indian affairs for Oregon, and: Washington Territory contains a graphic and. interesting history of Indian affairs within his superintendency during the past year. Ten treaties were negotiated with various Indian tribes in 1854 and 1855, but not ratified until March and April, 1859 ; and for fulfilling these, appropriations were only made during the last session of Con-gress. ,This delay occasioned discontent and doubt in the minds of the Indians, and the fear that the country occupied by them would he taken possession-of by the whites without their obtaining the consid-emtion specified in the treaties, created such excitement among them that the peace of the country was threatened, and the danger only averted by the eon cilia tor^ conduct of the several agents, and the presence of a military force in that region. The action already taken to carry out the stipulations of the treatieb referred to, will, it is believed, reassure the-various tribes of the friendship of the government, and tend to restore and continue the amicable relations which have been interrupted in consequence of the dela in the ratification of those treaties. ~ g Inedi ans in this superintendency are estimated at 38,000 souls;' of these 7,000 are in Oregon and 31,000 in Washington Territory. There are 3,000 Indians upon the Coast reservation in Oregon.; of these 1,134 are provided for by treaty stipulations, and 1,866 are un-provided for. These latter were collected at Fort Umpqua during the troubles of 1855-56, where they were clothed and fed by government appropriations for two years. These appropriations liavmg been with-held, the superintendent is without the means of supplying theirue-cessities. The Indians st the Cfrande Ronde and Siletz agencies can be sub-sisted with hut little assistance from the governmbnt, as the crop at those points are re orted to have yielded abundant harvests. The Gooses an 8 Umpquas, recently removed to the "A1cea"-in pursuance of instructions from this office-are reported to be in a snf-fering condition, owing to a total failure of the crops at that poirit. To relieve their present necessities and to provide for their want8 during the winter, the superintendent was prompted by humane con-siderat, iona to authorize the local agents to pqrchaae supplies, and suggests that an appropriation be made by Congress, at an early day, to reimburse the amount thus expend'ed. The reports of Agents Miller and Newcomb, and Sub-Agent Sykes, |
