OCR Text |
Show The amount of wealth in individual property owned by Indians, as reported, is $1,851,404. TRUST FUNDS. In regard to the condition of the Indian trust fund few changes have been made since my last report. The States reported as having failed to provide for the payment of interest due upon their bonds, held in trust for varions Indian tribes, have made no ar-rangements for the payment of any portion of the same, or the amount which has accumulated during the past year, thus leaving a large balance due the Indians. My suggestions and recommendations relative thereto, contained in my report of 1863, are stillappropriate; and I am of the opinion that, in justice to the Indians for whom the investments were made, they should be carried out. The changes in bonds held in trust for Indian tribes by the Department of the Interior made during the past year are as follows: Under the last clause of the 4th article of the treaty of June 24, 1862, with the Ottawas of Blanchara's Fork and Roche de Bcenf, provision was made for payment to tbemin four annual instalments of all sums in any manner due them from the United States: in accordance with which, such United States stock as was held in trust for them ($950) was transferre&. to the Tonawanda band of Senecas, the avails heing carried to their credit, and an estimate for the balance of the first two instalments included in the genera' estimate for appropriations for the Iudian service for the fiscal year ending Jnde 30, 1866; all other bonds held in trust for them thus reverting to the United States. It appears, by reference to the accounts of the Chickasaw orphans, that the proceeds of the sale of their lands were invested in stocks of various kinda, as also a portion of the accumulnted interest; ~ince which the amount that a p peared to be due to each Chickasaw orphan-was turned over to persons author-ized to receive the same and paid to tl~em.e xcepting in the case of Hiram R Pitchlyn, sole surviving heir of John Pitchlyn, for whom an appropriation was made by Congress (see S~atutesa t Large, volume 10, page 43.) The bonds of the State of Arkansas for $3,000, heretofore reported as being held in trust for the Chickasaw orphans, thus re'Perting to the United States, leaving a balance of United States stock at their credit of $1,200, which has been transferred to the Tonawanda hand of Senecas, and the avails placed to their credit (this balance having arisen from the investment of the accumulnted intwest on their bonds.) In accordance with the recommendations heretofore made in my annual re-ports, that all securities, where practic:~ble, and without loss to the Indians should he converted into those of the United States, $44,000 in bonds of the State of Kansas were sold at the price originally paid, and the avails invested in securities of the United States. The description and amount of secnlities now held in trust for the varions Indian tribes will be showu in the accompanying tabular statements, Nos. 1, 2, and 3. In connexion herewith, I will state that during the past year, by direction of the Secretary of the Interior, several tracts of Indian trust land have been placed in market, all sales being made upon sealed bids, opened at the time specified in the advertisements, in the presence of such bidders as might choose to be present The prices realized have steadily advanced from the first offering, showing the increased demand for good farming lands. The total number of acres sold amounts to 104,374j2$23a cres, realiziug t b snm of $255,873 74, as shown by the following tabular statement, viz: |