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Show These friendly tribes have for a long time expressed an earnest desire to concentrate upon a reservation near Fort Berthold, where they cultivate nnc-cessfully a large body of land; and to receive the benefits of a treaty, in inshc-tinu in labor, agricultural implements, and pnrtisulady jn schw~ls for their children. It is hoped that, eider by the commission now np the Missouri, or by othera, such a treaty may be made with these Indians. Theappeal of the old Arieka-ree chief, White Shield, published in the mnual report last year,and the stat* ments made bv Rev. Mr. De Smet, also nublishedia that renort, are fully em-firmed and stLngthtmed by the atntcntehts uf Agent ~ilk:lnsont h i ~ 1 trust illat ortion in their behalf may not be lungw delayed. Of the Aasiltnhinea. no advirrs have been received, exceot that they were. abont September 1, below Fort Union, at some distance with of the hfissonri, Bkided ioto small bauds for hunting, quite poor, but friendly. Agent Wilkinson represents the Orows as behaving well, friendly to tke whites, keeping out of the way of their old enemies, the Sioux, and anxious to 8 have an agency established among them some seven five miles above thc mouth of the Yellowstone, but thinks that they w eonsent toremove reserved lands north of the Xiesouri river. 3- Measuns should, in my judgment, be tnken to compel the permanent resi-dence of the agents with the upper Xissonri tribes, of whom they have the charge. Of course this cannot be done aa to the Sioux until a find amnge-ment is mde with them; hut as to the Indians abont Fort Berthold, there seema to be no good reason why the agent should not be with them. The hw of Congress requiren it, snd it is every way desirable, for the b e d t of t h lndiana and their protection from the effects of unlawful tsaffic. IDAKO. This office has been without authentic intelligence in regard to Indian affaim in this new Territory for many months, sundry reports forwarded by Governor Lyon, ea: o&io superintendent, having failed to come to hand. But one agent has been on duty in the Territory, Mr. O'Neill, in charge of the Nez PercBs, a large and friendly tribe, numbering 2,830 by a late census, and located in various bands within seveuty.five miles of the agency. Through failure of tl~c mails, Mr. O'Neill's bond, which had been forwarded by Governor Lyon, did not reach this oEce, and no funds could be forwarded to him for the necessary expenditures under the treaty with thode Indians. Hoch dissatisfaction was the necessary result; but through tl:e influence of Lawyer, the faithful he& ehief, the efforts of those anxious to commence hustilities have been defeated, and no outbreak had occnrred at the latest data. The causes of dieaatisfae-tion have certainly been great. Tht. fimt treaty made with these Indians, which was satisfactory to them, had been superseded by another, made by Superintendent Hale, of Oregon, of which Idaho was formerly a part, and this has not yet been ratified bi t he Senate. Meantime the promised payments under the first treaty were elayed, and disloyal persons were not wanting to persuade the Indians that the government was acting in bad faith towards them. However, as stated above, the efforts of the head chief, Lawyer, and others, with those of the agent, were suceessfnl in preventing any outbreak, and funds have recently been forwarded to make thedeferred payments. Agent O'Neill's report sets forth the condition of things among these Indians very clearly. The rapid increase of the white population, now numbering, by Governor Lyon's estimate, nea11y fifty thousand in theTerritory, and the in8.x of n mining population, extending tbeir prospecting tours in every direction, h still further tended to zende~it difficultt o pwserre p e . |
