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Show 4 REPORT OF THE COMMISGIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. existing reservations are suficient to accommodate all the Indians within their bounds; indeed, the number might with advantagebe reduced; but in Montana there is urgent need for the setting apart, pennanently, suitable tracts for the Blackfeet, and other tribes,, who claim large por-tions of that Territory and are parties to treat~es entered into wlth then1 last gear by Commissioner W. J. Cullen, which mere submitted to the Uuited States Senate, but have not been finally acted upon by that body: Should the treaties be ratified the required reservations will be secured, greatly to the benefit of both Indians and citizens. Before entering upon a rdaunze of the affairs of the respect.ive super-inteudencies and agencies for the past year, I will here briefly notice several matters of interest which, in their beating upon the manage-ment of our Indian relations, are likely to work out, judging from what has been the. effect so far, the most beneficial results. Under an act of Congress avuroved Anril 10, 1868. two millions of do11i1r6\Y ~ .PC al)j~rop~i:tf;to\ &i ~ ~thte =Prcsiienr r l mointuin peacA al1:uu.g I I I I ~wI ith v:lrioos tribrs, l~andsa, nd j,artics of Indial~st;o pro-mote I heir <:iti l i%i ~ t ib#ri~ng~ ~ th;e n^, ~ h r pura ctie:~ble,u r)on resrrv:~tions, and to relieve their nebessitres. an$ encoura.w. theii efforts at self-sun: port. The l<xc.r.~ltivisr a l a ~:iu tl~~,rizerdo urxnnizt. a btjnrd of coannis. niu11r1.6,1 11 co~~siosft 11ot more tlt;~nt en persous, s!lec.ttil ffr.c,m among men eminent for their intelligence and uhilanthroov. to serve withon% pecuniary coinpensation, angwbo, und& his direc&n, shall exercise joiut control with the Secretary of the Interior over the disbursement of this large fund. The commission selected in accordance with this provisio~l ot the law, composed of the following gentlemen, George El. Stuart, William Welsh, W. E. Dodge, E. S. Tobey, John B. Farwell, Robert Cal~ipbellF, elix R. Brunot, Henry S. Lane, and Nathan Bishop, met in this city in May last, and after deliberating upon the points sug-gested for their consideration, as embraced in my letter to them, dated the 26th of May, (a copy of hio oh is among the papers accontpa~~ying this report, marked A, as is also a copy of the Executive order of June 3 io tlie matter, marked B,) involving the legal status of the Indians, their rights, aud the obligations of the government toward them; the propi'iety of any further treaties being made; the expediency of s changein the modeof annuity payments, and other pointsof special in. terest, they decided as preliminary to future operations, and for the more convenient and speedy discharge of their duties, upon diridin the territory inhabit.ed by Indians into three sections, and appointe 3 sub-cotumittees out of their number to visit each, and examine into the affairs of the tribes therein,,and to report at a meeting to be held in Washington prior to the comlug session of Congress. I herewith sub-mit (marked C) the report of the commission, recently received, with repoxty from tlie sub-committee, F. R. 'Brunet, esq., chairman; also from Vincent Oolyer, esq., and John V. Farwell, esq., members of the con?- mission, relating to the condition of affairs among the tribes of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, some of the tribes in Kansas, those in the. In. dian couutrv south of Kansas. and those in Alaska Territorv.. .. and com- 181uui1.:11inig~ trrrrstil~tjgic ts in tllcir Iiiatoty, as also submitting sugges IJUIIS t i~rl ~rirtr elri~re3 11di rnl~l.ovrnieut,i lvel~~et(ol be of great ilnl~ort-ance, and which ahould receive cnreful consideration. I n regard to the fi~ndo f two million dollars referred to, it maybe re-marked that it has enabled t,he department to a great extent to carry out t l ~ r1 11irpo~efos r \vlriel~i t wan :~pprol~riatr~Tl.h ere eau be no cloeu- i tion but thuc inischief has been prrvrnted, i~ndsi ~fl'eringe itltrr relirred ur \vnrded oil' ti\~nln umber> who othrrwi3e, by iurce of circ~~mfit;~nces, |