OCR Text |
Show office respecting these Indians during the past year. A full statement of their number and condition is given by Vincent Colyer, esq., in his report, to which I hare already referred in connection wit,h the subject of the special commission appointed by the Executive, arid which will be found among the docnments herewith. Owing to the lateness of its receipt, and to the pressure of business at this time, I have been only abie' to g l a~~cheis tily over the report, reserving a thorough pe. rusal of it to some hture day. Accompanying this report I also transmit statistical tables, showing the population of the various tribes, and in part, or rather incompletely, from either full returns not having been received, or a failure of the agents to furnish an accurate statement in all respects. of their farm pro-dGcts, horses, cattle, and other property armed,-?nd number of schools and scholars. It nil1 be observed that the entlre Indian population, exclusive of that in Alaska, is 289,778. as ag. .a inst 298,528 reported last Sear. 'Yhe ditYe1.t:nee is ~lusto 11iur11~ ~cco~~iflurre hd,f a dec~t.;isea, s by t l ~ vr a rying of tlle esrimntes froin Sear to Sear 1 , (~lit tierent ngei,ts wit11 respect to certain wild and roving tribes, whose numbers cannot be as-certained with correctness. There has been probably a small decrease, hut it will be safe to say that the whole number does not fall much below 300,000. Statements are also herewith, exhibiting the corrdition of the Indian trust fiinds, trust lands, and the l~abilities of the United States under treaty stipulations. I deem it my duty in. closing this report to invite attention to the in-sufficieucv. or the want of means to enforce them. of existing laws to rc~nedyt. i.11w~h ich :%rec ommul~t hroughout tile c,htirr 1110i:i1i scl.vict. Aets ofa r~imiliitlc hnmcter sire ofrtn coinn~ittedi ll r11v rivi~litoj f ln-dim i~~t~l c i0e1. sU.I DOIIt he 111dia1r1e servations. by 110thw hites Iu-dia~ ls:lo, notice of h i c h is taken, for want of adequate power at, hand, and frequently when authority is asked from Washington to arrest the offenders, they in the mea~lwhile escape, 5.0 that the effect prompt action wo~ild have had is entirely lost, and crlmes go unpunished to be renewed again w i t b impunity. To make the uncivilized Indiau to re-spect law and observe his treaty obligations, the power to punish must be present, and the penalty of violated law promptly enforced. The same may be said also of the whites, who would not so readily commit wrongs against the Indians if they knew that punishment would follow close upon the commission of the crime. To the end therefore that it may bc made apparent to the Indians, as well as to the whites in any way connected or dealing with them, that the government intends to execute the laws applicable to such cases, and the treaties, it is respect-fully recommended that Congress be asked to pass a statute requiring the military to station at the agencies, whenever requested by the proper authority, a sufficient number of troops to assist the agent in charge to make prompt arrests of all persons offending, that they may be handed over to the civil authorities for trial. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. S. PARKER, Commissioner. Hon. J. D. Cox, Becretary of the Inferior. |