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Show XXX REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ply sufficient for any emergency likely to arise, that officer admits that the strong force maintained at Fort Pa,tes since the autumn of 1876 has not been kept theresolely in theinterests of the Indian service, but also for the protection of the property and persons of 'settlers in the surrounding country, within a radius of perhaps 300 miles, from Indian depredations; also for the protection of the interests of the Nort,hern Pacific Railroad Company, now prosecuting its work, of construction between the Misnouri and the Yellowstone, which railroad compa.ny protests against the withdrawal of the troops from Fort Yatds, as a measure calculated to deter setflements along the line of its road. In rega.rd to the file1 and timber question, which is admitted to be an im-portant one, General Teny- eontends that very little, if any more, vood will be needed for building purposes at the post, and that after this. year "ligniten can be substituted for fuel, at an increased cost, how-ever, to tho government. But whatever differeuce in expense there may be, he frankly admits that the importance of the wood to the In-dians is so great that the fuel necessary to the troops of the post should no longer be taken from the forests inthe >icinity. I think this admis-sion of itself, withoutfurther comment, sufficie~ltly demonstrates the mischief which has already been done. A similar state of things exists at Cheyenne River, from which, ow-ing to the extravagant ose of timber by the military stationed at the neighboring posts,it will in all probability become necessary to remove the Indians at an early date. I have no desire to provoke a controversy between co-ordinate branches of the government, least of all with the War Department, to which this office is under many and lastiug obligations for the prompt and valua.ble aassistauce it has ever rendered in many and seri-ous emergencies; but as an officer of the government, iutrilsted under your direction with the management of Indian affairs and the mate: rial welfare of the Indians, I do seriously protest against the reckless consnmption of timber upon Indian reservations by the milit,ary, a.nd reque,st that mettsures may be taken to define and restrict their rights in this respect, and with that view I harve deemed it my duty to call your attention to the matter. I will add! in regard to the protection demanded by the Nortl~ern Pacific Railroad Company, that it appears to me that the troops at Fort Pates, sixty miles away, could afford but little protection; but that Fort A. Lincolu, and other military posts along the line of the road, could be more ~lvantageonslyu sed, and are amply sufficient to keep any and all raiding parties in check, a.nd to effectually prev13nt any obstruction in the settlement of the land or the eoustruction and operation of the road. .< LIQUOR IN THE INDIAN BOUNTRY. ! Existing statutes prohibit. the introduotiou of ardent spirits into t6e Indian country under any pretense, nnless iutrodileed therein by the |