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Show XVIII REPORT OF THE COMJIISSIONER OF INDlAN AFFAIRS. I g r e a t l~re gret that Congress took no action in this mat'ter. The urgent necessity for an amendment of the law is aga.in apparent in the attempted settlement in the Indian Territory by the so-called G'Okla-homa Colony," under the leadership of I). L. Payne, which has twice been repeated duriug the past jear j first in M:ty last, when Pagne with a party of followers was arrested in the Indian Territory by the militmy, and afterwards released on the Kansas border; and more recently, in the latter part of Angust, when, with a party consisting of seven men and two women, and an outfit of wagons,horses, &c.,he was again capt-ured by the troops whilst endeavoring to effect a settlement at Okla-homa. Upon this last occa.sion, refixsing -to go out of the Territory peacefully, the party were disarmed anbtaken to Fort Reno asprisoners. Upon the recommendation of this department, they were turned over by the military to the United States civil authorities at Fort Smith, Ark., by whom, it is reported, they have since been released to appear at the November term of the United States court for the western district of Arkansas, to answer to civil suits for the recovery of the prescribed penalty of $1,000, which is the only redress thq existing law provides. The result will probably be judgments against t,hem by de-fault, which mill be and remain uncolleotihle. It is surely time that this farce which has now been going on for three years or more, should cease. If Congress will give us a law (such as has becm laid before it) providing for imprisonment iu addition to fine, for each offense, these periodical invasions will be less freqnent, if not altogether stopped, aud probably much distress will be avoided to in-nocent parties who have been deluded by vague promisee held out to them. Timbw depredations on Indian 1awd.s.-Thenecesiity for le.&slation to protect the timber on Indian lauds has been repeatedly and forcibly urged in prior annua1:reports of thisoffice. Inmy last report I adverted to the wholesale destruction of timber in the Indian Territory, and the disastrous olimatic effr.cts which it is apprehendedwill ensue unless the evil is arrested. At the last session of Congress a bill (8. 1646), prepared in this office, extending the provisions of section 6388 of the Revised Btatutes of the United States for the protection and preservation of timber to Indian lands, passed in the Senate, but was never reached in the House. It. is hoped that Congress will take up this bill at an early date. Laws for Indiana.-For years past urgent appeals have been made by this office for such legislation as will insure a proper governmenkof the Indians, by providing that the criminal laws of the United States shall' be in force on Indian:reservations, and shail apply to all offenses, in-cluding those of Indians against Indians j and by extending the juris-diction of the United States courts to enforce the same ; in short to make an Indiau as amenable tolaw asany other subject of the United States. From time to time various measures looking to this end hare bccu in- |