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Show XXVIII REPORT OF THE COMAIISSIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. to in the act of January 18, 1881, would just so far frustrate the main object of the act; for? notwithstanding any promises they may make, I am persuaded they will not useit to enter t.he land they have selected, nor ta improve it, nor for any good pnrpose, nor will their wants be in any sense permaneutly relieved thereby. Section 2 of the act above referred to reads that the Departme~~otn, completion of the census, is authorizeil to "expeud for their benefit" certain sums therein stated ; and, farther on, the saloe section also rwads that "all of sbid sums [meaniug those just above noted] shall be paid pro rata to those per-sons whose wames appear upon the census roll," &c. I have therefope decided to make this payment in three installments, the second payment not to be made until it is demonstrtlted that the first has been judi-ciously 'xpended, as contemplated in the act. A question which shoiild be considered in connection with annnity payments is the ruling of the Treasury Department,, based on section 3651 of the Revised Statutes, which rnliug is to the eifect that Iudiaa ageuts are prohibited from procuring the necessary currency and small change required in mnking almost all annuity payments by paying. a, reasonable exchange to some banking institution nearer to the a,geuoy than the authorized Ulrited States depository where the funds may be placed to the agent's credit. This often necessitates a long journey by the agent, accompanied by an escort, an unnecessary expenbe, risk, and delay, and requires the agent's absence from the agency, where his presence is always needed. Although the letter of the law may call for this ruling, 1 do not believe the aot was intended by Oongres~to so apply, nor, in my opinion, is such application for the best interests aP the serrice. PUXCHASE, INSPECTION, AND SHIPMENT OF GOODS AND SUPPLIES. Bids for furnishing goods rtl~d supplies for the Indian service were opened in New York on the 23d of April last. Three hundred and fifty. two bids were received at the opening in New York, and at the opening a,t San Fra.ncisco, on the 18th of July, twenty-four bids were received, making a total of three huudred and seventy-six sealed bids for supply-ing articles for the Indian service. One hundred and eighty-one caw i tracts were awarded, ant1 were made out in quadruplicata, and em11 one accompanied with a bond. The awards in New York were luadu I by me with the assistance of the Board of Indian Commissioners and I Mr. G.M. Lockwood, chief clerk of the Department, representing the Department, after the samples offered with the bids had been exam-iued by inspectors appointed for ihat purpose. The numbcr of articks required to supply the Indian servick are nearly 1,600, and are divided, exclusive of subsistence stores, such as beef, flonr, sugar, coffee, h., and exclusive of medicines and school-books, into fifteeu classes, as fol-lows : lst, blankets ; 2d, woolen goods ; 3d, cotton goods ; 4th oloth-ing; 5th, boots and shoes; 6th, hats and caps; 7th, notions; 8th. gro- |