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Show XVI REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ance with existing treaties with the civilized tribes, and I cannot better do so than by quoting from the annual report of the agent at the Union Agency, to which the civilized tribes are attached. He says: In criminal oases where white men and Indians are the parties, or where both par-ties are white men. the owe is tried bv the United Statetas oourt at Fort Smith. Ark. I About four-fifths of oriminal oases tned at that court come from the Indian Territory ; the long distances witnesses must travel toresoh this oourt makes the administration I of jost.ice dot only very expensive to the Government, and to the witnesses who are compelled to etteud, but it ia tbe cause of a lo,rge number of crimes committed in the Territorv not beille r e~or t ed:w itnesms cnnnat afford to travel several times to Fort I - - Smith, Ark., to prosecute criminals. The fees and mileage will not pay ordinary fare and neoesaary expenses of the trip, allowin.- nothing- for the time lost. The business of the conrt is transsoted sa rapidly as possible, hut case8 are continued from term to tern, and several trips must he made by the witnesaeshefore the case is tried. Crim-inals take advantage of this state of affairs, and crime is much more prevalent than if a, court Was established in the Territory, as the treaty provides and the Indisns desire. The Territory having no friend a t mnrt to call attention to these mstters, I the Illdim Offioe 8hould do 80 in the interest of good order and economy. I TIMBER AND OTHER DEPREDATIONS ON INDIAN LANDS. At the first session of the present Congress a bill (S. 1545) to amend section 5388 of the Revised Statutes in relation to timber depredations so as to apply to all classes of Indian lands, passed the Senate, but was not reached in the House. This legislation is much required, especially in the Indian Territory, where depredations are constant, and I would respectfully recommend that the bill be still farther amended, so as to include coal and other minerals upon Indian lands. INDIAN POLICE. In the Indian appropriation bill approved May 27, 1878, pro*isiou was made for organizingau Indian policeforce, not exceeding 50 officers and 430 privates. During that year a force was organized at 30 different agencies, and from that day to this the wisdom of Congress in estab-lishing such a force has beeu more apparent every year. Dnring the past year the force has consisted of 784 officers and privates at 48 out of t,he 60 different agencies, and it is believed that the records of constabulary organizations throughout the country will not present a more favorable showing for fidelity, faithfulness, and impartial per-formauoe of duty than has been displayed by the 1ndia.n police. When it is borne in mind that a great majority of the cases upon which they are called to act are offenses committed by their own race against laws made by a race with which they have not heretofore beeu in sym-pathy;. that they are hedged in by rules and regulations which so abridge the absolute freedom to which they have been accustomed as to gall and chafe them continually, any infringement of whichis promptly punished; and that many of the regulations established forbid prac-tices which almost form a part of the very existence of the Indian, |