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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. CXXVII The first of such legislation is found in the act of May 19, 1796, (1 Stat., 472), which provided that if the Indians took or destroyed prop-erty, the ownkr should present his claim to the superintendent or agent of the tribe charged, who would demand satisfaction from the Indians. If it was not made within eighteen months, the superiutcndent or agent was to report the claim and his actiou thereon to $he President; and, 'Gin the meantime in respect to the property so taken, stolen or destroyed, the United States guarantied to the party injured an eventual indemnification,"provided hedid notseek private satisfactionor revenge. This act also provided for deducting the amount $' out of the annual stipend which the United States are bound to pay the tribe;" and further, that the Indian charged might be arrested, etc. This and snb-sequent conciliatory acts also provided that if the property of a friendly Indian should be takeu by a white man, the same should be paid for out of the Treasury of the United States, provided the Indian did not seek private revenge. The act to regulate trade and intercourse with the different tribes and to preserve peace on the frontiers," approved June 30,1834 (4 Stat., 749), not only re.euaoted all the provisions above mentioned, but re-strained white people from going on to the reservations without a license from the agent or other person in charge. It, also provided that claims against Indians should be barred unless presented for payment within threeyearsfromthcdateoftheinjuriescomplainedof. Thelawstoodthus until the act approved February 28, 1859 (11 Stat, 401), repealed that clause of the act of June30,1834, which provided that indemnity should bemade out of the Treasury of the United States, but left unchangedaud unrepealed the obligation of the Indians to pay for losses out of their annuities. By a joint resolution of June 25,1860, Congress declared that this repeal should not be so construed as to destroy any right to indemnity which existed at the date of the same, i. e., Bebruary28,1859; from whichit would seem that claims originating prior to that time were not affected by the act of that date. The act of July 15,1870 (16 Stat., 360), provided that no claim for Indian depredations should be paid in future except by special appro-priation by Congress. The act of May 29,1872 (17 Stat., 190), directed the Secretary of the Interior to prepare rules and regulations prescrib; ing the manner of presenting depredation claims under existing laws and treaties, and the kind and amount of testimony necessary to estab-lish their validity, also to investigate the claims presented and report' them to Congressat each session, whether allowed or not, together with the evidence on which his action was based. Since this date, this office has prepared these reports, and the work was done by its Civilization and Education Division until after the passage of the act of March 3,; 1885; it was then transferred to the Depredation Division, which,' however, did not receive official designation as such until January 1, 1889. |
