OCR Text |
Show . . . ,, . , . ... . . , .. ,: .. ! . ... When the w a r ~ e ~ a r tmewnats ireab+d by Congress under the act of August,, !(, ;,1789i 'the duties assign. ed, ,,t~o it included . those relativq tO Ipdiun sffarrs." .. . ,. , . . ., . . , . ' A' Bukaia of Indie Affairs w& orfWd'in- the war Depart-ment on M!q-~hi11;'165$w4~it h Thomas: . McEmn g twits chief, and among the dntiea to which he was ass~gnew~e re e. admimstration of -the fund-for b-eisilization of the fndiam mder ~egulatious established by the department, the e w t i o g , , , q f ,th e plains aris-ing out of the laws regulating the intercourse with Indian tribes, and the ordinary correspondence with superintendents, aaents, and subagents. He was succeeded September 30, 1830, by Bamuel S. Hamilton, whose successor about one year later was Elhert Herring. By the act of Jul 9, 1832, there was created in the War Depart-ment the office of d ommissioner of Indiim Affairs, who, subject to the Secretary of War and the Pres!dent, should have I' the direction and management of all Indian affairs and all matters arising out of Indian relations." On June 30, 1884, an act was passed "to provide for the organi-zation of the Department of Indian Affairs." Under this enact-ment certain agencies were established and others abolished and provision was made for subagents, interpreters, and other employees, the P a ye nt of annuities, the Ku rchasa and distribution of su %p lies, etc. T is may be regarded as t e organic law of the Indian 0 ce. When the Department of the Intermr was created byact of March 3, 1849, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was transferred thereto, and hence passed from military to civil control. Section 441 of the Revised Statutes providea that "the Secretary of the Interior is charged with the supervision of public business relating to * * * the Indians." Section 463 of the Revised Statutes reads: "The Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior and agreeable to such regulations as the President may prescribe, have the management of all Indian affairs, and of all matters arising out of Indian relations." m |