The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-04-10
Debate in the House of Representa-
tives on the Indian Appropriation

Debate in the House of Representa-
tives on the Indian Appropriation
Bill.
WAsH,NGroE, Fell. 90, 1851.
On motion Of Mr.. Bayly the Committee
next took up House bill No. 4S7, making
appropriation for the current and contin-
gent expenses of The Indian tribes, for The
year ending June so, 1882.
Mr.. Baylylsugsessted as the till was a
long one, the reading OF it should DO dis
pensed with.
Mr.. Meade. objected. He thought the
bill had better be read. II they went on at
this rate ofdespatch, instead of not having
time enough, they would hn' e three or four
days more than they wanted. Laughter
MIR. Bayly said that the bill was thirty
five pages long, and that there was not
controverted item in 1t; they were all To
carry out treaties. He submitted to the
committee, therefore, whether il was worth
while To waste an hour in reading The bill.
As to the remark Of his colleague, T Mr..
Meade. he begged leave to say that these
bills which had been disposed Of with so
much dispatch, were so uncOntrOverted
bills, to which there were no amendments
to be offered. The dispaech with which
they had been disposed of was no criterion
of the Army, Navy, Post Office, and Civil
aud Diplomatic appropriation bills would
occupy, to which hundreds of amendments
would be offered.
MIR Meade Withdrew his call for the rea-
ding of the bill ..
The Clerk then reported the first para
graph Of the bill.
MIR, johnson, of Arkansas, said: desire
tf,r pnt;oo h.,r., shot - ;s .,tan
at the proper time, to offer certain amend
meuts, 10 come in at the end of the iiIi,
which have been prepared by the Commit
tee on Indian Affairs, which meet the APP
p, oaation Of the Indian Bureau, IN !
which are absolutely necessary to the sue
cessiul operation of that Department Of
Government hereafter. 1t iSn0t my wish
unnecessarily To consume time, and pro-
ceed to explain the nature of the series of
amendments which shall offer is to effect
that reorganization Of The Indian Depart
ment which the changed relations Of our
GOvereInent, her very considerable Wqui-
sition of territory, the increased number of
tribes, an.llhe amount of responsibility re-
quire. will proceed now to read the Sec
tions of my amendment, and to explain
each one succinctly, and while | do SO
respectfully ask the u,tertiOn Of those who
feel any interest in relation to this pnrticu-
lar Department Of the Government, IN or
der that they may be able to ask any ques-
ion I'D relation TO the amendments, and to
undersand them thoroughly.
The first section of the amendment is as
fellows:
find be IL further enacted, That from
and after The thrtieth day of June next,
all laws or parts of laws how in force pro-
yiding for the appointinen, or employment
Of superintendents of Indian Affairs, of
whatever character, for any Of the Indian
tribes east Of the Rocky Mountains and
north of New Mexico and Texas, shall be
and the same are hereby repealed; aud that
the President I've, and he is hereby author
ized, by and with The advice and consent
of the Senate, TO appoint three superinten-
dents of Indian Affairs !Or said Indians, who
shall receive an annual salary each of two
thousand dollars, and whose duIy it shall
be TO exercise a general superlntendence
over such tribes Of Indians as the President
OF the United States or the Secretary of
the Department of the Interior may direct,
and to execute and perform all the powers
and duties now assig igne,l by law to Super
intendents of Indian Affairs: Provided,
That the Governor of Minnesota shall con-
linue to he er c6icio Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for that territory until the
President shall otherwise direct.
There are are now four Superintendent
of Indian Affairs in the original Indian ter
ritory. The amount Of salary which these
gentlemen receive is $500 per unnum.-
There is now bur one Of these superintend-
ents with full superintendent. He is
stationed at ST. Louis. There is and ac-
ting superintendent, who is agent Of the
Choctaws, and is stationed west Of Arkan-
sas, and thee is one in Michigan.
ltis deemed by the Department that the
locations of these superintendents are not
altogether the best for the services they
have to perform. The fourth superinlend.
ent is the Governor of Minnesota, who is
er oficio superintendent Of Indian Affairs,
and receives as such Governor, and add-
tiOnal compensation of 81 600. He is to
be lett until such time as the Executive may
deem it expe,lient to max. change. The
extraordinary efficiency OF that officer re,,-
ders it expedient that he shall he retained,
AT least until such time as his services shall
be found to be unnecessary.
now call the attention of the committee
to the question of The expense Of this rec
organization, by which superior efficiency
is to be attained in the Indian bureau and
the Indian service. If, sir, it can be shown
that the reorganization can be effected so MS
to secure superior efficiency without in
creasing the expenses Of the Government,
hut, on the contrary, decreasing the amount
Of patronage in the hanis of the Executive
and also the Incidental expenses of The De-
partment, then, presume, the House will
lie satisfied to adopt this plan of rroryani-
zation, which has been ,natured by the ln-
dian Department, fully considered iy the
Committee on Indian Affars, and which 1
shall have the honor to-day to offer.
1t will be perceived that $4,000 is the
salary proposed to he given to these sever
al superintrndems here created. | might
have passed il by without attracting a,ten-
ton to it but wish the committee to see
and consider it, The number Of the SUPER
inten,lents is to be reduced ultimately from
four TO three, and there will he in this in
stance an increase Of 81 500 in the expeu-
ses of the Government until such time as
the cr c6ieio or acting superintendent, the
Governor of Minnesota, shall be dispensed
with by the Executive, and that is sure to
take place whenever there is any change in
the ! 1erritory Of Minnesota il, regard to
this officer, and may take place earlier, as