Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-01
CONGRESS-.
IN SENATE.
FRIpAY. FEBRUARY 81, 1851.


State and Postmaster General in relation taxation by the
Government Of New Grenada citizens Of the United States
when trstw the Ishmus Of Panama, and oil
respondence relating 70 mail service at said Isthmus which
was read, ordered lie the table, and be printed.
The PRESIDENT Of the Senate laid before the body
communication from the Secretary Of the Interior made in
compliance with resolution OF the Senate Of the 18th instant
transmitting report of the Commissioner Of Indian Affairs in
relation to the practice Of the Government In paying Indian
anDuities which was read.
Mr.. TURNEY. l move to lay the communication on the
table.
Mr. EWING. hope the report Of the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs will be read
The report then read as follows:
DErARTMEST THE INTERIOR,
OsFIcE OF IsDrAs Abrams.
Sra: The resolution Of the Senate in the words fol-
lowing: That the Secretary Of the Interior communicate
ment in paying the Indian sunues whether chiefs
per capita and upon what authority said practice founded
the INTERIOR the alluded divert the Indian annu
ties from the per capita had been the practice ~ having
been referred . 6 e this his 0 have the a91ss
&C. the general practice Of the Government paying Indian
annu,ies was pay the chiefs OF the tribe To thspracce
Since the passage act Of the general has
been and pay the annuites the heads Of families and
other individuals entitled to participate heen but to this
practice also there have been frequent exceptions Among
these exceptions the cases which Mr. Ewng while Sec
Ssl Ss9 ass. certain 0 the
The want of uniformity in the practice Of paying annuites
under the net Of s4 may be attributed to the fact that the
act itself submts the matter great the discre
ton OF the President and Secretary Of neither Of whom
has any time prescribed in writing general rule the
subject; Tsst re,Deeao,v YOUR obed;eDt servant
l.. LEA, Commissioner.
Hon. A. H. H. STUART
Secretary of the Interior.
Mr.. EWING Mr. President, am very glad that call
has been made and we received information which
that call contemplated and in connexion with the answer by
the Secretary of the Interior would observe, that any
who will look at the act Of ls47 will that not repeal
of any of the provisions of the of 1884, does vary
that except that gives the President and the Secretary
of War; and afterwards the Secretary Of the INTERIOR instead
Of the Secretary Of War; discretion change the payments
Of annues heretofore made to Indian chiefs TO payments
capita whenever they should fit to make order to that
effect That the whole operation Of the act Of s47 The
President far advised made order under
it. So the discretion has rested and still rests with the
Secretary
The letter Of the Secretary Of the Interior in reply to the
resolutions of the Senator from Tennessee, will trust,
tisy the Senate Of the value Of the hearsa
habtuay reaed by the Senator here and most unfnchngy
persevered in
But the other day, the Senator avowed and vouched the
Second Auditor his authority that while Secretary Of the
INTERIOR had taken the funds Of the Indians which, By rea
agents and creditors and when produced the letter Of the
Second Auditor declaring that he did not remember to have
stated and pointing out the cases TO which be referred
what he did in fact state and when proved by the law
and the treaty. and copy of the order made by that the
accusation FALSE the Senator fit to rearm the
spot in the face the proof and to couch his reamaon in
terms sufficiently unmeasued and offensive was all that was
left for the Senator man utterly conounded by facts and
argument can do nothing but rail- But he has takena
tac and framed this resolution Of inquiry in the hope
that the would disclose something which might
substitute for the thing affirmed by him, and dispoved
by mesomethng about per capita payments-which would
do for him and his norme to slide of upon Again he has
failed, and must give it up or mend his hold.
have endeavored, mere matter of curiosity, to disco
the of the persistence of the Senator in what he
well know to be fragrant wrong and am satisfied
that springs Of connects itself with, invesga
tion which off the House of Representatives in the
past year. and kind of extension prolongaton of it.
conducted by the individuals but by kind Of
residuary legatee Of the defunct committee.
wish, Mr.. President to avail myself Of the occasion
furnished by the Senator from Tennessee to call the at
tenton OF the public to this matter, not only the branch OF
ia the process Of enactment in the Senate but also to the in
vesigaon by the late committee Of the House and wish
to make personal explanations respecting it. which my
situation heretofore has enabled me to make.
The resolutions authorizing that investigation voted
by the House the formal accusation of member from
Illinois, (Mr RcHARDsos) who professed to have certain
and specific information, from reliable sources OF divers
wrongs perpetrsed by Secretary Of the nterio
which he founded his demand for the inquiry He a
pointed chairman of the committee thus filling the two high
y responsible situations (by usts thought TO be not
quite c0mpadbIe) Of aoeaser and Judge ne saeceeded M
in getting an accusaory report from majority OF the COM
mittee, on two only of his five resolutions
One Of these two the allowance Of Communication and
interest in lieu Of hapay to the officers Of the navy OF Virgil
MIA, who served n the revolutionary With this case
had nothing do excep: refer ii to the Attorney General
for his opinion, and direct subornates to be governed
BY that opinion when obtained and also to correct an error
in the computation of interest," commi ted by the Comms
sioner of Pensions which discovered condemned and
corrected by long before the committee Of investigation
raised, but which nevertheless, made by them The
subject Of charge in the form of resolution against
The second was what is called the Chickasaw II
of much DETAIL and its merits whatever they were
had to be drawn from huge volume Of papers, which had
no time to examine consider. therefore referred it,
touched, to the Attorney General When, after months
he returned to with his opinion person representing
himself agent of the Chickasaws of he object
ed that there evidence arguments which had
not been before that officer when he decided it Iheeupon
reopened the case remanded the Attorney General and
requested him reexamine this he did, and on his
trying to me his final opinion directed my subordinate Off
GERS to carry into effect This my whole agency in
the and these the only in which
majority OF the committee able TO themselves up
TO report against me. They in fact in which
merely nxed my formal official signature. The truth is the
committee knew nothing of the subjects which they under
took 70 investigate 1t was experiment, exploring
petition they were around every side, like the prophet
OF indian around the tents Of Israeli trying to ind spot
from which they might curse but, unlike that prophet
Though they failed TO find such spot they nevertheless
uttered the curse,
But the report Of the majority, after they had made il, i'm
pugnng for the abovensmed opinions of the A,or
ney General and for the bunder Of the Commissioners Of PEN
sons, which had long before corrected voted down by
their political friends in the House. The absudiy and
injustice gross for party drill to sustain and
the chairman of the committee placed in the unenvable
position Of q false and unjust judge
As Of justice the Speaker Of the House, will say
he clearly tighf in pscinp that a