The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-13
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY. DECEMBER l3 1861.

ment respecting the commission appointed
to " run and mark the boundary lines be-
tween the territories of the United States
and the State of California" Fifty.fve
thousand dollars was appropriated for the
work s0y Congress, and 1915 OF the
amounSplaced at the disposal of Sylvester
Mowry, the Commissioner for the United
States. The Secretary finds, however, that
the whole of the latter sum and twenty
thousand dollars more had been expended,
and the work only just begun. The running
of boundary lines between the United
States territories and Texas has been COM
pleted.
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Indian affairs are in very unsatisfactory
state. The Cherokees, Chickasaws, and
Choctaws have suspended all intercourse
with the agents of the Federal Government,
the Southern agents. who were in Office on
the 4th of March having employed their
influence in melting those tribes to revolt.
The Department has no official advices con-
firmatory of the newspaper reports that a
portion of the natives have been organized
as military force. The withdrawal of the
Federal troops and the employment of
threats by the rebel agents, coupled with
promises that the Confederate government
would assume the responsibility of their
| annuities, have been the chief means of
inducing their revolt. The payment of an
| nuities to these tribes has been suspended !;
but the Secretary recommends that Con-
gress shall make the usual appropriations,
so as to provide the ful6llment of the treaty
stipulations if it should afterwards be found
expedient to pay the annuities. The tribes
on the Pacific slope have shown symptoms
of turbulence. The withdrawal of troops
from New Mexico has given license for the
committal of depredations by some of the
tribes in that territory. The tribes in
Kansas and Nebraska are loyal and pro-
crossing in civilization. The licenses to
trade with the Indians have been so shame
lessly abused by cheating the natives and
selling them goods at a profit of three to
| four hundred per cent, that the Secretary
recommends that all such licenses be re-
| voked, and the Indians supplied with goods
and implements only through the agents Of
|; the e-pepartment.
THE PATENT OFFICE.
No Department shows more severely
| the effects OF the war on our industries than
the Patent Office. Instead of being a
source OF revenue, the expenditures of the
Department from Nov. l to Sept. 80, 1861,
exceeded its receipts by $02,785. THIS has
necessitated the discharge OF thirty clerks,
ard the reduction of the salaries of those
retained. The report complains that the
clerks OF the United States district Courts
fail to forward copies of works copyrighted
at their offices, the object OF collecting in
one library copies of all the copyright lite-
! rary productions of the country being there
by defeated. To remedy this 1t is proposed
that the sole power OF granting copyrights
be delegated to the Commissioners OF Pa
| tents.
! PENSION OFFICES.
The number OF pensions during the year
has been diminished SIS, and the payments
$43 246 On the Both of June there were
| lO,709 pensioners on the roll, requiring an
aggregate payment of $957 ,772. The PEN
sion laws have been construed as authoriz-
ing the payment of pensions to invalids
and the widows and children OF soldiers who
have been wounded or killed during the ex
isting insurrectiOn. Pensioners iD the rebel
States, who have taken up arms against
the Government, are deprived of the pay
ment of their pensions
EIGHTH CENSUS.
The Report promises that digest of the
long expected census shall shortly appear.
The result, it is said, will prove the last
decade to nave been period OF the most
substantial progress realized in the history
OF the country. 1t is strongly urged 10
Congress that, to supply public want
generally felt, bureau Of statistics and
agriculture shall be added to the Depart
ment of the Interior, which has the recon-
mendation of not adding to the expenditure
of the Office.
AMERICAN SLAVE TRADE.
By an order of last May, the execution
of the law for the suppression of the slave
trade was cOnfded to this Department.
The Secretary convened the Marshals of
all the loyal Atlantic States at New Y York
and explained to them all the devices of
the traffic. The result of this energy has
been the capture and condemnation of five
vessels. One person has been convicted as
the captain of a SLAYER, and sentenced to
death-the first instance of capital con.
viction Gu record; and another has been
found guilty for fitting out SLAYER at Bos-
ton. Within a little more than year,
1900 Africans, recaptured by our cruisers,
have been taken into the Republic OF Llbe
ria, through the agency of the American
Colonization Society.
| EMvsCrIr ANroIrc
The report on the Judiciary complains
OF great inconvenience from the want of a
suitable court house, owned by the Gov
ernment, in the city OF New York, and re-
commends that Burton's Theatre be bought
for that purpose at the price OF $250yOOO.
| An extension of the Capitol grounds,
| the erectian of a new Jail in the city OF