The Portland daily press., 1868-11-24
Public Documents.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU,


Gen. Howard has lust issued an order in
compliance with the law OF July 18th, providing
for the discontinuance of the Freedmens Bu-
reau on the 31st day of December next. Inc
department of education and that OF the pay
ment of the bounties alone will be continued.
For CARVING ont this work Gen. Howard re-
tains from the most competent of the officers
and civilians now in the service of the Bureau
an assistant commissioner in each of the
Southern States to act as superintendent of
schools, besides disbursing officer, agents for
the payment of bounties, clerks and assistant
superintendents OF schools. All other officers
and agents are to be discharged ON the 31st
and all property of the Bureau not needed for
the use of the officers retained will be sold.
REPORT OF THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS.
The commissioners will adhere to the recon-
mendation made in their last report, and until
its provisions can be carried into effect, they
recommend as temporary measures the iced
ing of all indians who will abandon hunting
grounds and the buffalo, and settle upon des-
lgnated reservations, and to carry out In good
faith the treaties already made looking to set
tement upon the reservations, whether ratti-
ed as yet or hot; to abandon the policy of treat
ing with them as independent nations, and as
soon as possible to throw around them all the
safeg yards OF citizens, and to do ali in the pow
er of the government, to induce them to adopt
pastoral pursuits, which large majority of the
Indians now desire; to use the power of govern
ment to induce those now at war to go upon
reservations. For greater promptness and eff
cheney in executing these measures, the COM
missoners will earnestly recommend that the
Bureau of Indian Affairs be transferred to the
War Department, presenting as one of the
main reasons that, if all the Indian agents
are subject to military discipline they can be
more readily reached and punished if they
commit frauds or neglect their duty, while at
the same time the probability of fraud being
perpetrated will be greatly decreased. The
commission will also recommend that a reser-
walton be set apart for the mountain Indians,
about $50 miles square, the centre of this ter
ritory being the intersection of the two lines
which separate the territories OF Colorado,
New Mexico and Arizona from each other
The commissioners are of the opinion that with
this reservation and the two already set apart
in Dacotah and the Indian Territory, but two
more will be needed to give ample room for all
| the indians it will be necessary thus to concen-
trate. The two remaining reservations will be
on the Pacific slope, one probably in Southern
California or the territory adjacent, and one in
the northern part of Washington Territory. 1t
is estimated that each reservation will finally
contain about $4,000 Indians. This policy of
concentrating the Indians is the same as that
advocated by Washington and the early Presi-
dents and partially carried out in the case of
the Choctaws, Cherokees, Creeks and Semi
noles during the administrations of jackson
aud Van Blu EN-. General Sherman now rec
ommends it as division commander and as
member of the peace commission, joins with
the other members in the same Recommended
ton as the only just and honorable way to Sc
cure the adjustment of our Indian troubles
AGRICULTURAL REPORT
Commissioner Capron's Report contains be-
sides the reports proper OF the commissioner
and his heads OF bureaus, about twenty i've
papers on d ffefent subjects prepared by writ
ers living in various s. ctions OF the country
There are three on steam culture, in which
General Capron takes much interest, which
will prove OF value to general readers as well
as to agricultursts. One is the history of
sideration of the mechanical principles involv-
ed. Another gives the practical results of
steam culture in Europe as shown by hum
dreds of experiments, and third relates to
the Introduction and working of steam ploughs
in the United States. Another important ar
tlce is upon ramie or China grass, giving a
history of experimental tests in the British
colonies, resulting from their jealousy of this
country, and an account of the efforts made by
the agricultural department in the same di-
rection. There are also valuable and intere St
ing articles upon the goat-antelope of the
Rocky Mountains, of which little is generally
known, and upon the manufacture of goat
fleece for commercial purposes. George Hus
Manu. OF Missouri, has long paper on wine
and wine-making, and Edward A. Samuels, of
Boston, one on the value of birds on farms
Mrs. Ellen s. Upper, of Iowa, an enthusiastic
worker with honey bees, has an article on bee
keeping in winter, and f. r. Elliott, of Cleve-
land, one on popular varieties of hardy fruits.
One of the department officers has very
readable article on industrial colleges, agricul-
tural societies, magazines and papers, and
there are half dozen essays on southern agri-
culture, rice culture, southern fruits, tobacco
culture orange and citron culture, and similar
topics not heretofore common in the reports.
There are other articles, on irrigation, by cit
York, farmers clubs from Wisconsin, cross
breeding and degeneration of plants, model
farm buildings Pennsvlyaria hIltter etc etc