The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-01-11

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Washington, D. G., Mar. Is, '66.
| SIR:-In order to enable Mr. Whit
ing, while at Ft. Gibson, to pay tho
pensions which, upon the investiga-
tion he is required to make there, may
be found to be due, have to request
that you will inscribe the names of
| the following named claimants upon
the pension rolls, the rates and CON-
menoement of the pensions allowed
will be hereafter supplied. The
names of those claimants thus in
scribed upon the rolls, who may be
found not to be legally entitled to
pensions will be stricken from the
rolls on the receipt Of his report after
his return, viz:
Here follow the names.)
| Asit Is desirable that Mr.. Whiting
should proceed to TT. Gibson and
enter upon the duties with which he
is charged, at asearly day as practic-
able, should be glad if you would
have this order carried into effect
Immediately.
am respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
GSigned1 JAMES F. HARLAN.
TO Commissioners of Pensions.
His letter Of appointment and in
structions contained these pertinent
passages, indicating the character
Of the enrolment, and the careful
scrutiny he was expected to observe
in the discharge of his duty, viz:
"The Commissioners of Pensions
/ will place in your possession all tho
claims of the Indians referred to,
which have been filed in his Office,
and will furnish you with what
ever other documents or information
you may require in relation to them.
With them you will proceed to Fort
Gibson and see personally rs many OF
the claimants as practicable, and take
such testimony as may be necessary to
enable you to determine the merits Of
ftheir respectius CLAIMS. Should You
neod an fnterpressr you are author
izod to employ one and to DAY him
such per diem compensation f0r the
time actually and necessarily en-
ployed, as you may deem fair and
reasonable.
| 1t is not deemed necessary, nor,
will you be required to reduce all
the evidence which may be presented
to legal form, but only that the mate
rial portions of it shall be stated BY you
in ,oriting in reference to each Case"
| "You will report the names Of such
Indians as were not, in your judg
ment entitled to pensions, i'm order
that they may 30 there..fts- ss~;es.s.>;
from the rolls.' "a
Should any one ignorant of the
subject enquire why it was deemed
necessary to enroll the names at all
before the final proof was taken, L
answer to preserve record of the
names Of the applicants in the prop
er office, as all the papers filed in
each case were sent out by the PEN
sion Agent for use in his re exanin-
alton.
And in order To protect honest
claimants who might not be able to
authenticate their proof according to
the technical requirements of the
pension Office, such as proof of iden-
tity, marriage, and legitimacy, ho
was directed to admit such evidence
as was deemed reliable unde- the
rules of the Indian Bureau.
l accordingly designated for this
service the Hon. Geo. G. Whit
ing, (now dead who had served
several years as Commissioner of
Pensions, and who was at tho time
Principal Appeal Pension Clerk in
the Secretary's office,-a man as fa-
miliar with the pension laws, rules
Of evidence, and sufficiency OF proofs
as the Commissioner of Pensions
himself-and in whose fidelity and
honesty l had the fullest confidence
"a man who had been trusted by
every Secretary OF the Interior De-
partment that had preceded me, from
the organization of the Department,
and those that followed me up to the
day of his death. Mr.. Whiting filed
the requisite bond as a pension
agent with his letter of appointment,
drew $4,000 pension money, as o
pension agent, which was charged
to him on the books of the Treasury
Department, and left for the Indian
country some time in April or May,
| A. d. 1866.
i And here my connection With this
business ended. Before Mr.. Whiting
made his report, I retired from the De-
partment. My resignation took effect
September LIST, A. d. 1866. HIS re-
port as l find 1t on file in the Treas
ury department, is dated Jan. 18th,
!, A. D. 1867, several months after my
successor, Nj. Browning, became
Secretary of the Interior. With his
settlement could not possibly haze
had any thing to do. IF he did not
do his duty honestly, which I do
no. believe, with what fairness could
, the retired head of the Department
be held responsible for his dclinquen.
cies, more than for any other bonded
officer of the Government appointed
5 by him before his resignation?
But it is alleged that Wright, the
7 attorney for those Indians, is sus
! pected of frauds, OF the grossest char
acter, such as forging power OF attor
Q ney and signatures. TO other papers
: II so, then I Was clearly justifabl,
t in not relying on the evidence file.
t by him, and ordering re-examina
tion of each case by an officer of th'
T Department.
0 Bat lest it might be supposed tha
y frauds committed after | retired from
T the Department might relate back t.
!. my acts on account of my successo
Z not being apprised of the prelimina
It ry steps taken by me in the promises
u it may be proper to observe tha
my orders and instructions were al
ir of record in tho Department, an,
20 Mr.. Writings letter of appointmeu
10 contained the following clause, viz
n "In view Of the peculiar circum
P stances Of the case, your accounts a
W Pension Agent will be submitted 4
y this Department for examination an,
% approval before being transmitte
Of TO the accounting officers of tn
ie Treasury for adjustment"
y This letter Of appointment. witt
- this instruction, must have been file,
"a in TIM Traasurx nopa ~ M ant hnf..r