New-York tribune., 1874-01-14
THE INDIAN RING.

E1 COMMISSIONER WELSH APpEAIs I'D r"E ''Ssf-
DEyr-sKRIoUs CHARGES AGAINST THE INDIAN
SERVICE.
Mr.. William Welsh of Philadelphia. lato
Chairman OF the Indian Commission has written let
ter TO the President the subject Of Indian affairs Mr.
Welsh quotes from the law which says that the Csm
msoners exercise JOINT control with the interiss
Department over the disbursements OF appropriations.
This law was drafted by Mr. Cox then Secretary OF the
Interior Mr.. Welsh adds:
Owing to influences from without and from within tho
department. the sources OF which were cafefuly co"
cealed from excellent Secretary OF the int"
rior instead Of giving the board the JOINT control ind
that OF q council Of advice. Having moro
thorough knowledge than some Of my colleagues ot ths
seated maady in the Indian Office and being unwlnS
responsibilities without any power OF oohro
I peremptOrily resigned my commission az the SANS
time pedging myself to you that would serve tho
private citizen with equal zeal ana witnous
cost OF any kind the Government. The pr0pfety 0
my course became manifest in 1871 when tho Indian
Office investigated by Congressional Commi'tee'
at this time 1t is, In my Judgment. st,i more ma
fest
According to Mr.. Welsh. powerful Indian Ring. com
posed OF men whose names he furnished TO The Pres
dent, formed. change took place IN the Secre-
| taryshp OF tho Interior Department, Mr. Deano sue
ceedng Mr. Cox The letter OF Mr. Welsh thus proceeds;
notified Mr. Delano. as friend, that he was sur
rounded by influences that were operating adversely 70
the interests the Government aud the indian. lie IN
sisted upon my preferrlng specific charges against hi.
officers instead Of looking into the office OF the second
Auditor and also into the Returns Office, hmseli Ho
could in the latter Office nave seen tha the law was
constantly violated by keeping contracts from pnDio
observation. although there Is penalty OF imprson.
if each contract speedily recorded IN that
Office where it 70 be kept open for public Inspection
Tue Secretary OF the Interior was, until recently al
yised him. kept IN ignorance OF contract made Dy
Agent smith, now the Commissioner OF igdlan Ailsrs:
on the Sth day OF November 1872 for the Illegal anu ss
believe, the otherwise wrongful sale Of immense bodies
OF pine timber without the knowledge Of some OF tho
Indians to whom 1t belongs and against the openly
expressed wishes OF other bands who own portion OF
scrip Agent smtn aud Judge Jones one OF the present.
| Examining Commissioners had previously reported
timber said TO be far less valuable than this 70 DO worth
g. 50 TO s. thousand and yet thus contract was nads
at 81 Is thousand, without advertising Or IN any otber
been previously sold By Agent smith Clark at 70
per thousand, and Clark testies that ne was Wiling 70
give that price for the whole but Agent smith said st
he could sell 1t. Agent Smith subsequently NOTIFIED
Clark that the contract he had entered INTO WITH hn
mined not sell their pine timber. Subsequently, this
timber with large bodies of timber belonging to other
Indians who had not been consulted, was sold 70 A. IT,
| Wilder at 81 10, as before referred 10.
Mr. Welsh expains that this contract ratified ~
Gen Walker. Commissioner Of ipd,aa Airs under .
mlsapprehep7ioa Of he Ia9ta After detailing taess he
says:
stand ready TO verify before competent tribunal
every charge tat MADE against Agent Smith or openly
To retract them. and also 10 add numerous chaSceA
against his conduct Commissioner of Indian Afiirs
| Without consulting the Board OF Indian Commission
without advertising. Commissioner Smith made
tenslve private with A H. Wilder and Others
S ana FOR bS Ss r sHase
Some Of the vouchers approved by Commissoner Smte
evidence Of fraud aud surely there great extrays
gance in the allowance Of s5 per tip to CerK IN ths
nctOn ana back. time he spent Sundays with hn
family also 50 day for %5..s expenses ors IN aaasya .Ss
tgatoss s fT that chancs to be before me at the
moment. and although trinlng in amount. yet thor
give Indications of the general management Of rho
office. do claim that tho Secretary of the Interior
accountable for all these Irregularities vouchers
often passed in spite o' his remonstraucos Thus
there had persistent attempt Tor long time TO
tost upon the department. quack nostrun OF doabtf
morality Commissioner Smith purchased IL to the eK-
tent Of 5000, and having directed tna, " should 10
charged to the appropriation for vaccine virus, wts
for this cause brought to the notice OF tue secretary OF
the Interior and by MN disallOwed as On former oc
ca,ions 1t however subsequently approved IN ths
Secretarys Office and charged 10 otner appfopratoas
This as,an Illustration OF my statement that tne
Secretary of the Interior should not be made rosponsi
for all the acts OF those under him WILL however.
to acts for which he is directly Responsible Whea
the Assistant Secretary Of the Interior Visited indian
agencies allowed IN addition 70 all bs expenses.
eight dollars day While receiving salary AZ govern
| The Board Of Indian Commissioners Will assemble IN
Washington about the middle Of this month, and from
them you can learn e Particulars OF their recent cio~
10 check irregular aud fraudulent practlces ana tneir
want OF ia these efforts since tho last public
letting of contracts for supplies the contractors have
conblned ald seem 10 possess Ereater ln1u
the Interior Department than the Board OF Ia.
dian Commissioners. Vouchers. learn ~ the oxtens
oil nearly naf million OF dollars rejected by tho
Board vi Indian Commissioners, uuder tno heef that
|
of these have been paid 10y OF the secretary OF tina
Interior beef contractor whose irlUdulcnt practices
whose bids were consequently rejected by tho
| Board Of Indian Commlssioners,' was allowed 70
Was invited to De present the opening OF the bids
supplies for the current year ana was priyy to tho
avoid the possibility OF the recurrence Of the wrongs
OF The previous year We were Sl surprised Al tne
reror. and ol Indian Commissioner Smith that large
4 ~, Tplp tD
his mercantile standing good, but they were left IN
~ the fact that hye mouths Dffoe mat tnc
/ been concluded by Mr.. Smith and approved by Cen
Coyen Acting Secretary the Interior. without having
been reported to secretary Deano. testnes Had
this fact been Known an satisfied that tho Board of
| MGEn Commissioners would not have approved tho
| contract with Wilder aud certainly they would not
have the objections urged against Agent smith
m t0e senate when his brought before IL foT
! confirm alton as Commissioner Of Indian Aflirs.
He says that the uniform courtesy with which he has
been treated the Interior Department makes this
statement painful duty but suggests u change in the
conduct Indian oce that he thinks eau be made
| adyanageously.
understand that in the Treasury Department the
tire AUTHORIZATION for Indian services IL incGded In
general indian account although Congress at much
Labor temLes It's appropriations. There Is, therefore,
No sufficient check upon tue Indan Oee, and upon ex
animation WILL no doubt, be found thst the directions
OF Congress not always regarded ThUs. the 1ooe
spent Tor qlaeA medicine was directed 10 Dc charged
account that should have covered vaccine virus
only The SUN OF $40 u allowed 10 the clerk boioro
referred fare At three iuos It's actual cost
lndorSed follows: Approved; charge appropriation
for Incidental expenses, ludan service ia DAKOTA Ed sih
T. smith, Commissioner" II the items Ia the appropria
ton hin are moi % be re garded the expenditure Is AZ
tho discretion OF Interior Department AMI IL VIII be
mIcn satisfactory hereafter to apprOpHsso
specific SUN.
The timber lands referred To IN the above extracts ara
A part OF the Leech Lake Indian reservation ia Mime
sofa. On Thursday OF last week senator Donneiy IN
troduceJ in the state Senate preamble and resolution
reciung the relation 70 the sale OF tue pine
lands and asking tho appointment OF aspscai eoiAh
,e o Ave WIN power 10 send persons an papers.