The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-12-06
department were s33 4i9 800 As, of which the

|
during the year were SS0l ,2O911 less thar
in the preceding year. This reduction is I,
he attributed manly 10 the operation of TIN
law passed on June L. 1873, changing thu
compensation of postmastcrs from commits
| sion ON the value of stamps sold 10 Il com
| mission on the value OF stamps cancelled. In,
! amount drawn from the treasury on apprO
! priatOnS in addition 10 the revenues of the
department, was $303l, i5i0G, being S2216,
! 1886 less than in the preceding year TIC
expenditures for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1881, are estimated at $50 500 900 and the
! receipts from all sources at S32 100000, leay
! ing deficiency to he appropriated for out OF
| the treasury Of S71lO9OO The relations OF
| the department with railroad companies have
been harmOnlZcd, notwithstanding the gen
cral reduction 10y congress OF their COmpcn
salon by the appropriation for general IA
clilIcs, and the railway pOsiolliCc lines have
been greatly extended, especially in the
southern states. The interests of the railway
mail scryicc would be greatly promoted and
the expenditures could be readily controlled
by the classification Of the employees of the
railway mail ryiCc, ~ recommended by the
postmaster general, the appropriations for
service with respect to which the maximum
limit Is already fixed by law to be made IN
gross. The postmaster general recommends
an amendment to the law regulating an in
crease of compensation for increased service
and increased speed on star routes, so rs TO
enable him to advertise for proposals for such
increased service and speed. lie also sug-
gests the advantages TO accrue to the com
mcrcc of the country from the enactment of
n general law authorizing contracts with
American built steamers carrying the Amcrl.
can flag for transporting the mail between
the United States and parts of the West In
dies and South America at n fixed maximum
price per mile, the amount TO be expended
being regulated by annual appropriations in
like manner with the amount for the domes-
tic star service. The arrangements made by
the postmaster general and the secretary OF
the treasury for the collection of duties upon
books received in the mail from foreign cOun-
tries has proved SO satisfactory in its praCtl-
cal operation that the recommendation is
now made that congress extend the pro
visions of the act Of March 3, 1879, under
which this arrangement was made so rs to
apply to all other dutiable articles received
IN the mails from foreign countries.
THE INDIANS.
The reports of the secretary of the interior
and Of the commissioner Of Indian affairs,
setting forth the present state of our rela-
tions with the Indian tribes on our territory,
the measures taken to advance their clvillza.
ton and prosperity, and the progress already
achieved by them, will Ice found of more
than ordinary interest The general conduct
of our Indian population has been so salts
factory that the occurrence Of two disturb
anCcs which resulted IN blOodshed and dis
truction Of property Is all the more to be la
mcned The history of the outbreak on
the White river Ute reservation IN western
Colorado has become so familiar by elabOr-
ate reports IN the public press that its re-
markablc incidents need not be stated here
III detail. Ii is expected that the settlement
of .his difficulty will lead to such arrange
mcnts rs will prevent further hostile contests
between the Indians and the border settle
mcnts in western Colorado. The other dis.
turbances occurred at the McsCalero agency
in New Mexico, where Victoria, the head Of
asmal band of marauders after committing
many atrocities, being vigorously chased by
n military force made his way across the
Mexican border and Is now on n foreign soil.
While these occurrences, in which Il com
paratiycly small number OF Indians were
engaged, are most deplorable, IA vast MAORI.
ty Of our Indian population have fully justi-
ned the cXpeCtiOns OF those who believe that
by humane and peaceful influences, the In.
dian can be led to abandon the habits Of saw
age life. and to develop u capacity for useful
and civilized occupations. What they have
already accomplished is shown IN the pur-
suit Of agriculture and mechanical work.
The remarkable success which has attended
the experiment of employing AS ireightcrs
class of Indians hitherto counted among the
widest and most intractable, and the gener-
al and urgent desire expressed by them for
tho education of their children may be taken
as sufficient proof that they will be found
capable of accomplishing much more lfthcy
continue to be wisely and fairly guided The
Indian policy sketched in the report of the
secretary Of the interior, the object Of which
Is To make liberal provision for the educa-
tion Of Indian youth, to settle the Indians
upon tarm.lots in scveralty, TO give them IL
tie IN fee in their farms inallenablc for a GER
tain number of years, and when their wants
are thus provided for to dispose by sale of
the lands on their reservation not occupied
and used by them, a fund to be formed out
of the proceeds for the Indians, which will
gradually relieve the government of the cx-
penses now provided for by annual apprOpri-
atoms, must commend itself " Just and ben.
eticial to the Indians, and as also calculated
to remove those distractions which the eX-
istcnCc OF large reservations presents to the
settlement and the development OF the COun-
try. | therefore earnestly recommend the
enactment of Il law enabling the government
to give Indians "A title in fee inalienablc for
twenty five years to the farm lands assigned
to them by allotment | also repeat the re.
commentator in my first annual message
that a law be passed admitting Indians who
can give satisfactory proof of having, by
their own labor, supported their families for
number of years, and who are willing to
detach themselves from their tribal relations,
to the benefit of the homestead act, and To
grant them patents containing the same
provision of inalicnabllity for "a certain pc
rod.
The experiment Of sending a number of
Indian children of both sexes to the Hamp-
ton Normal and Agricultural institute in Vir-
ginia, to receive elementary English educa-
ton and practical instruction in farming and
other useful industries has led To results SO
prOmisinr that II wag thOupht pynpiipnt IN