The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-10-27
indian Commissioner Pierce's 10
port.

| IOWl08 IS b uOp W 11"--
oort Of Indian Commissioner flerce.
A decided advance has been maze Ill
| the march of Improvement among
| the Indian tribes, particularly IN tne
matter of industrial school educa-
ton. Some tribes have been permit.
ted to send their children to school
that heretofore resisted all efforts 10
induce them to do 40. One question
NAV now be considered settled be-
v0nd controversy, and that Is the
indians must he taught to york TOR
! their own support and to speak the
| English language or give place TO
peol.le that do. Among other things
! needed to secure success n EN-
Cheney in solving the Indian problem
are. first, an appropriation to survey
ont the boundaries Of the Indian res
eryations, so both Indians and white
men may know where they have
rights and where they have zone.
Second, A law for the punishment OF
persons who furnish arms and am
munition to the Indians. No such
| law now exists. Third, More liberal
appropriations for Indian police.
Fourth, An appropriation sufficient
to d4fray the expenses of detecting
and prosecuting persons who fur
. nish intoxicating liquors to Indians.
No ardent spirits should be intro
| duced into the Indian country under
| any pretense whatever, nor their
| sale permitted within twenty miles
| of an Indian reservation. The prac-
tice of approving contracts 10 collect
from the government money due In
dams is one that ought not 70 exist.
1t is the duty of the government to
see that the wards of the nation re-
ceive what is justly due them, free OF
cost, and equally the duty OF the gov
eminent to see that no unjust claim
is paid. Congress should confer both
civil and criminal jurisdiction on the
several states and territories. over all
Indian reservations within their re-
spective limits, and make the person
and property of Indians amenable to
the laws of the state or territory In
which he may reside, except IN cases
where such property is expressly ex-
cepted by treaty or act of Congress,
and give him all the rights in the
courts enjoyed by other persons.
Allotments in severalty to the num-
Der of Jag, have been made to In
dams during the year with
the best results, and the COM
missioner will adhere to the
policy OF allotting lands where
The same can he legally done and the
condition of the Indians is such as to
warrant it. The attention of Con-
gress is again invited to the necessity
of legislation which will enable the
Indians to make entries under the
homestead law without cost to them.
1t is necessary that lands within GER
tain eservatiOns be subdivided, and
1t is important in some cases thai
this be done at once; yet there is not !
a dollar available for this special pur-
pose. An amendment to the law in
reference to intruders so as to punish
by Imprisonment as well as by tine is
absolutely necessary. The Commits |
sioner gives a detailed account of the
progress of operations, and asks that
the special attention of Congress be
called to these aggressive movements
on the Indian Territory. As illus
trative of the urgent necessity for
speedy and effective legislation in re-
gard to ~trespassers, recommendations
for legislation for the protection o
timber on Indian lands are
renewed During the year there
was paid to the Indians in cash and
annuities and otherwise $780, OO.
Less than $780, 900 OF this amount
was tor the payment of annalties
proper. The increase in accOmmOda-
ion for Indian pupils, which the ap-
preparation for the last fiscal year
made possible, has been followed by
a corresponding increase in attend
ance of pupils. Exclusive of the five
civilized tribes the number enrolled
at the boarding schools during tine
year just closed is SAB, an increase
of 65l over last year. The attendance
on day schools has been 5,Ol4, an in
crease of 748 over the preceding year.
OF the SAB boarding pupils 1896 at
tended schools or the reservations or
in the immediate vicinity. Boarding
and day schools on the reservations
have made a creditable record.
Eight new boarding schools have
been opened, making the whole
number now in operation, exclusive
of training schools, seventy-seven.
An interesting event in the year has
been the educational lnroad made in
the Ute tribe. The wild southern
Ute allowed twenty-seven youths to
be taken to the Albuquerque
boarding school, although not one of
the tribe had ever before
attended any school of any
description. The organizing system
Of day schools is meeting with favor
among experienced agents who have
large agencies and desire to place all
their Indians as speedily a. possible
under strict educational influence
The good results attendant upon the
maintenance of training schools at
Carlisle, Hampton and Forest
Grove are very manifest, and Con-
gress is urged to'increase the appro-
priations for these schools. The best
hope tor the Indians lies in bringing
them into the closest possible rela-
tions with the various religious So
whose sole business consists
in working for the elevation of hui
manity, and who, from long expe-
rience, are presumably the best in
formed as to the methods and men
and means to be employed in such