National Republican., 1883-12-01
THE INTERIOR pEPAnrMENr.
Secretary Teller submits Ills Annual RE-
port--A stntcsmNnIiIse Dooumcnt--In-
dian Anairs-Public Lands.

] second annual report to the President. Many
of the accommodations of his first report are
renewed in the present one together with
numerous fresh suggestions of great import
ancc. Extracts and condensations of some of
the leading points of the report are presented
below. Respecting the Indians, among other
things, tho report says;
| If tho Indian is TO become civilized being
| il must be by the aid of the governments in
telligently directed and one of the first stops
to be taken is to fS the Indian in a perma-
nent home. To this end the reservations
should be reduced In size Commensurate with
the wants of their occupants, and fee simple
title thereto given TO the tribe, to be held for
| the benefit of the members thereof, according
| to Indian polity, until such time as tho In
dans themselves shall choose to divide II.
| The surplus lands OF such reservations should
be bought by the government, and parceled
out to actual settlers only. The proceeds of
the lands so sold should be used, not in pro-
viding food only for tho Indian, but in tho
| purchase of stock, farming implements and
| in tho education of their youth When tho
! Indian is fixed in his homo and understands
that he has title to his land of which he can
not be deprived, one great source of his dis
content will be gone.
Laws should bo enacted for his protection,
not, however, at his dictation, but such as
enlightened philanthropy determine for his
benefit. He must not only have tho pro-
lection OF law, but he must be subject to its
provisions. The courts should be as free to
him for the protection of his person or prop
erty as to his white neighbors.
If he desires TO abandon his tribal relations
and become citizen OF the United States he
should bo allowed to do SO without the loss of
his interest in the tribal property. ...
Treaties impossible Of fulhllment, or con-
trary TO tho public interest, should be modi-
| Gpd a rpppnlnds mr. M chnttld ha
made, or statutes enacted according to agree
ments made with the Indian. If he Has more
land than he needs, he must surrender tho
excess, and 1t cannot be left to him TO deter
mine either tho amount he ought to retain or
the prico he ought to receive. He is incapa-
bic of determining such weighty questions; I;
they should be determined by the legislative
branch of tho government, or by some suit
able tribunal created for that purpose To
many of the reservations he has no title
whatever, and is but the occupant thereof by
executive favor. Such occupants ought not
to be left landless, neither should they be
allowed to hold large tracts not necessary for
their support, and of which they make but
little or no use.
Tho appropriations last year for the educa-
tion of Indians were far below the actual
wants of the service; yet am able to report
great improvement in the condition of In
dian schools, an increased attendance of
pupils, and an increased interest among tho
Indians both adults and youths. Ten new
day schools have been established during tho
fiscal year. The capacity of tho boarding
schools now established, including Carlisle
Hampton, and Forest Grove, is 5,025 and of
the day schools 1000. making the total 9,025
The capacity of boarding and day schools,
old and new, Is about 11,000.
The secretary again urges the necessity of
some provision for permanent fund, and
again recommends that the net proceeds of
the sale of public lands be set apart for that
purpose, if it is considered desirable to con-
tinue to dispose of the public land in any
other manner than under the provisions of
tho homestead law.
The report deals exhaustively with ques-
tions connected with the punishment of crime
among tho Indians, the necessity for an
ample contingent fund, the inadequate pay
of Indian agents, tenure of lands, cash annui-
ties, and irrigation. 1t gives q very full his
tory ofnegotiations with tho Sioux, and with
Chief Moses; also of the Apache campaign of
Gen. Crook. OF the captured hostiles the re-
port says: 1t does not appear to be the duty
of the department Of the interior to deter
mine whether these Offenders should be
punished or not. At this time they are
prisoners of war, in the hands of the war
department. If possible, they should be
removed from tho agency TO some point
where there will be less danger OF their es-
cape, and where their evil influences will not
be felt by the moro peaceably disposed of the
tribo.
In respect to the land Office and its opera-
tions, the report, after giving a condensation
of the matters embraced in the report of the
commissioners heretofore published, recon-
mends the repeal of the pre-emption and
timber culture laws, suggests remedies for
prevention of fraudulent entries, and in
reference to lapsed railroad land grants says
1t is difficult to make the people understand
that the executive departments of the gov
ernment cannot declare u grant forfeited
when the corporation for whose benefit ii
was made has failed to comply with the con.
ditions thereof. Petitions arc presented to
the executive demanding the forfeiture Of
grants for non. compliance with the conditions
thereof. Individual claimants declare them
selves outraged because the commissioner OF
the general land office refuses to allow fling
ON the odd sections of land within the un
forfeited railroad grants. The government
is derided as the government of the rich ant
opposed to the poor because the executive
department Of tho government does not dc
what the courts have repeatedly declared
could be dono only by the legislative brancl
of the government-that is, declare for
feiture of a grant.
Complaint is made that grants made more
than q quarter of a century ago are still
treated as valid, subssting grants, and the
settler forbidden to go thereon, although
nothing has been done toward the building
of the road which must be built before the
railway company can receive the evidence o
{ the title given to it by the government 81
many years before.
If the executive department of the gov
ernment disregard the law, and issues pat
ent to such settler, ho takes nothing by tn,
instrument, and is as much at the mercy o
the corporation as if he had not received tn,
government patent. Congress alono can re
lieve the settler by declaring the grants for
feited.
r If the grants are not forfeited when ther
has not been n full compliance with the con
, ditions of the grant, it seems to be just ant
proper that some provision should be mad
, by which the settlers who, through Ignorance
or because they believed such grants haC
been or would be forfeited, have made settle
ment on such railroad lands, can secure
, title, either through the railroad company o
, from the government.
. Statistics of the operations Of the paten
office are given, the receipts and expense
being as follows;
Receipts from all sources. .,......... 81 0Q5 Si
Expenditures mot including prln-
: lng)..... ..s.sss.'.'................. 7Oi,8l6 4
SuGplus.,'.'',.'s''''''s.' spvl,o5b
The work of the Office is largely in arrears
: growing out Of tho insufficient forco and rap
, idly increa sing business in the Office. As tn
fees exacted of inventors not only pay all til
expenses of the patent office, but furnish
surplus for the treasury, II does not appea
i TO bo unreasonable on the part of such in
: vcntors to demand that their work should
u promptly done by competent men. 1t is