Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-03
Villas REPORT.
The Sterstary sf the IntsE!sr Trans.
mits His Annual Stssemfnt Of
tEs CsDdliien OF 4 fairs.
Protection OF the Govern msnt-Rs-
cinmRtion OF Public Lands.

4 WASHINGTON, Dec. . The annual re-
port Of the secretary Of the interior was
given out to-day. Secretary Villas rec.
ommsnds that authority be given the
secretary to prescribe and define by writ-
ten regulations the particular duties OF
the assistant secretaries, and to author-
lie each to do, and validate BY his signs.
ture as such assistant, such acts in per-
formRr &c Of the duties Incumbent on the
secretary IS he may so deputs them to
perform.
Patents were issued during the past
year to the number Ct 1880 for sgricul.
tursl lands, covering an area estimated
10 exceed SOC, coo acree, an increase OF
f22,622 patents over the number issued
during the preceding yesr, with 3 greater
acreage By more than 5000, 0oO.
The commissioner Of the general land
ofti;e presents in his report statement
OF the quantities OF land which have
besn restored 10 the public doma since
the incoming Of your administration, by
retaining them under forfeiture of rail-
road grants by acts Of congress, by revo,
cation Of executive Withdrawals for the
benz fits Of railroads or for private land
claims, by The discovery Of frauds and IL
LOCALITIES in entries by private parties
under the various laws for the DISPOSE
tion ofpuplic lands, whereby such entries
nave been caCceled, as well as by cancel
lation for other causes, and by the jac.
ton OF selections by states for internal
improvements and Hamp lands invslidly
made, which he states 10 be correct ex
hioit OF this work; q recapitulAtion oil
which gives the result that there were in
all SO, Los. $50 acres actually restored to
the public d)msin and opened to entry
and settlement. Steps have been taken
or recommended for the recovery Of Co.
020, 53S acres more. The secretary takes
occasion at this point to extol the sbili-
ives OF his predecessor in cfflce undo.
whose direction the most OF The work
WAS done.
Regarding the administration of affairs
connected with the Indians IN Ter pro
lection OF the government the secretary
says:
| The general condition Of our Indian
people and the effxirs Of the government
directed to their care and Improvement
has during the past year continued sat-
isfactory. No disturbances and no
serious troubles OF any kind have any.
where occurred The conduct OF the
Indians has been almost universally quiet
! and orderly, and their disposition per-
hsps more than usually peaceable and
tractable. There seems to be no reason
to question, that although progress Is not
rapid, etill the transformation CT the
Indian character and habits is steadily
progressing. and that with continuing
benz fcence in the treatment OF them By
tbs government it need not fall to the lot
Of this peoIls to irfcs upon them the
GROWING act Of II justice by their annihi-
lation, cut they may yet be moulded into
civilized form, embraced within the fold S
OF society, and elevated by enlightenment
TO condition Of development and happi.
ness which shall to some degree atone In
Indians ct the future for the II justict
which has been suffered by the Indians OF
the past In their contact with the white
men.
The measure Of progress attained nee.
esssrily corresponds to the Intelligence,
energy and steadias. uniformity with
which their treatment and the work OF
their alienation are prosecuted. Thus il
happens that we have now in some parts
OF the country Indian people who are
self-supporting, who have established TO
8 denomination the possibility of the
race for the reception Of sll the bsnef.
cisl Influences and requirements of civil
izsd life; while on the other hand there
yet remain some who are troglodytes in
barbarism.
Els, however, very apparent that great
progress has been made in recent
years in the deliversnce OF these
people from the ideas and habits Of the
past. The relaxation In the grasp OF
osroarcus customs, the improvement of
morals and manners, the perception OF
the value OF independent life and Of the
ways OF self-suppott, mark their present
aspect in q much greater degree than
formerly. They manifest less pre- JUDGE
against the acceptance of the habits of
civilized life, and more readily and will.
iugly adapt Themselves to the measures
designed for their imprc vement.
the policy OF the sovernuent,for some
time past consistently pursued by the
course OF legislation and administration,
has wholly broken up the tribal system
OF government among several tribes and
bands, and with others has weakened 1t
to stage OF disinIegrstion. The OBJ.
structive Influence of chiefs and head
men to civilized methods has been large
~ dim nished by no longer making sgree-
ments or conventions with them slone,
bus after soliciting the views OF all adult
males, BY determining according to the
voice Of msiority or greater number;
by no longer issuing rs.Ions to
the chiefs ard heads Of bands
for dis ribu.ion by them, but, instead, to
heads of families, and, where expedient
to so limit 1t, to the able bodied adult
males for services performed; and by
permitting individuals to leave their reser-
vations and take homesteads upon the
public domain without pre- juoice to their
rights in tribal annuities, funds, lands or
property. By these means, individuality
in Indian manhood has been encouraged
and fosterec, and resliz stion OF person.
al responsibility extended. TIE punish
ment OF lesser misdemesnors among
them by the 'courts OF Indian otfsnses, ;"
organized and conducted In imitation OF
civilized methods, appears to have pro-
duced good suits.
The extension Of the jurisdiction OF the
courts which sit within the territories
that embrace their reservations to the
trial OF the higher crimes OF murder, man.
slaughter, assault with intent to Kill rape,
arson, burglary and larceny, twhe Their
upon India or other persons, has con-
| trim; ed tn The "a nr arh IN ruhi actipo to