There was considerable discussion about the price of the land on the new reservation, as to how much the Osages were to pay for it. We fully explained to them the instructions of the Government, that they were not to pay more than 50 cents per acre, in case they could not agree with the Cherokees, and they referred it to the President. Colonel Vaun, agent for the Cherokees, was early on the ground, looking after the interest of his people, and was zealous in endeavoring to get $1 25 per acre for this land from the Osages. So earnestly did he press this that the Osages seemed at one time to be fully persuaded that they must pay that price for the new land, and it hindered our progress considerably. We succeeded, however, in satisfying the Osages that the President would not make them pay more than 50 cents an acre, and as the whole of the land west of 96 degrees was encumbered with the proviso that the Government could at any time settle friendly Indians upon it, and had the final appeal as to the price of it, the Cherokees could not complain if this land, which was only theirs under these restricted conditions, was sold at less price than that of the Osages, which was unencumbered, except illegally by squatters. THE ACT OF CONGRESS ACCEPTED. All of the above obstacles having thus received attention, the Indians began to come in, and we held repeated conferences with their chiefs. All these things being made satisfactory to them, on the 11th of August they assembled in full council, in the woods on the banks of Drum Creek. All the tribes and bands of the Great and Little Osages, nearly twentyeight hundred, excepting Watanka of Young Claymore's band, were represented by their chiefs or headmen; and after having the act of Congress again carefully read and interpreted to them, they formally, through their governor, Joseph Pra-ne-pro-pah-she, consented to the act of Congress, agreeing to sell their lands at $1 25 per acre, and to remove into the Indian Territory, on lands selected for them immediately on the line west of 96°, at 50 cents, or less, per acre. They gave the number of their tribe as three thousand five hundred, and asked that land be secured in the new territory for that number of souls. Before signing the act the chiefs retired for private consultation, and returning after an interval presented the commissioners the following petition, which they wished to have presented to the President. (See Appendix 20.) For a report of this meeting, speeches, &c., see Appendix 15. Hearing that Watanka, the head councillor of Little Claymore band, would certainly be in on Monday, 12th August, although the act of Congress had been legally accepted and signed by the officials of the nation, and Messrs. Farwell and Lang had been compelled by other duties to leave, the secretary remained to meet Watanka. This chief, also, after having fully asserted his dignity and right to be consulted, signed the act. Immediately on the arrival of the secretary of the board at St. Louis, on the 14th instant, he telegraphed, to the Secretary of the Interior notice that the Osages had consented to the bill. (See Appendix 34.) Two of our committee, John V. Farwell and John D. Lang, having separated and gone on other missions to the Indian country, as above referred to, before the secretary had obtained the signatures of Watanka and the other chiefs of Black Dog's band, the official report could not receive their signatures until their return. As the act of Congress was specially definite in all its provisions, and as the Osages had accepted it without modification or change, and the secretary had promptly telegraphed the Department officially to this effect, the delay has not materially hindered the business. One good resulting from it is, that we are enabled to lay before the board copies of letters, received from the agent of the Osages, Isaac T. Gibson, (see Appendices 18 and 19,) detailing certain gross violations of the promises made by the committee of citizens appointed to see that the half-breeds were protected in their rights of property. The outrages therein detailed are so wicked and unjust that it is to be hoped some remedy may be found to correct them before the President formally issues his proclamation declaring the act of Congress to have become a law. We have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, JOHN V. FARWELL, Report of the sub-committee on purchases of the board of Indian commissioners. Hon. FELIX R, BRUNOT, Chairman Board of Indian Commissioners: The committee intrusted with the duty of cöoperating with the Government in the purchase of goods and supplies for the Indian Department, respectfully report that since the date of their last report, which was on the 16th of November, 1869, they have been twice called upon by General Parker, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, to aid in the purchase of goods. On the 27th day of July, 1870, and while the board was in session in New York, we met the Commissioner by appointment to consult in regard to the purchase of the annual supply of annuity goods, which he was anxious to have sent forward to the several tribes as soon as possible. Your committee, after very careful consideration and examination, decided to abandon the former mode of advertising for proposals, which, in their opinion, had enabled contractors to obtain undue advantage and at great cost to the Government, with corresponding injustice to the Indians. It was decided, therefore, to adopt a form of advertisement in accordance with the well-established and sound commercial principles by which only fair and honorable bidders could obtain a contract. According to the previous uniform practice of the Indian Bureau, proposals had been advertised for under classes, and the award of the Government was made on the basis of the total amount of the proposals for the class, and not with reference to the value of any one article of the class. The goods were required to correspond with a given sample exhibited in Washington, which was itself often old and one particular brand, besides being exhibited at a distance from the great marts. These facts, as might be expected, deterred many possible bidders from making offers. To make this long established practice of the Department perfectly clear, let us suppose, for illustration, that a quantity and variety of blankets, as well as other goods, are to be purchased, and the blankets are advertised and the contract bid for, as follows, by two bidders : The bid is awarded to Mr. A, whose aggregate is just $150 lower than Mr. B's, who has made out his bid at the lowest market price. This may be supposed to be an advantageous offer, but let it be borne in mind that the following was one of the conditions of the contract: "It is to be understood that the right will be reserved to call for a greater or less quantity of any articles named than that specified in the above at the prices proposed; and all bids for furnishing said articles may be rejected at the option of the Department." The bids, as above exhibited, were awarded to the lowest aggregate bidder for the class, and not to the lowest bidder for each separate article, and accordingly a contract is entered into with Mr. A; and Mr. B and his bid are no more heard of. When the time comes for the goods to be called for shipment, let us suppose that the Government finds that they will require the contractor to furnish: 200 pair 2-point scarlet blankets, at $3.00. 4,000 pair 24-point scarlet blankets, at $7.25. 5,000 pair 3-point scarlet blankets, at $8.25. 200 pair 24-point blue blankets, at $3.00. 200 pair 3-point blue blankets, at $5.00.. Cost to the Government.. $600 29,000 41, 250 600 1,000 72, 450 If the bids had been awarded according to the lowest bid for each quantity, the cost would only be $59,700; or if the award had been to Mr. B., who is supposed to have offered each article at the lowest market value at the time of the proposal, the cost of goods would have been $60,600, which would have been a saving of $11,850 to the Government. In accordance with the plan adopted by the committee in July last, we advertised for the quantity of goods required, describing the quality, and asking bids for each article separately, to be accompanied by samples of the goods proposed to be furnished, and all to be sent to the large warehouse on Canal street, New York, which your committee had previously secured for the special examination, of the goods. We were careful to see that many of the leading dealers and manufacturers of the goods required had their attention called to the advertisement, and although only 7 days elapsed from its publication till the opening of the bids, there were bids received from no less than forty-six persons, of which seven were informal, and two came a few minutes past 12. From the offers made by fourteen of the remaining thirty-seven bidders, and from the samples furnished by them, your committee made a most satisfactory selection, retaining the samples until the delivery of the goods. In this we were aided by two competent experts, who were recognized as the Government inspectors. Under these bids, which were opened by the Indian Commissioner at noon on the 4th of August, 1870, in the presence of your committee and a large number of the bidders, over $350,000 worth of goods were secured at the very lowest market prices and of the best quality and most improved style required for the Indian tribes. On the 10th and 11th instant, the chairman of your committee, at the request of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, purchased in the open market, with the assistance of one of the clerks of the Department, several lots of goods, to the value of some $4,000, which were shipped or are to be shipped as directed by the Department, and the bills, so far as delivered, certified. Your committee are satisfied, by their experience in the purchase, that there is no reason why the Indian Department should not be supplied with goods needed by it at the very lowest market price, and in some cases even at a lower rate. The Department, in case of a slight oversupply of any article in the market, is the most desirable of all customers, as the goods disposed of to it do not interfere with the general market, being entirely removed from it. As regards the quality of our purchases your committee may refer to those members of the commission who were on the frontier in August last. They inform us that the most decided gratification was evinced by the Indian tribes on the delivery of the goods, both the quality and quantity exciting favorable comment. Let us hope, therefore, that our exertions as a committee have contributed something to the great work of convincing these wards of the nation that our President's policy means kindness and fair play to them. Respectfully submitted by the committee. GEORGE H. STUART, Chairman. ROBERT CAMPBELL. WILLIAM E. DODGE. Report of Commissioner John D. Lang, in relation to Quapaw and other payments to Indians in Kansas and Indian Territory. VASSALBORO, MAINE, November 11, 1870. Hon. FELIX R. BRUNOT, Chairman: ESTEEMED FRIEND: I received thy kind letter of the 14th instant, and having noted its contents, will say, in reply, that I was present at the payment to the Creeks last month, agreeably to Secretary Cox's request, and take pleasure in saying that it was conducted in an orderly manner, and in the spirit and according to the letter of the Secretary's written instructions to Paymaster Williamson. No allowance was made for outside agents, although demanded by persons who claimed one-third of the $100,000 to be paid to the Creeks, as fees for services as attorneys or agents. Each Indian whose claim was substantiated received the amount due him direct from Williamson, and then handed it to another person to recount for the Indian's benefit and insure its correctness, and this course was pursued until the whole roll (except a few absentees to be called next morning) was paid out, which took place sixth day, Friday. I left in the afternoon for Fort Gibson, to take the early stage from there for the Ottawas. In order to spend the Sabbath with them I rode day and night, and arrived there early first-day morning, and attended their meeting for religious worship, which was conducted by them in an orderly and Christian mammer. I also attended the funeral of the wife of a young man, who in his boyhood acted as my interpreter when the regular interpreter was absent, during my former visit, in 1842. The attendance at the burial was large; it was conducted very much after the usage of their white neighbors. Several Indians, men and women, from the Wyandott, Seneca, and other tribes, were present. Much affectionate and tender feeling was openly manifested, showing respect for the husband and for the deceased, who was beloved by all. I had a favorable opportunity, in the few days I spent with the tribe, of learning their character and business habits. I believe them to be improving and anxious for the schooling of their children, for the improvement of their farms, and for providing good houses and other buildings. A good and well-finished school-house was built last year by the younger men of the tribe, in which is a school supported by the benevolence of Philadelphia Friends. Having visited many of the tribe, I met, by request, several of the principal men and chiefs in council, and heard their grievances and complaints for want of funds, for schools, &c. I believe them deserving the attention of the benevolent. I went from this tribe to the neighborhood of the Quapaws and the agency, where $90,000 was to be paid to them, to the Senecas, Shawnees, &c., and soon found there was to be trouble. I telegraphed to Lawrence for Superintendent Hoag to come immediately, which he did. We learned there was a demand for $30,000, one-third of the amount due these small tribes. I had previously ascertained that these Indians were very poor and needy, more so than any I had seen before, and needed every dollar to pay for provisions to support life. The claim agent was called General Blunt. He pressed his claim for services, as attorney or agent, for $30,000 of the $90,000, only 33 per cent. I could not as a commissioner respect the claim, and requested a suspension till advice could be had from the authorities at Washington. If the matter had been in the hands of E. Hoag and myself, we could have suspended the payment. This was our united and expressed sentiment. We were informed by Paymaster Williamson, and Blunt, I think, repeated the same, that the authorities at Washington knew all about the transaction; hence I could do nothing further, as I had not received the special instructions from the Secretary, which I understood were to have been sent to me in care of the postmaster at St. Louis, and which I had called for. I had called at the Secretary's office, in Washington, in his absence, and no copy of instructions could be found by the clerks; this gave me no small embarrassment. To return to Blunt. Before the payment commenced, he called the attention of the Indians and others present and made a speech, which reflected hard upon our Government, and at the same time attempted to prove that no one but himself could have carried this matter through and obtained this honest debt for the Indians; that the $30,000 would not give him much, as he had already paid out $6,000, and expected to be called upon for $10,000 more, (to whom was this paid, and to be paid?) and besides, he was bondsman to the amount of $100,000 for the faithful performance of these payments. Paymaster Williamson informed Superintendent Hoag and myself, and perhaps the two Friends present, that the verbal instructions from Secretary Cox were, to pay the money into the hands of the Indians, even if they cast it into the Arkansas River, or disposed of it in any other way, and under these circumstances he manifested his willingness to go on with the payment. I witnessed the commencement and saw the money was being |