OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS TO THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, FOR SUBMISSION TO THE PRESIDENT. FOR THE YEAR 1870. WASHINGTON: 1871. BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. FELIX R. BRUNOT, Pittsburg, Chairman. NATHAN BISHOP, New York. ROBERT CAMPBELL, St. Louis. JOHN V. FARWELL, Chicago. JOHN D. LANG, Maine. GEORGE H. STUART, Philadelphia. VINCENT COLYER, New York, Secretary. Act of Congress creating the board of Indian commissioners, approved by the President April 10, 1869. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That there be appropriated the further sum of two millions of dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to enable the President to maintain the peace among and with the various tribes, bands, and parties of Indians, and to promote civilization among said Indians, bring them, where practicable, upon reservations, relieve their necessities, and encourage their efforts at self-support; a report of all expenditures under this appropriation to be made in detail to Congress in December next. And for the purpose of enabling the President to execute the powers conferred by this act, he is hereby authorized, at his discretion, to organize a board of commissioners, to consist of not more than ten persons, to be selected by him from men eminent for their intelligence and philanthropy, to serve without pecuniary compensation, who may, under his direction, exercise joint control with the Secretary of the Interior over the disbursement of the appropriations made by this act, or any part thereof, that the President may designate; and to pay the necessary expenses of transportation, subsistence, and clerk-hire of said commissioners while actually engaged in said service, there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary. * * * Additional act of Congress continuing the board and defining its powers, approved July 15, 1870. SEC. 5. and the commission of citizens, serving without pay, appointed by the President under the provisions of the fourth section of the act of April ten, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, is hereby continued so long as the appropriation heretofore made for their expenses shall last. And it shall be the duty of said commissioners to supervise all expenditures of money appropriated for the benefit of Indians in the United States, and to inspect all goods purchased for said Indians, in connection with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, whose duty it shall be to consult said commission in making purchases of such goods. Additional act of Congress, passed March 1, 1871. Provided, That hereafter no payments shall be made by any officer of the United States to contractors for goods or supplies of any sort furnished to the Indians, or for the transportation thereon, or for any buildings or machinery erected or placed on their reservations, under or by virtue of any contract entered into with the Interior Department, or any branch thereof, on the receipts or certificates of the Indian agents or superintendents for such supplies, goods, transportation, buildings, or machinery, beyond 50 per cent. of the amount due, until the accounts and vouchers shall have been submitted to the executive committee of the board of commissioners appointed by the President of the United States, and organized under the provisions of the fourth section of the act of April 10, 1369, and the third section of the act of July 15, 1870, for examination, revisal, and approval; and it shall be the duty of said board of commissioners, without unnecessary delay, to forward said accounts and vouchers, so submitted to them, to the Secretary of the Interior, with the reasons for their approval or disapproval of the same, in whole or in part, attached thereto; and said Secretary shall have power to sustain, set aside, or modify the action of said board and cause payment to be made or withheld, as he may determine. |