An appropriation for the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, and Piankeshaw Indians, in accordance with the treaty of February 23, 1867.

FEBRUARY 11, 1871.-Referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs and ordered to be

printed.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

Washington, D. C., February 10, 1871. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a copy of a report from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, of the 7th instant, with the accompanying copies of communications from Superintendent Hoag, Baptiste Peoria, and petition of the chiefs of the confederated bands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, and Piankeshaw Indians, requesting that a payment of $12,000 be made to said Indians, as provided in the 24th article of the treaty of February 23, 1867.

As it is evident from the report of the superintendent that the sum asked for is necessary to aid these Indians in establishing themselves in their new homes, I fully concur with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in his recommendation that Congress appropriate the sum of $12,000 from their invested fund of $114,686 75.

I am, sir, very respectfully your obedient servant,

Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX,

C. DELANO,
Secretary.

Vice-President of the United States and President of the Senate.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE INDIAN AFFAIRS,
Washington, D. C., February 7, 1871.

SIR: I have the honor to advise you that I am in receipt of a letter from Enoch Hoag, superintendent of Indian affairs, dated August 16, 1870, inclosing one from Baptiste Peoria, with petition of chiefs of the confederated Kaskaskia, &c., asking for a payment from their invested funds, of $12,000, as provided in the 24th article of their treaty, concluded February 23, 1867, to assist them in establishing themselves upon their new homes. Copies herewith.

The article referred to provides that, at any time thereafter, when the

chiefs shall represent, to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior, that an additional sum is necessary, such sum may be taken from their invested fund.

As Superintendent Hoag thinks that the sum required by the Indians is necessary for their relief, I would respectfully recommend that the request of the Indians be granted, and that Congress be asked to ap propriate the sum of $12,000 out of the balance of their invested fund of $114,686 75.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. COLUMBUS DELANO,

E. S. PARKER,

Commissioner.

Secretary of the Interior.

OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT INDIAN AFFAIRS,
Lawrence, Kansas, August 16, 1870.

Inclosed herewith I transmit letter of Baptiste Peoria, dated 11th instant, together with petition of the chiefs of affiliated Peorias, Kaskaskias, Weas, and Piankeshaws. for a payment from their invested funds of $12,000, as provided in the 24th article of their treaty of 1867.

They have followed the commendable example of the Ottawas, and have erected a school-house, and to defray this expense and for the support of a school, they ask a remittance of the interest of their school fund. Believing their said request necessary to their relief in the premises, I have to request that the same be remitted at an early day.

Respectfully,

ENOCH HOAG, Superintendent Indian Affairs.

Hon. E. S. PARKER,

Commissioner Indian Affairs.

SPRING RIVER, INDIAN NATION,
August 11, 1870.

DEAR SIR: You will please find inclosed a petition for an additional sum of $12,000 to be paid to us this fall. We have no agent here to draw it up for us, or any one that knew how, so we done it as best we could, and we trust that you will look over it and correct it, and do all you can in aiding us in getting this amount, as we need it very much. If we can get this much, it will pay all our own debts and leave us money enough to fix up our homes and farms, so that we may be able to make a living without calling for money. Nothing more.

Remaining respectfully yours,

Dear FRIEND HOAG.

BAPTISTE PEORIA.

Also please attend to our school money. Our school-house is finished, and we are ready for school, and we want the money to pay for building the house and to pay the teacher; the money is there for us, and we need it now to pay our debts on the house. B. PEORIA.

SPRING RIVER, INDIAN NATION, August 11, 1870. We, the chiefs of the Peorias, Kaskaskias, Weas, and Piankeshaws, Indians now residing in Indian Nation, do hereby respectfully represent to our great father, the sup erintendent of Indian affairs, the wants and necessities of our people, and the difficulties attending the settlement of a new country, in making them comfortable homes and opening up farms and supplying their families with clothing and provisions necessary for the sustenance of life while so engaged.

This is the second season after our removal to our new homes, and still we have not

raised enough to subsist ourselves through the coming winter; but it is no fault of ours, for we have more land under cultivation than any of our neighbors, or even the whites, according to number, in the southern country here. The first year we had to depend upon our money alone, and this year it has been very dry and crops are going to be short generally through this section of country. Also we have had much sickness among our people; since our arrival here on this reserve we have lost by death over twenty of our oldest and best men. The expenses of sickness and funerals have been enormously high, and in many instances have been paid by the nation.

Through the want of private funds also, there are many that are very poor and have to be cared for by the nation, which causes a constant drain on the means or credit of the nation. We have three persons that are totally blind, and must be cared for. All this, and much more, might be said, were it necessary.

Therefore we ask and petition our great father, that in article 24 of the treaty concluded February 23, 1867, it is stipulated that "the sum of $30,000 to assist them in establishing themselves upon their new homes, and at any time thereafter, when the chiefs shall represent to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that an additional sum is necessary, such sum may be taken from their invested fund."

Therefore your humble petitioners pray that the additional sum of $12,000 may be taken from our invested fund and paid out to our people this fall, together with the annual interest now due our people, in order that we may be able to complete our homes and farms.

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 9th instant, the report of General Pope upon the enlargement of the military post and depot at Fort Leavenworth.

FEBRUARY 11, 1871.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, February 10, 1871. The Secretary of War has the honor to submit to the Senate of the United States, in obedience to the resolution of February 9, 1871, the report of Brigadier General Pope, United States Army, in favor of the enlargement of the military post and depot of Fort Leavenworth, and recommending an appropriation of $350,000 for that purpose. WM. W. BELKNAP

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 2, 1871. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following remarks and recommendations concerning the military reservation of Fort Leavenworth, and to ask that they be submitted to the Secretary of War, with such remarks from yourself as you may think appropriate. If approved by the Secretary of War, I respectfully ask that they be laid before the Military Committees of Congress, with the recommendation of the War Department, that legislation be had accordingly.

REMARKS.

The military reservation of Fort Leavenworth consists of 6,840 acres of good arable land, well watered, and admirably suited to every military purpose. It lies on the Missouri River, at a point to which the river is always navigable unless obstructed by ice. It is connected by railroad with all points east, west, and south as far as the Indian country west of the State of Arkansas. In this last region railroads are being rapidly pushed through the entire Indian country, west of the Rio Grande and south to the Texas line. It lies on the best settled and most fertile portion of Kansas, where all supplies can be as cheaply, and many more cheaply, bought than at any other point in this whole region. Its natural situation, as well as its connection by rail, with all the vast region