734 



TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



bullion is assayed in Oregon and other places. 

 The amount returned by the private assayers in 

 the Territory, for the year ending June 30th, 

 was $535,105, but this sura probably does not 

 express a tenth part of the entire receipts from 

 the mines. 



Political matters do not engross much atten- 

 tion in a country where all are intent upon 

 amassing a fortune. The Legislature of Idaho 

 unanimously indorsed President Johnson's re- 

 construction policy, and the administration of 

 Governor Lyon, pledging both a hearty support. 

 The House granted a Territorial charter for a 

 branch of the Pacific Railroad from Salt Lake 

 City to Columbia and the valley of Smoke 

 Rivor. This action was taken in February. 

 The next session was held at Boise City, De- 

 cember 3d. At this session a bill was passed 

 appropriating $30,000 for the support of the 

 Catholic schools in the Territory. 



The election was held August 13th for a del- 

 egate to Congress. The entire vote was 6,564. 

 Jlolbrook, Democrat, was chosen by a majority 

 of 718. 



The Idaho Legislature stands as follows : 

 Council 7 Democrats, 3 Union ; House 17 

 Democrats, 3 Union. No disposition is mani- 

 fested to agitate the question of State organiza- 

 tion at present. 



The Commissioner of the General Land-Office 

 has sent instructions to the Surveyor-General 

 of Idaho to begin the survey of the Territory. 

 The instructions require the Surveyor-General, 

 after having obtained the necessary information, 

 to establish the initial point of surveys either on 

 a conspicuous mountain, or a confluence of 

 streams, which point will be the intersection of 

 the principal meridian with the base line gov- 

 erning those surveys; also to commemorate the 

 initial point by a conspicuous and enduring 

 monument, signalizing the spot with appropri- 

 ate inscriptions thereon. 



The Indians have committed serious depre- 

 dations upon stock, and Idaho papers are filled 

 with accounts of murders and robberies by 

 them. Active efforts are made to check these 

 incursions. 



IOTJIAN TERRITORY. A few years ago an ap- 

 propriation bill was passed by Congress, which 

 contained a clause to this effect : that the Pres- 

 ident be authorized, at his discretion, to treat 

 with the Indian tribes now residing in the State 

 of Kansas, for their removal to some part of the 

 Indian Territory. The tribes affected by this 

 action are the Sacs ' and Foxes, Chippewas 

 and Munsees, Pottowattamies, Delawares, and 

 Miamis, Peanhaskaws, Meas, Kaskasheas, and 

 Peorias, Kickapoos, Shawnees, Ottawas, Wyan- 

 dottes, and Osages. 



During the war, treaties had been concluded 

 with several of these tribes, mutually bene- 

 ficial to themselves and the Government. The 

 first tribe with which arrangements were 

 consummated were the Seminoles, concluded 

 March 21, 1866. By this treaty renewed 

 pledges of peace and friendship are made, and 



a complete amnesty for all offences arising from 

 the war. Slavery is entirely abolished, and the 

 freedmen placed upon an equal footing with the 

 remainder of the people. This equality was the 

 more easily accomplished in the case of the 

 Seminoles, since there "had already been a con- 

 siderable intermingling of the races before the 

 tribe removed from Florida, and several of the 

 interpreters accompanying the delegation rep 

 resenting the tribe appeared to be of purely 

 African blood. The Indians ceded to the Gov- 

 ernment the entire domain secured to them by 

 the treaty of 1856, amounting to (estimated) 

 2,169,080 acres, for which they receive the sum 

 of $325,362. They receive a new reservation 

 of 200,000 acres at the junction of the Canadian 

 River with its north fork, for which they p.iy 

 $100,000. A right of way for railroads is 

 granted through the new reservations. The 

 Indians agree to the establishment, if Congress 

 shall so provide, of a general council in the 

 "Indian country," to be annually convened, 

 consisting of delegates from all the tribes in the 

 proportion of their numbers respectively, and 

 to have power to legislate upon matters relating 

 to the intercourse and relations of the several 

 tribes resident in that country, the laws passed 

 to be consistent with the treaty stipulations and 

 Constitution of the United States. This council 

 is to be presided over by the Superintendent of 

 Indian Affairs. 



The next treaty in this series was made with 

 the confederated nations of Choctaws and 

 Chickasaws, April 28, 1866. It contains the 

 usual provisions for the reSstablishment of 

 peace and friendship, of amnesty, and the aboli- 

 tion of slavery in every form. The Indians cede 

 to the Government the whole of that tract of 

 land known as the "leased lands," which have 

 been long held (rented by the Government) for 

 the use of Indians removed from Texas, and 

 amounting to 6,800,000 acres. Right of way is 

 granted for railroads through the reservations, 

 upon compensation for damages done to prop- 

 erty, and the tribes may subscribe to the stock 

 of such roads in land, such subscriptions to be 

 first liens on the road. The provisions in re- 

 gard to a general council are agreed to with 

 more detail than in the other treaties, and its 

 powers clearly defined, so as to establish, for 

 many purposes, not inconsistent with the tribal 

 laws, a territorial government, with the supcr- 

 tendent as governor, the Territory being named 

 " Oklahoma." Provision is made for a sec- 

 retary of the council, and for pay of members, 

 and for a marshal of the Territory ; and a clause 

 is added looking to the establishment of an up- 

 per house, to consist of one member for each 

 tribe. The educational funds of the Indians under 

 former treaties are to remain invested, and pay- 

 ment&under former treaties to be renewed. Pro- 

 vision is made for surveying and allotting the 

 reservations when desired, and for the return 

 to the Indian country of scattered members of 

 the tribes. Laud is set apart for county build- 

 ings and for religious and educational purposes. 



