BULL. ^O] 



OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS 



107 



under the act of Aug. 7, 1789, among 

 the duties assigned to it were those "rela- 

 tive to Indian affairs." In 1824 a Bureau 

 of Indian Affairs was organized in tlie 

 War Department, witli Thomas L. Mc- 

 Kenney as its chief. The place was offered 

 him at a salary of $1,600, but with the 

 assurance that the President would recom- 

 mend the organization of an "Indian de- 

 partment" with a salary for its head 

 equal to that paid the auditors. The 

 functions of the bureau were thus defined 

 in the letter of appointment addressed 

 to Col. McKenney by John C. Calhoun, 

 Secretary of War, dated Mar. 11, 1824: 



"To you are assigned the duties of the 

 Bureau of Indian Affairs in this depart- 

 ment, for the faithful performance of 

 which you will be responsible. Mr 

 Hamilton and Mr Miller are assigned to 

 you, the former as chief, the latter as as- 

 sistant clerk. You will take charge of 

 the appropriations for annuities and of the 

 current expenses, and all warrants on the 

 same will be issued on your requisitions 

 on the Secretary of War, taking special 

 care that no requisition be issued, but in 

 cases where the money previously re- 

 mitted has been satisfactorily accounted 

 for, and on estimates in detail, approved 

 by you, for the sum required. You will 

 receive and examine the accounts and 

 vouchers for the expenditure thereof, and 

 will pass them over to the proper audi- 

 tor's office for settlement, after examina- 

 tion and approval by you; submitting 

 such items for the sanction of this de- 

 partment as may require its approval. 

 The administration of the fund for the 

 civilization of the Indians is also com- 

 mitted to your charge, under the regula- 

 tions established by the department. You 

 are also charged with the examination of 

 the claims arising out of the laws regu- 

 lating the intercourse with Indian tribes, 

 and will, after examining and briefing the 

 same, report them to tliis department, 

 endorsing a recommendation for their 

 allowance or disallowance. The ordi- 

 nary correspondence with the superin- 

 tendents, the agents, and sub-agents, will 

 pass through your bureau." 



Col. McKenney had had large respon- 

 sibility in connection with Indian affairs 

 as superintendent of Indian trade from 

 Apr. 2, 1816, until the United States In- 

 dian trading establishment was abolished 

 by act of May 6, 1822. His connection 

 with the Bureau terminated Sept. 80, 1830, 

 by his dismissal, according to his Memoirs, 

 on political grounds. vSamuel S. Hamil- 

 ton held the position for about a year, 

 and was succeeded bv Elbert Herring. 



By the act of July 9, 1832, there was 

 created in the War Department the office 

 of Commissioner of Indian Affairs, at a 

 salary of $3,000, who, subject to the 



Secretary of War and the President, 

 should have "the direction and manage- 

 ment of all Indian affairs and of all mat- 

 ters arising out of Indian relations. ' ' Mr 

 Herring received appointment as Com- 

 missioner July 10, 1832. Up to the 

 present time (1907) there have been 28 

 Commissioners of Indian Affairs, the long- 

 est term of office being a little less than 8 

 years. 



On June 30, 1834, an act was passed 

 " to provide for the organization of the 

 Department of Indian Affairs." Under 

 this enactment certain agencies were 

 established and others abolished, and 

 provision was made for subagents, inter- 

 preters, _and other employees, the pay- 

 ment of annuities, the purchase and 

 distribution of supplies, etc. This may 

 be regarded as the organic law of the 

 Indian department. 



When the Department of the Interior 

 was created by act of ]Mar. 3, 1849, the 

 Bureau of Indian Affairs was transferred 

 thereto, and hence passed from military 

 to civil control. As now organized there 

 is a Commissioner of Indian Affairs 

 (salary $5,000), an Assistant Commis- 

 sioner ($3,000), a Chief Clerk ($2,250), 

 a Superintendent of Indian Schools 

 ($3,000), a private secretary to the Com- 

 missioner ($1,800), and a force of 175 

 clerks, including financial clerk, law (^lerk, 

 chiefs of divisions, bookkeepers, archi- 

 tect, and draftsmen; besides 13 messen- 

 gers, laborers, and charwomen. 



The Finance division has charge of all 

 financial affairs pertaining to the Indian 

 Bureau. It keeps ledger accounts, under 

 nearly 1,000 heads, of all the receipts and 

 disbursements of appropriations and other 

 funds for the Indian service, aggregating 

 in late years more than $10,000,000 annu- 

 ally; remits funds to agents and other 

 disbursing officers; attends to the pur- 

 chase and transportation of supplies for 

 the Indians and the work of the ware- 

 houses where these supplies are received 

 and shipped; advertises for bids and pre- 

 pares estimates for approi)riations by 

 Congress. The Treasury Department has 

 estimated that between Mar. 4, 1789, and 

 June 30, 1907, government expenditures 

 on account of the Indian service aggre- 

 gated $472,823,935. The Indian Office 

 is trustee for more than $35,000,000 in the 

 Treasury of the United States belonging to 

 Indians, on which interest accrues at 4 

 percent and 5 percent. 



The Field Work division has charge of 

 all matters relating to irrigation; prosecu- 

 tions for sale of liquor to Indians; assist- 

 ing Indians in obtaining employment, and 

 kindred subjects. 



The Land division of the office has 

 charge of everything pertaining to the 

 landed interests of the Indians — allot- 



