Page:A Century of Dishonor.pdf/146

128 Indian Department—shall be permitted to reside upon the reservation without permission of the tribe, and the superintendent and the agent. Nevertheless, four white men are occupying or claiming large tracts on the reservation.

“It is clearly the duty of the Government to adjust and quiet these claims, and remove the parties from the reservation. Each day’s delay to fulfil this treaty stipulation adds to the distrust of the Indians in the good faith of the Government.

“2d. Article third of the same treaty of 1863 provides for the survey of the land suitable for cultivation into lots of twenty acres each; while a survey is reported to have been early made, no measures were then, or have been since, taken to adjust farm limits to the lines of the surveyed lots.

“3d. Rules and regulations for continuing the possession of these lots and the improvements thereon in the families of deceased Indians, have not been prescribed, as required by the treaty.

“4th. It is also provided that certificates or deeds for such tracts shall be issued to individual Indians.

“The failure of the Government to comply with this important provision of the treaty causes much uneasiness among the Indians, who are little inclined to spend their labor and means in improving ground held by the uncertain tenure of the pleasure of an agent.

“5th. Article seventh of the treaty provides for a payment of four thousand six hundred and sixty-five dollars in gold coin to them for services and horses furnished the Oregon Mounted Volunteers in 1856. It is asserted by the Indians that this provision of the treaty has hitherto been disregarded by the Government.”

The commissioners say that “every consideration of justice and equity, as well as expediency, demands from the Government a faithful and literal compliance with all its treaty obli-