regulations which they contain, have had a very happy effect in preventing impositions on the Government, and in diminishing the disbursements of the Indian Department.

By referring to the accompanying documents, it will appear that the aggregate amount allotted to the agents and superintendents, under the circular of March last, is $79,500, leaving $20,500 to meet such general charges against the appropriation as belonged to no particular agency, such as the debits which might be brought against it in the settlement of former accounts of expenditures for the expenses of rations issued to the Indians through the commissary of provisions, of visits of Indians to the seat of Government, general expense under the Indian Intercourse Act of 1802, transportation of annuities, &c. The sum allotted to these various objects has proved insufficient. Even with the addition of the balance of the appropriation of the last year, it has not been sufficient to meet the debits arising from the settlement of old accounts. It was believed, when the estimates of the last year were made, that the balance of the appropriation of the preceding year, with such credits as might be brought to the Indian appropriation from the settlement of old accounts, would be sufficient to cover the debits. Such, however, has not proved to be the fact, as will appear by reference to the statement of the Second Auditor of the Treasury, which accompanies this Report. It is proper to remark, that the debits which have been brought against the Indian appropriation in the last and preceding years, have arisen principally out of the settlement of the accounts of army contractors, under contracts made before the establishment of the present system of supplying the army with provisions, which commenced on the 1st of June, 1819. The amount of rations issued to Indians could not, under the old system, be ascertained till the contractor rendered his accounts for settlement, on which the provisions issued to Indians were charged to the proper appropriation; and the appropriation for the Indian Depart

ment for the year was thus liable to be affected by the disbursements of former years. As the accounts of the former army contractors have been all audited, and as the prompt settlement of accounts under the present system of supplying the army with provisions prevents the accumulation of outstanding claims, it is believed that the appropriations for the Indian Department will not hereafter be affected materially by the settlement of outstanding accounts; but as balances remain due the United States, in several cases, on account of subsistence, for the recovery of which suits have been instituted against the contractors, it may occur that awards may be made in their favor on items chargeable to the Indian Department, which, on settlement by the accounting officers, have been decided to be inadmissible. In such cases, the appropriation for the Indian Department will be charged, and the subsistence credited with the amount.

In conclusion, it may not be improper to state, that, although $200,000 has been the amount of the annual current appropriations for the Indian Department, from the termination of the late war till last year, yet the disbursements considerably exceeded that sum previous to the year 1820, the difference being made up from time to time by appropriations for arrearages. The acting Secretary of War, Mr. Graham, estimated the disbursements of the Indian Department at $250,000, in the year 1817. In his letter to the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means of the 4th of January, of that year, he states: "The expenses of the Indian Department have been estimated at $200,000; it is, however, recommended that this estimate should be increased, so as to make a permanent annual appropriation for this object of $250,000, at least. The circumscribed limits of most. of the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, having rendered their dependence upon the chase for subsistence more precarious, has produced a more frequent intercourse between the Indians and those agents of the United VOL. V.-7

States, and a consequent increase of the issue of rations and of presents to them." In addition to these causes, the number and importance of the treaties which have been held with the Indians since the late war, the great increase of the annuities, and extension of the frontier, have tended very much to increase the disbursements of the Indian Department. Believing it, however, to be the intention of Congress that the expenditure should not exceed $200,000 per annum, efficient measures were adopted, shortly after the commencement of the present administration of this Department, to reduce the amount of the expenditure within that sum.

Acting on the same principle, after the reduction of the appropriation of the last session to $100,000 for the expenses of the Department, every effort was made to reduce the disbursements within the amount appropriated, which could be made without deranging the system established under existing laws. The consequence has been a very considerable reduction in the disbursements; but it has not been practicable to bring the expenditure within the appropriation. Though measures were taken immediately after the passage of the act making the appropriation, yet at points so remote as those at which most of the agencies are fixed, nearly one half of the year had elapsed before any considerable diminution could be effected in the rate of expenditure authorized by previous appropriations, by which time (the previous expenditure being at the rate of $200,000 per annum) the appropriation was nearly exhausted, and the expenses of the Department have been accumulating against the Government, without the means of meeting them.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

J. C. CALHOUN,

Hon. PHILIP P. BARBOUR, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

REPORT

On the Expenditures for the civilization of the Indians, communicated to the House of Representatives, January 22d, 1822.

DEPARTMENT OF WAR, January 19th, 1822.

The Secretary of War, to whom was referred the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 31st ultimo, "requesting the President of the United States to cause to be laid before this House an account of the expenditures made under the act to provide for the civilization of the Indian tribes, specifying the times when, the persons to whom, and the particular purpose for which, such expenditures have been made," has the honor to transmit the inclosed statement, which contains the information required by the resolution.

The Secretary of War would respectfully refer to the report made by this Department to the House of Representatives on the 15th of January, 1820, in compliance with a resolution of that House, of the progress that had been made in the civilization of the Indians, which, with the regulations, a copy of which accompanies this report, will indicate the principles upon which the several allowances for buildings and tuition, referred to in the statement, have been made.

It may be proper to observe, that, by a rigid construction of the rules adopted for the expenditure of the appropriation, the schools at Cornwall in Connecticut, and Great Crossings in Kentucky, would appear to be excluded from any benefit from it. It was believed, however, as there was not a sufficient number of schools in the Indian country, at the time the allowances were made, to absorb the whole appropriation,

that it would advance the object of Congress in passing the act, to include them in the distribution.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

To the President of the United States.

J. C. CALHOUN,

DEPARTMENT OF WAR, February 29th, 1820.

The following regulations, in addition to those prescribed in the circular of the 3d of September, 1819, have been adopted, with the approbation of the President of the United States, to govern the future distribution of the sum appropriated by Congress for the civilization of the Indians, among individuals or societies who have established, or contemplate establishing, schools for the education of Indian children, in conformity to the above-mentioned circular, and who desire the co-operation of the Government.

The position selected for the establishment, a plan of the buildings contemplated, with an estimate of the cost, to be submitted to the Secretary of War, to be laid before the President.

Government will, if it has the means and approves the arrangement, pay two thirds of the expense of erecting the necessary buildings.

No part of the money to be advanced until after the buildings are commenced, and one fourth to be reserved until they are completed. The payment to be made on the certificate of the agent of Indian affairs for the tribe or nation in which the establishment is located, as to the facts of the commencement and completion of the buildings. The President of the United States will contribute out of the annual appropriation, to each institution which may be approved of by him, a sum proportionate to the number of pupils