to support the Indians in their new locations, without any act- ual drain on the Treasury in the faturc.* ** The lands belong to the Indians, and they are elearly entitled to receive the full value of the same when sold."

In this sentence we rcach the high-water mark of the soph istry and dishonesty of the Department's position. "The Iauds belong to the Indians," but we will compel them to "re- store to the publie domain" (i. e., to give up to white settlers) 17,642,455 acres of them. The Indiaus "are clearly cntitlod to receive the fall value of the same when sold," but we will compcl them to expend that "full value" in removing to a place where they do not want to go, opening new lands, build new utensils, implemeuts, furniture and ing new stock, and generally establishing themselves, "without any act ual drain on the Treasury" of the United States: and the Department of the Interior "can seo no reason why the Gov houses, buying crnment should not avail itself of these facts."

All this is proposcd with a view to the benefit of the Indians. The report goes on to reiterate the same old story that the In- dians nust have "a perfect title to their lands;" that they have come to feel that they are at any time liable to be moved, whenever the pressure of white settlers upon them may crcate a demand for their lands," and that they " deeline to make any improvements on their lands, even after an allotment in sever alty has been made, until they have roceived their patents for the same," and that oven "after the issue of patents the diffi culties surrounding them do not cease." Evidently not, sinec, as we have seen, it is now several years since every head of a family among these Winnebagoes, whose "removal" the com missioner now recommends, securcd his patent" for eighty acres of land.

Finally, the commissióner says: "Every means that human ingenuity can devise, legal or illegal, has been resorted to for the purpose of obtaining possession of Indian lands." Of this