Until 1832 the supervision of Indian. affairs was intrusted to a bureau in the War Depart m•nt. In that year Congress authorized the President to appoint a eommissioner charged with general superintendenee of Indian affairs. Ile has the direction of eight inspectors and large number of superintendents. agents, teach ers. mechanic;, ete. Since 1849 the business of Indian affairs has constituted a bureau in the Department of the Interim'. The most numer ous ollieials in the Indian service are the appointed by the President for a term of four years, who are required to give bonds. Their du ties are to superintend the intercourse among Indians within their respective ageneies and to execute the orders of the commissioner. All im portant feature of the Indian service is the edu cational work. The President is empowered to employ persons to instruct the Indians in agriculture and to teach their children read ing, writing. and arithmetic. By nn act of 1882 he was authorized to appoint an inspeetor of Indian schools, The schools under Government control are the non-reser•ation training-s•hools end the reservation boarding and day schools.
Besides these there are vont raet schools under the supervision of associations which re ceive Government aid. By an act of Congress passed in 1890, provision was made for field matrons who organize sewing-s•hools, weekly clubs, and Sahhatleselnwls among the Indians. In 1893 more than 21,000 Indian children were re ceiving the benefits of edneationg about two thirds being enrolled in Government schools. The number of Indians occupying reservations is 13I,. 476. The annual appropriation by Congress for the Indian service usually exceeds $10.000.000. The policy now being, pursued by the Government will result in the incorporation of all Indians in the body politic as eitizens,and with it the Indian reservations will disappear. the individnality of the Indian will he recognized, and the paternal care and control now exercised by the United States will cease.
Consult: Annual Reports of Me ['tilted Commission( r of Indian A Milo,: %Veil, l'hc Legal Ntat us of the Indian (New York, 1888).