The Black Hills

The commission appointed same months ago to negotiate with the Sioux Indians for tho relinquishment of the Black Hills reservation has conoluded its labors aiid made ite report to the Secretary of the Interior. The comïnission has more than 6ucoeeded in inducing the Bivvagea to comply with the terms of last sesaion's Indian Appropriation bill, namely : That the Indians should relinquish all right and claim to any country outside of the boundariee of the pormanent reservation established by treaty of 1868 for said Indians, and also so mueh of thoir reservation as lies west of the 103d meridian of longitude ; ako a convenient and accesible way over said resorvation to the country thus ceded for wagon and other roads from points on the Missouri river, in all not more than three in number ; that the Indians hereafter phall receive their supplies at such places on their reservation in the vioinity of the Missouri river aa the President may desígnate, and also that no f urther appropriation for them for subsistence shall hereafter be mm lo until some agreement shall have been entered into by them with the President which is calculated to enabie them to become self-supportiug. Accompanying the report is a treaty entered into by the Commissioners on behalf of the Government with the Indians. The principal provisions of the treaty are as follows : By the terms of this agreemont the öionx surrender all claim to any country lying outside the boundaries of their permanent reserve, as defined by the treaty of 1868, and so much of said reserve as lies west of the 103d meridian of lougitude and as is includod between the north and south forks of the Choyenne river east of said meridian. The Government thereby secures full possession of a tract of country which includes the Black Hills and is defined by natural boundariea. The Indians grant a right of way over tlioir reservation for three routes from the Missouri rivor to the ceded territory, the routes to be designated by the President. They also agree to receivo all subsistence which may hereafter be furnished at suoh points on or near the Missouri river as the President may desígnate. In consideratiou of these conessions the Commissioners on behalf oi the United States agree to furnish subsistence to the Sioux uutil such a time as they shall become self supporting, the rationa to be issued to heads of families, and in case the Indians are located on lands suitable for cultivation, farming machinery will be afforded by the Government, and educational facilities provided. The issue of rations is to be contingent on the performance of labor by the Iüdians and the attendance ol their children at school. Assistance in tho way of schools and instruction in agricultural nd mechanical arts, as provided by the treaty of 1868, are guaranteed. Tho building of comfortable houses on allotments in severalty is provided for, and the Sioux are declarod amenable to the laws of the United States. The Indians further agree to solcct allotments as soon as possible af ter thoir removal to their permanent home, and to use their best efforts to cultívate the same. It will be seen by this abstract that the Sioux have grantec the Government so much of their permanent reservation eet apart in 1868 and lying east of tho 103d meridian as lief between the north and south forks ol the Cheyenne river, which excee.ls the reqtiirements of the act creating the commission, and completes the title o: the Government to the entire Black Hills country. The rights of way grantec over the permanent reservation to the newly-ceded territory will afford transit through a country which has been, in recent years, the most unsafe to travelers of any in the West. The área ceded in the treaty is estimated at from 10,000 to 12,000 square miles.