Collection: Directories and Documents > Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection

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Title: Malfeasance or Indirection [California Indian Superintendency] Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection # of Pages: 12 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-09-03 22:12:09 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:22:44 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 03:22:44

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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The Historical Society of Southern California ing the previous decade, another $10,000, plus the $787,000 of the treaty commission, had been expended above appropriations. The California superintendency’s fiscal affairs had clearly reached a crisis point in 1868. In sixteen years a staggering million dellar debt had been amassed.** Continually pressed for payment, Taylor urged an initial deficiency appropriation of $75,000.** The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, pursuant to Taylor’s recommendation, sponsored a $50,000 appropriation without success. Two years later, California Senator Cornelius Cole (Republican) introduced a $75,000 amendment to the general Indian appropriation bill. The measure was declared a private claim and ruled out of order. Sponsors of payment, however, succeeded in attaching a rider to the executive, legislative and judicial appropriation bill allocating $8,485 and $20,500 for the debts of Maltby and Wiley respectively. A further deficiency appropriation of $10,559 was approved in 1871 to fund Wiley’s debt.** These appropriations totaling $40,000 were, however, inconsequential compared to the million dollar indebtedness. Only Wiley’s debts were paid in full by 1871. Congressional failure to fund the indebtedness as well as the utilization of credit proved detrimental to the administration of California Indian affairs. Goods purchased on credit were usually more expensive, particularly since merchants charged for anticipated delayed payment.” Government authority was also undermined and credit endangered. As Henley noted, “There appears to be greater distrust in the region [Fresno] . . . in regard to the intention to pay for the supplies. .. .”” Or as another lamented, “... I found it was utterly impossible to buy one pound of any thing .. . for there was no one that had any confidence in Hanson. .."* California’s faith in the bureau to effect policy was questioned. The state’s congressional delegation, for example, warned in 1854 that “The citizens of the State . . . have also lost all faith in efforts of the Governme rid them of these Indians. .. .” _ Combined with the problems of supervising subordinates, removing tribesmen to the reserves, preventing starvation, controlling white depredations and advancing the Indian toward “‘civilization,’ an apparent shortage of funds compounded the superintendent’s frustrations. After removal, John A. Dreibelbis, writing to Commissioner William P. Dole, gave vent to his feelings. [ 278 ] California Indian Business Affairs ... the public have lost all confidence in the Indian Department in California, and no matter, however upright and well intentioned my successor may be, he will surely encounter almost insurmountable difficulties in their future management, because of the hitherto inexcusable neglect of your immediate predecessors to furnish monies to enable superintendents and agents to meet payments of just demands promptly.*® The California superintendent, then, found himself in the difficult position of watching employees go unpaid, reserves fall into ruin, Indians starve and policy fail. The alternatives seemed obvious—continued deterioration or debt contraction. Lamenting having to “choose between incurring an odious indebtedness, or neglecting some of the Indians,” Wiley explained his position. Thad hoped to keep the credit of the Ind Dept in good repute, and at the same time by strict economy to avoid the necessity of continually importuning the Dept for money, but I begin to fear I have assumed a difficult task to say the least. It is needless to recapitulate the hindrances, yexations, and inconvenience which follow an attempt to carry on a work of this kind without money, they must be apparent. . . .** Superintendents, from these statements, clearly attributed the lack of operating funds to bureau inattention. On the surface there appears to be some validity to their assessment. For example, the shortage of funds was so critical in 1854. that Senators William Gwin (California, Union Democrat) and John Weller (California, Democrat) authorized Henley to borrow money to sustain the removal policy. Superintendent Dreibelbis complained that from September 1860 until the following February he received only $1,000. When he was finally in receipt of $12,000, no instructions were provided as to disbursement. In 1861 Superintendent John Wentworth protested to Dole that his requisitions of July and October 1861 were not filled until February 1862. Wiley reported in January 1865 that he had not received any monies since May 1864 and that was only $2,757. The question naturally arises as to why the superintendency was forced to operate largely on credit. Perhaps the bureau simply failed to remit appropriations. At the end of the fiscal year, the California account often contained a balance of nearly half [279 J