Mr. DOOLITTLE. Fort Sully, Fort Rice, Fort Berthold, Fort Union, and Fort Laramie, 5 different places. I have received a communication from the ComrIndnAffr to the SecyInterior of the 12th instant, and I will read a portion of it to the Senate: “I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th instant inclosing copies of correspondence between your dept and the SecyWar in relation to the subsistence of Indians about to assemble in council at Fort Laramie and at various points on the upper Missouri river and instructin we to make estimatesof what sun lies may be agreed to provide for the occasion. adding transportation and subsistonce for the commissioners. havealsoto acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo, inclosiiii! a communication from Msior General Pope, gf March 16.with vouchers for services rendered by 13 Ribs and nirty. sent asinessengcrsto the hostile Indians; an by referencefrom your Deevartinent of another communication from Major eneriil Pope, of the 21st ultim o, inclosing vouchers of presents made to said Big Bibs, the whole amounting to $5.456H. which you instruct me to embrace inmye stimate of thorequired Iappropriation. In conformitywith theseinstruetions have prepared the desired estimate.but Wishtooall ipur attention to the within copy of 0Vletter from ujor General S. It. Curtis. addressedto this office, and dated March 2 1866, ii i which he states that in compliance with instructions from the honorable SecyWar. he had made estimates and requisitions on the War Dept for the necessaryrations to feedtheseIndians, and for transportation of said subsistence to Fort Laramie and othe rplacesof treaty rendezvous in the upperMissouricountry and that the SecyWar had informed him that the articles necessaryto make u these puppliea at the various points would besent orwnrd immediate]. “in view of the fact that the Indians referred to were called together by the military authorities in the early part oflnstwmter. while the commissioners could not meetthemuntil summer, their subsistence by the War Deptseemed tome perfectly Just and proper, and I placed implicit reliance on the assurance given by the honorable SecyWu as uboi O stated. tnoiv, lion ever, appears that as late asthe24thultimo Mine r Ueneral Pope telolrnphs from StLouis to Lieutenant GenlGrant that he trusts the Interior Dept is making properarrangements for feeding the numerous hands of Indians assemblingat Fort Laramie apd on the up perMissouririver. adding thattbe military authorities have not the meansto meet such extraordinary demands outside of their legitimate province: and that if the Indians are underthe chargeof the Inte prior Dept that Dept should t.ikecare of such matters, and not dependon the military. “The SecyWar, in his letter of the 25th rueltfiemrroin. gsendsyou a copy of the above telegram, and toaconvorsationin Cabinet mocting.de5ires to be informed what measures have been taken by your Deptto provide for the Indians about to as"seInmyboleuirn council. arrangemenretspwlyaotfetvheer shaamdebdeaetenymoaudset, aatseythoautdnido not understand the Secretary to say definitely at Cabinet meeting that his Deptcould not furnish the subsistencefor the purpose referred to, but would communicatewith you in writing on the subJect. final SecyWar uinnicreaptiloyntforotmhetahbeovheoannodrabbeleartihneg tbe samedate. concludes the col res cadence on the subJect: the Secretary station that O designed the conversation at Cabinet meetingas final and to the point. but as you appear to have not so understood the matter, he adds "You will pleaseconsiderthe application for supplies from the War Dept asdefinitely answeredin thenegative.for the reason that they ean not be furnished under legal authority, nor Without prciudice to the military serVice. 1have thus reviewed the correspondencein connection with the facts of the case in order to show that no blame can be Justly attachedto this Dept for pot having at up earlier date inado neccssary preparations for the assistancecalled for." By some mistake it was supposed GenlCurtis so understood it, and it was so under stood by the SecyWar that the War Dept would send on the supplies to feed these Indians during these councils and to provide what was necessary to be done in the nego tiation of these treaties; but subsquently, on further examination, it seems the War Dept cannot do i;t at all events, they decline to do it and the matter is thrown upon the Inte prior Dept, and we must make this appropriation; otherwise these Indians are called together at these councils and there will be no provision made for them while they are there, and it may result in further hostilities and trouble. Mr. President, I have stated the circumstances under which this application is made. It came to the attention of the ComIndAffrs yesterday, and it was ured by the ComrIndnAffr an by the SecyInterior that we should take imme diate action because of the immense distance that these provisions and supplies have to be transported, and because the period fixed, as I anderstand, for the assembling of the Indians is the 20th of May, and no time should be lost. I therefore hope the resolution will pass at once.