Mr. NESMITH. I look upon this as a matter of very great importance, and I hope we shall have the immediate action of the senate upon it. It is very well understood that during the last season great efforts were made to reace the Indians of the upperMissouriand from there to Montana to some state of subjection or of peace. They had given great annoyance to travelers and settlers in Da ota and Minnesota as well as on the overland route. The energies of the Government were directed last summer to their subjugation. Failing in that, it was deemed by the militar Officers and the officers brought in contact with those people that it was better to inaugurate some system by which a treaty could be made with them, that it would be cheaperfor the Government and better for all parties concerned that some amicable arrangement should be made which should secure peace on the frontier and on the plains. The energies of the officers of the Army and other Government officials who were brought in contact with them last year were directed to that purpose. The result was that arrangements were made whereby large numbers of them are to assemble early this spring for the puruse of concluding tem orary treaties formed y the military who were in that country last summer. Under that arrangement it is expected that within a few days large numbers of these people will be assembled at different points. They come with the express guarantee and understanding on the part of the Government officials that certain supplies shall be furnished them while there. emay question the right of the officers to make this pledge in advance; but that is a point of which an Indian has no very correct comrehension. When he meets a Government of cial and he pledges himself to do a certain thing, he regards that as the pledge of the Government. The Indian does not comprehend that the officer may not be authorized to make pledges in advance whereby large sums of money shall be disbursed before appropriation bills are passed by Congress. That is a matter that cannot be brought to the comprehension of the Indian. He treats with the officer and looks upon him as one fully authorized to enter into and make these arrangements; and when a failure comes to carry out the provisions or stipulations made between that officer and the Indian, the Indian is bound to look upon it as a species of bad faith exercised on the part of the Government, and consequently he considers himself justified in resorting to hostilities for what he considers the bad faith of the Government. The view in which the Indian looks upon this matter is that the Government is pledged to certain things, and the certain things to which it is pledged are set forth in detail in this report of the ComrIndnAffr. It is an estimate showing all the details, all that is necessary to carry out substantially the temporary treaties which were formed last year and to meet the Indians this spring, as was understood and arranged between the officers of the Government and the Indians at. that time. It provides for large bodies of Indians being assembled at each place; for instance, 1500 Indians are notified to assemble on the 20th of May at Fort Sully; then, again, 1500 more are notified to assemble on the 1st of June at Fort Rice; at Fort Berthold 1500 Indians are notified to assemble on the 20th of June; and at Fort Union 2000 Indians are notified to assemble on the 5th of July; at Fort Laramie 2000 Indians are notified to assemble on the 20th of May, and so on. These different assemblages have to be provided for. The Indians have been notied that they are expected to assemble there in pursuance of the negotiations which have been had with them. They are doubtless now on the way to these different points of rendezvous; and if this appro iriation fails to pass, I apprehend that we shail have a repetition of the scenes of bloodshed, outrage, murder, and plunder which have been going on for the last 2 ears in that country. The urgency or the passage of this resolution consists in this fact: that the Indians being on the way to the different points of rendez vous it is impossible to wait until the general appropriation bill can pass Congress to carry out the objects contemplated by this resolution and by this detailed statement which I now hold in my hand. If we delay ituntil that time the period will have longpassed when the Indians shall have assembled and this distribution of supplies should have taken place among them. Therefore, for the preservation of peace in that vast region of country, and in view of the objects which the military officers report can probably be accomplished the making of a permanent peace there and preventing a recurrence of hostilities hereafter I urge on the Senate the adoption of the resolution. On an examination of the details of the estimates, as submitted by the" SecyInterior and the ComrIndnAffr, I think they will be found most reasonable, and the sum is not so large as to excite any very great apprehensions on the part of Congress or of the country if we are to realize what I apprehend we shall from this general negotiation a restoration of peace on the frontiers and on the lains.