[2202) [HOUSTON and FORBES to SMITHJ
Washington, February 29, 1836.
To His Excellency, Henry Smith, Governor of Texas:
Sir: In accordance with a commission issued by your Ex- cellency dated the 28th day of December, 1835, the undersigned commissioners, in the absence of John Cameron, Esquire, one of the commissioners named in the above mentioned instrument, most respectfully report: That after sufficient notice being given lo the different tribes named in the commission, a treaty was held al the house of John -----, one of the tribe of Cherokee Indians.... The commissioners would also suggest to your Excellency that titles should be granted to such actual settlers as are now within the designated boundaries, and that they should receive a fair remuneration for their improvements and the expenses atten- dant upon the exchange, in lands or other equivalent. It will also be remembered by your Excellency that the surrender by the government of the lands to which the Indians may have had any claims is nearly equivalent to that portion now allotted to them, and most respectfully suggest that they should be especially appropriated for the use of the government. They also respectfully call your attention to the following remarks, viz.: The state of excitement in which the Indians were first found by your commissioners rendered it impossible to commence a negotiation with them on the day set apart for it. On the day succeeding, the treaty was opened. Some difficulty then occurred relative to the exchange of lands, which the commissioners pro- posed making for those now occupied by them, which was promptly rejected. The boundaries were those established as desig- nated in the treaty alone, and that such measures should be adopt- ed by your Excellency for their security as may be deemed neces- sary.... The commissioners used every exertion to retain that por- tion of the territory for the use of the government, but an ad- herence to this would have had but one effect, viz.: that of defeat- ing the treaty altogether. Under these circumstances the arrange- ment was made as now reported in the accompanying treaty. They would also suggest the importance of the salt works to the go\'crn-
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