255
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1831-1832
in a bid, that there was corruption intended; or that a fraud was to be practised, because my proposition was to furnish rations at eight or ten cents less per ration, they to. be good quality and issued under the eye and direction of the agent, so as to have the evil corrected, by some change in the system, and that the agents would lose the power of imposing upon the Indians as was then the case. By way of inducement to the secretary of war, I proposed to furnish them at least twenty percent lower than they were fur- nished at that time, or had ever been on the west side of the Mississippi. The cost of the ration to them at that time, embrac- ing the contingencies, loss of provisions, etc. must have amounted to about twenty-six or eight cents at the lowest calculation. To ascertain at what price I could furnish the ration, I had recourse to the last accounts of the Cherokee Agent, Maj. Duval, who had resided in Arkansas for some five years. I found that his ac- counts had been settled at twenty cents per ration, and the con- tingencies also allowed in his accounts under the especial inspec- tion of Col. Thos. L. McKenney. Believing that I could furnish at a lower rate, I proposed to supply them at eighteen cents per ration, and to pay all contingencies myself, which must have been a saving of from eight to ten cents in the cost of a ration, while the Government was not to be liable for any losses incurred. I was also to erect" some store-houses and make my issues at three points in each nation, to be designated by the Secretary of War. Up to that time the Indians had only received their supplies at one point in each nation, and the consequence was that they could not extend their settlements to the interior of their country. As the depot was always on the river, they were, from necessity, compelled to settle in its vicinity, and often became sickly, and many died. I shewed Major Eaton what the cost of the ration was then, and had been; yet he was not willing to let out the contract without notice being first publically given, and the ac- ceptance of my proposal at eighteen cents was declined by him. As well as I recollect he asked me to write the notice. I did so and handed it to him, when he added to it some reservation of powers to himself, as I understood from him, to be used at any time, when he could ascertain (if the contract was let) that the rate of the ration was too high; and he mhrht have the power to make a contract more advantageous to the United States; and as there was no well established quantity to constitute a ration,
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