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time thereafter I received a letter from this officer, enclosing me one of his public notices, requiring the heads of every Cherokee family in this nation to appear at the agency on the first day of this month, there to decide to whom the annuities now due to the nation from the United States' Government, shall be paid; and requesting that I would make the same as extensively known as possible, for the information of the people; which was accordingly done. The sentiments of the people having been so fully & decisively expressed on this subject heretofore, and it being impossible to attend the agents' call in person, they held meetings in their respective neighborhoods and appointed Committees from among themselves, to attend on behalf of the nation; - they also gave written orders on the agent in favor? of the National Treasury. Not withstanding the weather being excessively foul & wet, and the agent not having furnished any supplies for their accommodation, there were 388 votes given in all of which, with the exception of but one dissenting vote directed that the money should be paid over to the National Treasurer. It was truly gratifying and highly creditable to the character of the people and the nation, to witness the orderly deportment of those who attended on this occasion, and also the sobriety with which all classes distinguished themselves. It was reasonable to have supposed that the money would have been paid over by the agent immediately after the sense of the people at this meeting had been ascertained. But not so. The money was not there. And it had to be drawn for after that meeting. For five years past has this public money been unjustly withheld from the nation; and now, after an act of Congress sanctioned by the President having been passed, requiring that it should be paid to "the Chief or to such person as the tribe shall direct," - together with the assurances made to the delegation by the Hon: Secretary of War on the subject, it was confidently believed that no further unnecessary delay would have been created by the officers of government in paying this money over, according to law.

I submit for your information a joint letter from H. Montgomery, Indian Agent, and Ben: F. Currey, Superintendant of Cherokee Emigration. The extraordinary character of its contents, induced me to transmit a copy of it direct