33-1Indian AffairsReport : Memorial of J. Johnson. [743] Agent for the Wyandots durign 1841-1842; treaty negotiations.1854-7

House of Representatives Report No. 178,  33d Congress, 1st Session (1854)

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33d CoNGREss, 1st Session. Rep. No. 178!' JOHN JOHNSON. Ho. oF REPS. JuxE 10, 1854.-Laid upon the table and ordered to be printed. Mr. GREENWOOD, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, made the fol-lowing REPORT. The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom was referred the memorial of John Johnson, ei;q., asking seven months' compensation as agent for the Wyan-dott Indians 'in 1841 and 1842, have had the same under consideration, and respectfully r-eport as follows: In March, 1841, the memorialist was appointed, by direction of the President, commissioner for the purpose of negotiating a treaty with the Wyandotts. The object of the commission was not finally consum-mated until the month of March, 1842; in the meanwhile, such seemed to be the peculiar state of affairs at the W yandott agency, upon the proper regulation of which depended, in a great measure, the success of the negotiation, Mr. Johnson, the memorialist, thought it,important to the favorable negotiation of the treaty that he should tender his ser-vices to assist in the management of the business of the sub-agent. The committee deem it proper to state, also, that during the period charged for, from April 1st, 1841, to June 30th, 1842, the Wyandotts had a regularly appointed sub-agent. Upon the representations of the memorialist respecting the conduct .and inefficiency of the sub-agent, the Department of the Interior made available the voluntary offer and position of the memorialist to assist and control, to a limited extent, the affairs of the sub-agency, but under no circumstances was he to be re-garded as acting in a twofold capacity, for which he should receive two measures of compensation, and the memorialist was so informed, and was also informed that he could not receive the appointment of agent so long as he held the appointment of commissioner, because the act of 3d of March, 1839, expressly forbade it. The department did not view the discharge of certain duties pertaining to the sub-agency, which Mr. Johnson voluntarily undertook, in the light of a separate office, as act-ing agent or otherwise, from that of commis~:ioner to negotiate a treaty. Mr. Johnson while there made two applications for the appointment of sub-agent to the W yandott Indians. The memorialist was actually engaged in negotiating the treaty during a considerable part of the time specified in his charge for ser-vices as acting agent. Therein he says: "There will be due to me as commissioner for negotiating the treaty with the W yandotts, for Jan-2 H. Rep. 178. uary, February, ~larch, April, and to the lOth of ~lay, 1842-all that time employed-one hundred and thirty days, at $8 per day, making $1,040." The committee are of opinion, upon a careful examination of the memorial and evidence, that the memorialist is not entitled to any relief. 

John Johnson.

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John Johnson.

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