n
judicially investigated they will continue to retard the settlement
and improvement of the country. I therefore respectfully recommend
that provision be made by law for the appointment of commissioners to
examine all such claims with a view to their final adjustment.

I also beg leave to call your attention to the propriety of extending
at an early day our system of land laws, with such modifications as
may be necessary, over the State of California and the Territories of
Utah and New Mexico. The mineral lands of California will, of course,
form an exception to any general system which may be adopted. Various
methods of disposing of them have been suggested. I was at first
inclined to favor the system of leasing, as it seemed to promise the
largest revenue to the Government and to afford the best security
against monopolies; but further reflection and our experience in
leasing the lead mines and selling lands upon credit have brought
my mind to the conclusion that there would be great difficulty in
collecting the rents, and that the relation of debtor and creditor
between the citizens and the Government would be attended with many
mischievous consequences. I therefore recommend that instead of
retaining the mineral lands under the permanent control of the
Government they be divided into small parcels and sold, under such
restrictions as to quantity and time as will insure the best price and
guard most effectually against combinations of capitalists to obtain
monopolies.

The annexation of Texas and the acquisition of California and New
Mexico have given increased importance to our Indian relations. The
various tribes brought under our jurisdiction by these enlargements of
our boundaries are estimated to embrace a population of 124,000.

Texas and New Mexico are surrounded by powerful tribes of Indians,
who are a source of constant terror and annoyance to the inhabitants.
Separating into small predatory bands, and always mounted, they
overrun the country, devastating farms, destroying crops, driving off
whole herds of cattle, and occasionally murdering the inhabitants or
carrying them into captivity. The great roads leading into the country
are infested with them, whereby traveling is rendered extremely
dangerous and immigration is almost entirely arrested. The Mexican
frontier, which by the eleventh article of the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo we are bound to protect against the Indians within our border,
is exposed