To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 27 January 1796
From Timothy Pickering
Department of State Jany 27. 1796.
The Secretary of State respectfully lays before the President the opinion of the Attorney General, just received, upon the threatened intrusions on Indian Lands as stated in Governor Blount’s letter.1 He has suggested some amendments which appear important; and which if the President pleases the Secretary of State will communicate to the Committee Who have lately reported a new bill for regulating trade &c. with the Indians. Some amendments have been introduced into the 5th section, at the instance of the Secretary: but the case stated by Govr Blount has led the Attorney General to suggest further and important improvements.2
Timothy Pickering
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.
1. For William Blount’s letter to Pickering of 19 Dec. 1795, see Pickering to Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 22 Jan., n.2. The opinion of Attorney General Charles Lee has not been identified.
2. On 17 Dec. 1795 the House, meeting as a committee of the whole on the state of the union, brought in a resolution “that effectual provision ought to be made for the security of the frontiers, and for the protection of the Indians, from any injuries by any of the inhabitants of the United States.” A committee was appointed to prepare a bill pursuant to that resolution, and that committee reported on 25 Jan. “a bill to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and to preserve peace on the frontiers” ( 8:40–41, 125).
GW’s secretary Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., replied to Pickering on this date, returning Blount’s letter and Lee’s opinion and reporting that “The President thinks it proper that their contents should be communicated to the Committee appointed to bring in a bill for regulating the Indian trade” (AL [retained copy], DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW). On 3 Feb., after the receipt of GW’s message conveying Blount’s letter, the House voted to recommit the bill to committee, from which it eventually re-emerged in amended form and was passed into law. The fifth section of the amended bill provided that any citizen settling on or attempting to survey Indian lands should forfeit all claim to such lands and pay an additional fine. It also authorized the president to use military force to remove settlers from Indian lands ( 8:144, 182, 456–57; 469–74).