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Show 72 REPORT OF TEE 00~8810NEB OF INDIAN AETAIBS. this agency. The act of Jnne 27,1902 (32 Stah., 400), specifically repeals the clause of the Indian appropriation act of Jnne 7,1897, which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to permit the Indians of the diminished reservations in the State of Minnesota to dispose of the dead timber, standing or fallen, thereon; and likewise to permit the Indians of the ceded lands to dispose of the dead timber, standing or fallen; on the ceded lands. There is not, therefore, any authority of la* under which the timber, standing or fallen, on Indkin reserva-tions in Minnesota can be disposed of, except that contained in the act of February 16, 1889 (25 Stats., 673), which permits the Pr~sidentto authorize the sale of such timber. As the act of June 27 places the estimating, appraising, and sale of the timber on the ceded lands under the jurisdiction of the Co:ommis-sioner of the General Land Office, it .is unnecessary to discuss ib pro-visions in this report. White Earth Agency, Mh.-Porter-Seelye controversy.-The his-tory of this controveisy waa fully gone over in my report forlastyear. Charles E. Seelye, as attorney for William Donglaas, Maggie A. Seelye, and Ella M. Seelye, had entercd into contract for the delivery to George I?. Porter, during the logging season of 1898-99, of about 4,500,000 feet of pine saw logs. At the agreed price the logs cut and delivered amounted to $33,190.03, which, with the exception of $7,880.49 paid out on time checks,' waa paid to the Indian agent at White Earth, who, under the regulations, was to have control of the proceeds of the sale. Then a controversy arose as to the disposition of this fund, and October 31, 1901, the attorneys for the respective parties filed in this office a stipdation of settlement, by which it was agreed that, with the approval of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, there should be paid in full settlement of all,sums and demands by the several parties, the following sums: To William Douglass ..................................... $827.07 To M. A. Seelye. ......................................... 3,149.70 To Ella M. Seelye.. ................................... 5,145.65 To George F. Porter ...................................... 8,124.69 To Costello (first name unknown). ........................ 299.00 To the Indian stumpage fund ............................. 7,564.56 To the peraons entitled to one half of unpaid d e bil l.. .... 204.88 To account of time checks already paid .................... 7,880.49 Total .............................................. 33,196.04 October 31, 1901, the O5ce transmitted the correspondence and papers to the Department, and recommended that the controversy be I settled practically in accordance with the stipulation. |