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Show ' 44 REPORT OF TH3E COMMISSIONER OF INDILN AFF~RS. sideration, but their defects are, in most instances, curable. Some are abt supported by the proof required by the Department rules of July 13, 1872; a few are duplicate filipgs of the sam9 claim ; others do not charge any particular tribe with the depredation complained of, and hence the office can not determinetheir status; and in many others the records show that the papers have been sent to Congress, or to some Indian agent for submission to the Indians charged, or have been with-drawn by the claimants or their attorneys and never returned, so that thereis no foundation upon which an investigation of them can be made. The remaining claims not subjeot to examination by this office, nnder , the operations of the laws now in force, are as follows: 1,010 claims, ' - amounting to $2,994,724.53, filed since March 3, 1885, but being for depredations mmmitted priorto December 1,1870, or' more than three years prior to tbe repeal of the limitation clause of the act of June 30, 1834 (4 Stat,, 731) ; 166, amounting to $916,216.15, being for depreda-tions committed by Indians not in treaty relations with the United States; 179, amounting to $1,633,735.27, being claims of Indians against whites or other Indians; and 19, amounting to $37,083.10, being claims of persons not citizens of the Uuited States at the dates of the alleged depredations. A list of those claims which are supposed to have been sent from time . . to time to the various Indian agents has lately been prepared and a copy sent to each agency with a request that a search be made for the same: and, if found, that they be returned to this office. A letter has also been addressed to theOlerk of the House of Representatives,and a wpy sent to the Secretary of the Senate, asking a return from Oongress of a11 such claims which have been sent ti, that body with reports from this oBce as may be subject to further investigation nnder the provisions of the act before referred to. It is expected that compliance with these requests will very wnsideraby increase the number of clainis 'subject to investigation and report. It may also be said that it is now the policy of the office to notify claimants of any curable defects in Obeir claims so as to give them an opportunity to make such amend-ments as may be necessary, under the law, to give them vitality. New ~laimss,u bject to investigation, are being filed every week, and old ones are being amended so as to come within the requirements-so that the work of the division is fast increa,sing. The filing, numbering, in-dexing, and acknowledging receipt of these claims, whether subject to investigation or not, requires mnaiderable work and makes a heavy draft on the time of the small clrrical force employed,, in this division. When the number and amount, of the claims now awaiting iuvestigation is observed, the necessity for increased force to do the work becomes apparent. A commission was appointed under the provisions of the'act of Peb-rnary 16, 1863, to investigate and adj~idiceteth e claims of the people of Minnesota-for damages susta,ined b~ reason of depredatiolls of the Si~se- |
