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Show REPORT OF THE COMM1SSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XXXVII I return has yet been made. They gave up lands, houses, and agricul-tural implements. The houses and implements will be returned to them ; their lands should be immediately paid for, and the title to their present location should be made secure. But the removal iuflicted a far greater illjury upon the Poncas, for which no reparation can be made-the loss by death of many of their numbec, caused by change of climate. I UMATILLA RESERVATION. ! In addition to 111~re marks on the general subject of the co~lsolidation of Indian agencies, I wish to invite special attention to the Umatilla Reserntion in Xortheastern Oregon. This reserve, inclosed by the Uma-tilla River and the Blue Mountains, contains 268,800 acres, and includes some of the finest gazing and agricultural land in the State. Article 10 of the treaty of 1859 with the Walla Walla, Caynse, and UmatilIa Inciians provides that roads, highways, and railroads shall have right of way through their reservatiou whenever, in the opinion of the President, public interest reqnires the same. The rapid settling up of that portion of the State has snrro~undedt he reservation mith a white farming popu-lation, who have already run across it a telegraph-line and several roads. The route of the Blue Mountain and Columbia River Railroad line trav-erses the southern poi%ion, and the junction of this road with a proposed branch line is to fall within reservation boundaries. This valuable tract is occupied by only 1,000 Indians, who culti7-ate b e t ~ e e ntw o and three thousand acres, and make use of so much of the remainder of their lands as is requured to furnish a range for their 22,000 head of stock. For several years past the citizens of Oregon have made persistent effort to have these lands opened to settlement, and several bills to that effect have been i~~troduceind Congrms. This desire, which gains strength yearly, is well known to the Indians, and begets a feeling of restlessness and uncertainty decidedly uufavorable to their progress in civilization. In view of the pressure on all sides for the removal of these tribes, the increasing trarcl across the reservation, the expiration of their treaty before they have reached a point where government aid can be dispensed with, the expense of maintaining an agency for so small a number of Indians, and the fact that upon the Yakma Besen'ation a sdcient quantity of equally valuable land can be allotted them, I deem it expe-dient that the tribes occupying the Umatilla Reservation be remored to Yakama, and that the lands thus vacated be sold, the proceeds of such sale to be used to defray the expense of the removal, to make full reim-bursement for all improvements relinquished, and to provide ample facilities for suuch cirilizing work as will bring them to self-support. THE INDIAN TERRITORY. The Indian Territory embraces an area of 68,000 square miles, every foot of which is deroted to India11 settlement, and by virtueof the inter- |