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Show - XVIII RZPORT OF THE COid3fi8SIONER OF IUUIAN &AlR8. effected. bands of Chippewa Indians, in the State of Wisconsin. Honse bill No. 5564, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to fulfill certain treaty stipulations ~ i t thhe Cbippewa Gdians of Lake Superior and Mississippi. Honse bill No. 3854, to fulfill t.waty stipulations with theMiami Indians of Indiana, in regard to the payment of certain moneys dnethem. The passwe of theue bills would be of great benefit to the Indians concerned. I would also call attention to House bill 3613 (Forty-fifth Congrws, aecond session), to provide for the entry of lands by Indians under the homestead laws. RAILROADS THROUGH INDIAN RESERVATIONS. I The rcrivel of railroad building, and resumed constructiou of the Pacific and lateral mads, the lines of whose mutes pass through Indian reservations, has entailed additional labor on this office. In some in-stances a right of way through the reservations is conferred by the treaty or agreement with the Indians ; in others the treaties or acts of Congress creating the reserva.tion are silent on the subject.; a.nd, again, there is another class of cases where railroads pass through reserves which have bee11 created by executive order and in which the Indians are mere ten-ants at will, possessing no permanent right to the lands npon which they are temporarily permitted to remain. In all these cases it becomes the duty of this office, as guardian of the interests of t,he Indians, to pass upon the applications of railroad companies for authority to enter the reserves, whether for the pnrpose of makiug a preliminary surrey OY for the construction of the road. As a precautionary measure, and whether a right of way has beeu guaranteed by treaty or other instrument, or not, upon an application by s, railmad company for a right of way or permission to enter a reserva-tion, the Indians interested are invariably assembled in council under the direction of the agent, and consnjted as to their views and wishes in the matter, and as to t,he compensation. to be required of the rail-r o d company for the privilege songht. It ir gratifying to remark that |
