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Show XXIV REPORT OF THE COMMISSIOXEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Idaho, Clear Water sad Montana Transportation Oorn(pmy-Nez Per& Reserve, Idaho.-On the 27th January last, Agent Warner, in charge of the Nez Per&. Indians, transmitted to this office a petition of the Idaho, Clea,r Water and Montana Transportation Company (a corporation of the Territory of Idaho, engaged in the coustr~~ctioonf railroads from Lewiston east into Montana), for a right of way along the Clear Water River and t,hrough the Nez Perc6 Reservation, established br treaty of June 9, IS63 (14 Stat. 651), which treaty provides for the estab-lishment of roads upon that reservation under authority of the Cnited States. In transmitting the application the agent stated that the lndi-ans appeared to favor the building of the road, as it would open up a good market for their farm produce, and that it would also greatlj-facilitate the delivery of supplies to the agency. He therefore earnestly recommendec1 the granting of the petition, subject to the consent of the Indians. Iu pursuance of department instructions of the 8th May last, Agent Warner was directed to convene a council of the Indians for the purpose of laying the matter before them and ohtaining their consent to a peace-ful preliminary survey in order to determine the definite location of the road upon the re,servation, with the understanding that before anycon-struction of the road could be commenced the consent of three-fourtha of the adult male Indians upon the reservation would be necessary, and that reasonable compensation, subject to the approval of thedepartment, would be required from the company for the right of way and lands taken. On the 10th Juue last, Agent Warner reported to t.bis office. that he had submitted the proposition to the lndians in coul~cial ssem-bled, and that greatly to his surprise they had almost unanimously voted against it. Subsequei~ta dvices fiom the agent seem, however, to indicate that the Indians acted under a misapprehension, and that they will reconsider their determination this fall. Utah and A70rthern Railroad-Shoshone and Bannack (Fort Hall) Re-serve, Idaho.-Reference was made in my last annual report to an agreement which had been entered into with the Shoshone and Bannack Indians of Idaho for the extinguishment by the government of their title to so much of the lands of their reservation as are required for the pnrposes of the Utah and Northern Railroad Company in the constn~c-tion of a road from east to west through the Fort Hall Reserve. By this agreement, which is dated July 18,1581, the Hhoshone and Batlnack Indians ceded to the United States a strip of land extending from east to west through their reservation, to be used by stid railroad company as a right of way and road bed?c ontair~ing6 70 acres, or t,hereabouts; also certain plots of laud for depots, stations, &c., containing about 102 acres- For this cession the United States a,greed to pay to the Shoshone and Bannack Indians $6,000, or about $7.77 per acre, to be deposit,ed in the United States Treasury to the credit of said Indians, upon ratification of the a,greement by Congress and necessary appropriations therefor, and to bear interest at 5 per cent. |
