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Show LXVIII REPORT OF THE COMMI8SIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS friendship for them. It appeara that upon the discovery of gold in the Noga.1 8Iountains a large body of miners ~11tplr osl)ectors were attracted there,and that io due time what is now known as t'he "Nogal Mining Dis-trict" was organized. New reins were discoveretl, am1 many locations were made upon lands afterwartls discovered to be within the rescrva-tion. As was natural, when a knowledge of these fact.3 reael~ed the Indians a spirit of dissatisfaction was manifested, and the miners, fear-ing that they might lose the results of their enterprise and labor, ap-pealed to the government through the military. Upon a proper presen-tatiou of the facts by their agent, the Indians appeared to appreciate the situation, and finally became convinced that it would be to their interest to yield to the fair demands of the miners. Accordingly they decided to interpose no objection to such reduction of the reservation on the north and west as in the judgment of the department might seem expedient, with the understanding, however, that a strip of country should he added to the reservation on t.he east, which would afford them additional grazing ground. The existenceof certain claims within the reservatiotl alleged to have been acquired prior to its establishment, and upon which the claimants resided, has been a fruitful sonrce of trouble. This was an additional reason for desiring a reduction of the reservation. By the redoction all but two have been placed outside the limits of the reservation, thereby disposing of a much-vexed question. At the request of the department, a survey of the new boundaries of the reservation is to be conducted at once by an officer of the Army, detailed for that purpose by direction of the Secretary of War. AMOUNT DUE NAVAJO INDIANS. I deem it my duty to call the attention of Congress to the sum of $156,651.74, which in my opinion is justly due the Navajoes, but which, under the operations of the actof June 20,1874, was covered back into the Treasury. The following is a brief history of the case : Article 7 of the treaty with the Navajoes, dated June 1,1868 (U. 5. Stats., vol. 15, page GGZ), provides that the head of a family who cultivates the soil- Shall beentitled to receive seeds aud agricultural implements for the first year, not. exceeding in v a l ~ ~$1e0 0, aud for each weceeding gear he sbnll continue to farm, for a period of two yenre, he shall be eotit.led to rceeive seeds and implernenta to the value of $25. In pursuance of this provision, Oongress, in 1869, appropriated for <'seeds, farming implements, work-cattle, and other stock, for 1,400 fam-ilies, in conformity with the seventh article of said treaty, $140,000," and in 1870 and 1871 the sum of $35,000 for each yew was appropriated for seeds and agricultural implements for 1,400 families, at the rate of $25 per family, making a total appropriation of $210,000. From July 1,1869, to June 30,1877, the expenditnres from that appropriation for the purpose ahore named were $53,348.96, leaving an nuexpended bal- |