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Show C REPORT OF TEE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XXXUI in the House. I tind the subject has been exhanstiveli treated in for-mer annual reports of this office, and its importance cannot be overes timated. At present, according to the ruling of the United States . corwt for. the western district of Arkansas, there is no law in existence nnder which timber depredations on thelands of the civilized tribea can be punished (U. 9. v. Ben Reese, 5 Dill., 405). Prohibitory legislation should also b.e made to include coal and mineral deposits on Indian Ialids, which offer equal temptations to nnprincipled persons. 1 RAILROADS. As to railroads a.ffecting Indian reservations. there is but little of general interest to record. Bad River Reserne, Wisconsin (~UilwaukeeL, ake Shore and Western Railway).-Under Department authority of August 25,1884, mentioned in the last annual report of tbis office, the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway has been constructe~l through the reservatiou, and measures are now in progress to adjust the compenrration to be paid by the company to the Indians for the right of way, in accordance with treaty provisious. Devil's Lake Reserve, Uakota'(~arnestown and Northern Railroad, Northern Pac@c Railroad).-In accordance with. Department iostruc-tions of May 2, 1884, referred to in the last annual report. a full history of this case, with the draft of a bill granting a right of way for the Jamestown and Northern Railroad through the Devil's Lake Reserva-tion upon the terms and conditions propolied by the Indians rand ac-oepted by the .railroad company 3ctober 5, 1883, was prepared and submitted by this office to the Department December 11, 1884, and by the Department transmitted to' the Speaker of the House of Repre-sentatives,' by whom, 011 Decehber 15,1884, it was laid before Congress, referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordered to be printed (H. R. Ex. Doc., No. 31, Forty.eighth Congress, seeond session). Con-gress, however, adjourned without further action on the bill. The papers in the case kill be resubmitted for presentation at the ensuing session of Congress. Tort Hall Reserve, Idaho (Utah and Northern Railroad).-Pursuant to Department in~truct~ionofs September 24,1884, directing the prepa-ration and submission of a history of this case for presentation to Con-gress at the last session, for its deter~inatibn as to whether or not it .was the intention of certain acts of Congress to grant a right of way throngh an Indian reservation without compensation to the Indians located thereon, and for such action in the matter as Congress might deem advisable, a full report of all the facts, with citations from the United States laws relating to the construction of the' road, the treaty stipulations with the Indians, and references to the action taken by: Congress in similar iustances in making compensation to the Indians for lands taken and used for railroad purposes, was submitted by this 5067 IN-rIr |