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Show I REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XXXYII ! The only legislation on tbis subject was in IS&. In the deficiency ' bill of that year, approred March 3 (22 Stat, 590), Congress enacted ' that- The pmceeda of all pasturage and sales of timber, coal, or other prodnot of any I Indian reservation, except thwe of the five civilized tribes, and ngt the result of the lobor of t ~ o gm ember of such tribe, .ball be covered into the Tressury for the benefit of anch tribe under such regulations s*l the Secretary of the Interim shell prescribe, and the Seoreturj shall report his actiao lu detail to Cougres at its next session. While this act. directed these funds to be covered into the Treasury, it was Gupposed that it also contemplated their being taken out; but on submitting the matter to the Secretary of the Treasury, he decided that the money derit-ed frotu the sources specified in the iaw shoul~l be corered into the Treasury under the general caption "Indian moneys," but that without further legislation by Congress it could not be brought upon the books of that Department as an appropriatiou-subject to draft. Upon this decisiou of the Treasury becoming known, the several agents were immediately directed. to deposit, at the end of each quarter, all funds known as India11 moness to the credit of t,heUnited States. This they have been doing, and although many deposits are quite small, yet the aggrogate is quite large, and there is now in t,he Treasury, subject to the action of Congress, t,he sum of $13,006.81. The eEect of the aot of Maroh 3, 1883, already quoted, asinterpreted by the Treasury Departu~et~its, to deprive t,he Indians interest,ed of a class of funds which i t has a1wa.y~b een held rightfully belongs to them, of which t,hey hare had the undisputed use for a uumber of years, and the benefit of which i t is bdlieved Congress intended they should have. The result is much dissatisfnctiou on the part of the Indians, and sl-ready several coml)laints have been received. Several attempts hare been made since the passage of theact of March 3, 1883, to get such legisla,tion as would allow the miscellaneons funds to be draw11 from the Treasury and be used for the bauefit of the Indians,according to the language of the actrequiring it to hecoveredin, but u~ithout success. I would therefore earnestly recommend that Con-gress again be asked to provide auoh legislation as will enable this De-p a r t ~ ~ t~o ew~it~hdtr aw from the Treasury the Indian money already covered in, so that it may be used for the benefit of the Indians, and as will place this class of funds hereafter under the sole control of the Interior Department. INDIAN MONEYS DERIVED FROM SALE OF RIGHT OF WAY THROUGH RESERVATIONS AND FROM OTHER SOURCES. On takiug charge of the Indian Office you turned over to me a check of my predecessor, Hon. H. Price, on the Treasurer of the United States. for $22,726.61, being balance to his official credit as Commis- |