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Show REPORT OF TEIE CO~ISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XLVII report may be found in Senate Ex. Doc. No. 20, Forty-eighth Congress, second session. In the opinion of the commission the, question of the economic value of the coal-fields is one of great doubt. They say: ' Whether i t will pay to mine the coal in ve~gd. oubtful, hut if there are persons who think it will, aud are willing toattempt it, it is our opinion that to give the original discoverers the right to explore and develop the coal-field free of royalty during a period of three years, provided vork is begun within six months md carried forward continuously, then lease the coal lands for s term of years under s. royalty per ton of ten aents, to the persous who have developed the oosl field, will be the best method ofdisposiogof the same. If the ol.igina1 discoverers do not lease their prospect claims nuder the above condition?, and are not prepared or willing to oontinue the work of explomtion and development; the right to explore and leaae the coal lmds should he given to such responsible parties as the Department may determine. I find that my predecessor in returning the report to the Department, December 6, 1884, took occasion to dissent from Dhe opinion of the aomm ission that the original discoverers should have the right to explore and develop the coa1:fields "free of royalty during a period of three years," bnt concurred 'tin the general plan of leasing upon a royalty system, and also in the suggestion that the origiual discoverers should have a preference rightto lease." The effort to obtain possessioh of these lands was renewed with the change of Administration. The argumentused all along has been that as .the reservation was established by Executive order, the coal.bearing lands conld properly be restored to the public domain by a like order. But inasmuch as the sul~jecht as repeatedly been before Congress, and was pending in committee at the date of adjonrnment, I have steadfastly declined to make any recommendation in tbe premises, believing that the settlement of tbe question now properly belongs to that body. If Congress should decide to segregate the coal-fields from the reser-ration, it should provide for the sale of the lands thus segregated to the highest bidder at not lea8 than $20 per acre j the proceeds to be placed in the Treasury to the credit of the Indians, and draw 5 per cent. interest, to be expended nnrler direction of the Secretary of the Interior in the education pud civiliraiion of the Indians of said reservation. THE PAPACTO RESERVATION W ARIZONA. The difficnlty experienced during the last few years in preventing the occupation of the Papago Reservation in Southern Arizona by white settlers, and the unlawful cutting and removal of timber therefrom, renders it important that more effective measures be adopted than are' now being employed, or than are possible under the present system. The Papagos have no resident agent, and the reservation is attached'to the Pima and Maricopa agency, 60 miles distant. It is physically im-possible for the agent at that agency to properly attend to the affairs of the Papagos. However frequent his visits may be, no sooner is his back turned than the disturbances which called for his presence are renewed. Either an agency should be established there, and means provided for |