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Show 82 a REPORT OF THE COMMI~SIO~ERO F INDIAN AFFAIRS. vey of this reservation, whibh wntiins about two-thirds of a township, may be completed in time to enable this office to carry opt the provis-jons of the act df March 3,1885 (23 Stat., 351), and January 26,1887 (24 Stat., 367), during the spring of 1890. Special Agent Gordon wan instructed, July 19, 1889, to again pre-sent to the S'dc and Foxof the Missouri Indians the said acts for their final aaceptauce or rejection. September 9, 1889, he submitted hjs re-port, from which it appears that at. a full council of the Indians the proposition to sell their lands under the piovisions of said acts of March 3, 1885, and January 26, 1887, was unanimousIy rejected. They also refused to take allotments in severalty under the provisions of said acts. Special Agent Gordon expresses the opinion that these Indians could be'induced to take allotments in severalty if they could he assured that their lands oould be equally divided betweenthe men, women, and chil-dren. They do not regard the general allotment act as fair or equitable, as itmakes no provision for mrirried women,and discriminates between a person eighteen years of age and one but, a mouth or twogounger. They regard an equal division of the lands among all the members of the tribe as the only just plan. OLD CAMP M'GAEBY MILITART RESERVATION, NEVADA. The attention of this office was invited by the surveyor-general of Nevada to the fact that certain Indians are located upon sections 19,20,29, and 30, T. 42 N., R. 26 E., Mount DiahIo meridian, that State; that they have occupied and cultivated these lands for some fifteen years; and that they now desire to secure the same as homes for them-selves and families. Upon inquiry at the General Laud Office, this office ascertained that these lands are embraced within the old Damp .McGarry military res-ervation; that they have been surveyed, and that the survey hsa been regularly approved and accepted by the General Land Office; that the said military reservation was relinquished by the War Department March 25, 1871, and that provision was made for its disposal under the act of Congress approvcd February 24,1871 (16 Stat., 430) ; but that no action as yet has been taken in the matter of appraisement of the lands in question, to the end that they' may be disposed of under that act, and one of July 5,1884 (23 Stat., 103), for the reason that as there are no Government improvements of value thereon the lands appear to he of no more value than ordinary lands in that vicinity ; and that reoommendatioh has been made for the necessary legislation, by which the lands may be disposed of nuder the homeaead and pre-emption laws, and a saving thereby he eflected to the Treasury of the expenses of appraisement and advertising under existing laws. In view of the fact that the Indians referred to have long ocoopied and cultivated. these lands, and to the end that they may secure title thereto as permanent homes, legislation should be had authorizing the |
