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Show I REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF IiVDIAN AFFAIRS. XLIX but 40 acres, while the aged and infirm hare 160 acres, and thus ignores the right of the joint owners of common property to equal share in the same. I am still of the opinion that every member of the tribe should be 1 allotted the same quantity of laud.* I The second section of this bill provides that mheuever'it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the Secretary oE the Iuterior that any allottee call not personally and with benefit to himself occupy and im-prove his allotment, or any pa.rt thereof, the same %nayb e leased, upon such terms, regulations, and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, for a term cot exceeding three Sears, for.farming or grazing, or ten years for mining purposes. Section 3 provides that for the purpose of determining the descent of laud to heirs under the prorisions of the fifth section of the general allotment act, the issue of persons liviirg together as man and wife, according to the custom aud maouer of Iu-dian life, at leastone of thz parents beiug of Indian blood, shall be deemed to be the legitimate issue of the father. 1 The provisions of the second and third sections meet my approval. I consider it especially desirable that the latter section should be iucor-porated into some law. The mere division of lands aud the issuance of patents can have but little visible effect upon the condition of allottees but as soon as each patentee has the means to establish himself upon his allot-ment and improve the same the results will soon become apparent. It is probable that allottees will generally need assistance either from the funds derived from the sale of surplus lands or from appropriations to enable them to commence work upon their allotments,and will requiro care and soperrisiou for some years to come. 'But with such assistance and supervision, together with proper educational facilities for the younger generation, me may in a few years look for gratifying results. The division of Iuilian lands in severalty and the ultimate tlestructiou of the tribal and reservation systems beiug inevitable, the Indians should be taught to look forward to this and be prepared, so far as pr:lc-ticable, to meet it. I t will be difficult for the older Indians to adapt themselves at once to the changiugcondition of affairs. The chiefsaud head.men will natiwlly endeavor to retail1 the iutluence which the tribal relation enables them to exercise, while the idle and unprogressire elements will resist any l~olicyth at compels them to labor for their own support,. THE UXATI1;LA RESERVATION IN OREGON. After much delay the necessarj7 surveys for the carrying out of the provisions of the act of March 3,1885 (23 Stats. 341), which provides for the allotlnent of lands in severalty to the Indians of the Umatilla Reservation, in Oregon, and the appraisement and sale of their surplus lands, hare been executed and approved, and a commisxion has been 'Since this was written the Senate bill has psssed the Rouse with an amendment which provides for an allotment of eighty awes to eaoh Indian. 9975--4** |
