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Show 50 REPORT OF TEE COMMI88IONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. November 3, 1890, the duties of this Commission were defined under 'three distinct heads, ah11 instructions given- 1. To appraise tho value of any and all tracts of agricultural lands within the roser-vation, with theimprovemeutsthereon, which have become the propertyof individoals by pur&ase from the State of C~llifornia or fror~ persona deriving title from, said Stat*. 2. To select a raasouable quantity of graziog and timber lands to be used by said Indians in oornmon, or allotted in severalty, as the President luay determine. 5. To appraise the value of all improven1ent3 mads by private peraons or tirms he; fore the 3d day of Maroh, 1873, upon auy of the lands inalncled in the resen-atition as established under the aot of March 3,1873, other than those actually disposed of by said State sf California, and within the lauds selected bg the Corumission to be re-tained for the hldinns. The report of the Round ~ a l l i yIn dian Oornmission was submitted March 10,1801, signed by Commis8ioners Shryock and Smith, and a , minority report, without date, was submitted hg Oommissioner Hunt. April 7,1891, this office made report of tbe matter to the Department with certain recomuendatious. I K RIG.ATION. A large proportion of the lands reserved for Indian occupation are located within the arid or semi-arid regions of the United States. On such lands the attempt to engage in agriculture without proper facili-ties for irrigation can result only in failure. Although the allotment law of 1887 providrd for allotments of farming lauds on 'ad1 reserva-tions, very little had been attempted or provided, previous to the last session of Congress, in the way of' irrigating the lands to be allotted. It was therefore suggested to the commission appointed to negotiate with the Crow Indians in Montana for a cession of a portion of their reservation, that io any agreement which might be co~~cludepdro vision should be made for the applicatiol~o f a portion of the funds to be paid the Crows to the furnishing of irrigating appliances for thelands retained by them. In compliance with this suggestion the commivsiou incor-porated an article in the agreement concluded with those Indians De- .cember 8,1890, ratified by the act of Congress approved March 3,1891 (2G Stats., 1039), whereby the sum of $20D,000 was set apart to be expended in the building of dams, canals, ditches, and laterals for the purpose of irrigation in the,valleys of the Big Horn and Little Big Horn rivers, on Pryor Creek and such other stieams as the Secretary of the Interior might deem proper,the expenditure for any one year to be limited to $50,000. In submitting the agreement the commissioners refer at length to this important subject? and say: Allotments of land in sevarslty bane bean made to the Indians along these streams. ~ o o s ehsm e been builb far them; wagons, farm implemeots, and seeds have been furnished by the Gpvernmeut. Competent white rneo are employed to inscruot them in the business of farming, bat the return has been practically nothing, heoanse irri- |
