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Show 68 REPORT OF THE COMMIBSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. the 111dians under their charge from wantonly killing game on their reservations and from leaving their reservations for such a purpose. INDIAN DEPREDATION CLAIMS. Since my last aunual report. this office has reported to the Court of Claims on 329 depredation claims. In 126 claims the papers on file in this office were transmitted to the court ; 66 were reported as having been previously transruitted to Congress ; 4 as having been returned to claimants and attorneys ; G as haviug been sent to Indian agents ; 9 as having been trausmitted to the Second Auditor, and miseellane-ous information given relative to 118. The total number of claims of record in this office is 8,005. The number reported to the Court of Claims in previous years, 3,430, added to the number reported upon during the past year, 211, amounts to 3,641, which deducted from the total n~umbero f claims of record, leaves 4,364 yet on file. The responsibility for the proper care. sndcustody of these papers, making transfers of claims to the court, a,nd keeping a record of the same still devolves upon this office. Seven claims have been filed in this office during the past year. But section 13 of the act of March 3, 1891, conferring hpon the Court of Claims jurisdiction and authority to finally adjudicate and inquire into Indian depredation claims, provides that all investigations and exami-nations under provisions of acts of Congress in force at the time of the taking etfect of said act shall cease; also that- All claims existing st the time of the taking effect of this act shall be presented to the court by petition, as hereinafter provided, within three years or shall be there-after forever barred. There is therefore no existing law under which these 8eve11 claims or .any future depredation claims can be adjudicated. The adjudication of claims under the present law is one of very grave concern, both to the Indians aud to the United States. At the last session of Congress there was introduced Senate bill 807, "to amend an act entitled 'An aot to provide for the adjudication and pay-ment of claims arising from Indian depredations,' approved March 3, 1891." The amendment substantially provides for adjudicating two classes of claims lzot provided for in the act of Narch 3, 1891,viz.: First, all claims for property of any "inhabitant" of the United States. Second, claims for property taken or destroyed by Indians belonging to '6 any" band, tribe, or nation, etc., the words &'in amity with the United States" being omitted. An examination of the laws relating to Indian depredation claims, particularly with reference to the questions involved in said amend-ment, shows that it seems to have been the intention of Congress prior to March 3,1885, to include claims not only of any citizen, but also of any <<inhabitant"o f the Unifed States against "tribes in amity" with the United States. But the act of.Mareh 3,1885 (23 Stats., 376), provide8 |