OCR Text |
Show their claims to him, in person or by representation, 44 of which claims he admitted and he favorably recommended. Patents in fee have issued to 31 of the aforesaid 44, and a patent without the right of alienation has issued to one, vie, Mary or Madam White and her heirs. This leaves 12 persons to whom no patents have ever issued, and there is no authority for the issue of patents to them except in accordance with the conditions of seotion 9 of the xt of 1870, which is a restriction for all time, without the right of alienation, by any-one, under any circumstauces-an entailment 0x1 the land which is not deemed desirable. A full statement of the status of these 13 cases was submitted to the Department with the draft of a bill "For the relief of certain Winnebago Indians in Minnesota." A hill, No. 7731, was introduced in the House of Representatives modifying the fourth and ninth sections of the acts of 1863 and 1870, respectively, so far as they related to the lauds of the Winuebago Indians in Minnesota, so as to permit the alienation and conveyance of said lands with the consent of the Secretary of the Interior. The bill was passed by the House, as drafted in this office, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. In conclusion, allow me to acknowledge my sense of obligation to you for the special interest yon have manifested in the affairs of this Bureauand the assistance you have cordially rendered me, in the man-agement of difficnlt problems which have arisen, by your personal attention to their details. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. M. BROWNING, Commissioner. The SECRETARYO F THE INTERIOR. |