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Show 22 REPORT OF TEE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Delf~yin approving allotments and the issuance of patents covering nonreservation lands brings mucl~ trouble to the Indian applicants. Oftendesigningwhite men initiatecontests againstthem. This leads to e recall of the applications from this office, and 1n many instances sus-pension of further action thereon. Thisinvolves expense to the Indians, which too often in their poverty they are uuabie to bear, and by reason of the superior knowledge and skill of the white man the result is fre-quently disastrous t~ the Indian. When it happens that an Indian sllotmeut application is not in proper form, or by mistake covers lands to which a white man lays claim, which is often the case, the white claimant is quick to discover the mistake and to take steps to defeat the allotment. The whites in some sections of the country seem to have very little respect for the rights of Indians vho have segregated themselves from their tribes and solight to avail themselvesof the benefits of the Indian homestead and allotlnent laws enact,ed expressly for them by Congress, and I apprehend that, the opposition to them will increase as the pub-lic domain grows less and less. The lndians having bee11 encouraged to separate themselves from their tribes, abandon their old habits, adopt the pursuits of civilized hfe, and invited to take homes on the public domain, this office feels it its duty to use every proper means to protect them in the use and occupancy of lands selected by them for homesteads or allotments. Patents.-Since submitting my last report 102 patents for lands allotted to nonreservation Indians under tbe fourth section of the geo-era1 allotment act, as amended, have been issued by, the General Land Office and transmitted by this office to the registers and receivers of the United States land offices which embrace the lands covered by the respective patents. Of these patents, 40 were for lands .in the Ash-laud, Wis., district; 16 in the Independence, Cal.; 14 in the Hum-boldt, Cal.; 9 in the Helena, Mont.; 8 in the Roseburg, Oreg., and 7 in The Dalles, Oreg., district. The remaining 8 were distributed in various other land districta in California, Wisconsin, and Michigan. From the reports of some of the registers and receivers it appears that much di6iculty is experienced by them in effecting the delivery of patents. This is notably the case in the Independence and Redding (California) districts, wherein a large number of the patents sent out by this office in May and June, 1894, still remain nndelivered. The principal difficulty seems to be that the Indians reside so far from the land o€Lice, frequently 100 miles or more, that, being without means of conveyance, they are practically unable to call in person for their patents and receipt for the same, as in most cases they are now required to do by the local land officers. Again, diaculty is experienced in getting notice to an Indian that his patent is awaiting him at the land office, while occasionally, no doubt, he is somewhat indifferent about |