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Show I NEW YORK INDIANS. i As stated iu my last auunal report, provision was madein the Indian appropriation act for the year ending June 30,1895, for the making of a thorough investigation by the Secret'ary of the Interior of the condi-tion of the Indians in the State of New York, their progress in civiliza-tion and fitness for citizenship, and the propriety of allotting their lauds iu severalty, and also any faccs touching the Ogden Land Com-pany aud its claim to lands of the Seneca Indians; report thereon to be made to Congress. The investigat~oup rov~dedf or was made,and the report thereon was published in Senate Ex. Doc. No. 52, Eifty-third Congress, third ses-sion. St states that whate?-er be the title or interest of the Ogden Land Company in these lands the claim is a cloud upou the Indian title; that it has bee11 a serious hindrance to the prosperity of the Indians, and that it should be extinguished at once; that the ooznpany had proposed to the Secretary to relinquish its title to the lauds in question at the average rate of $10 per acre, md that inasmucll as the price did not seem to be nu exorbitant one--in view of the facts developed-he saw lio objectio~t to Congress authorizing the Depart-ment to negotiate for 6uc.h relinquishment at not exceeding the price named. The action taken by Congress on said report, which is found in a clause in t,he Indian appropriation act for the curreut fiscal year, directs : That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorisad to negotiate with the Ogden Land Company for the purohase of the intereats said company may possess, if auy, in the Cattaraugus and Allegany Iudian reaervstions in the State of New Yark. He is also authorized to negotiate with the said Indians, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, as to the terms upon which the said Indians will ooneent to tho United States purchasing the intarest of said company in said reser-vations, if snch interest is found to exist, and the Secretary of the Interior shsll make a fnll1.eport to Congress of his proceedings uuder this provision. The office of commissioner to negotiate with the company and with the Indians has been tendered to and accepted by Mr. Philip C. Garrett, of Philadelphia, upou whose suggestion the Department requested the Attorney-General to cause the exact title or interest of the Ogden Land Company in the said lands to be ascertained before entering upon negotiations. This office is informally advised that the matter mas referred. by the Attorney-General to the United States attorney for the northern district of New Pork on June 26 last, with instructionsto make the examination requested. As soon as his report shall have been received the necessa.ry i~lstructions for negotiations will be sent to Mr. Garrett, afterbeing approved by the Department. |
