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Show I 100 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. From a list 5led in this office by said attorneys setting forth in each m.ue the property alleged to have been taken and by whom, when, and where, it appears that nearly all the claims are for Indian ponies, stolen by white horse thieves or taken from the Indians by the United States military anthorites from1873 tol889, both years inclusive. The claims covered by said coiltracts aggregate about $300,000. The work of taking ti?stimony in conilection with these claims was begun at the Pine Ridge Agency on or about September 18,1894, and was discontinued about Deccinber 7,1894. Mr. W. F. Millsaps, an assistant attorney for this Department, was detailed iu connection with said work for the purpose of assisting the agent at that agency in taking proof and cross-examiuing witnesses. During that time, the proofs in behalf of 421 claims were taken and forwarded by the agent to this office. After an interim of over seven months this work wan resumed on July 24 last, at Pine Ridge Agency, and the taking of testimony in the remaining cases is now in progress. Mr. 0. L. Carter, a special attorney for the Department of Justice; is there as the representative of the Government, in lieu of Mr. Millsaps, and is assisting the agent in connection with the hearing of proofb and cross-examination of witnesses. I POTTAWATOMIE AND KICEAPOO SURPLUS LANDS. The teuth section of the Indian :~ppropriation act for the current year authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, with the consent of a majority of the cl~iefsl,i eadmen, and male adults of the Pottawstomie and Kickapoo tribes of Indians in Kansas, expressed in open council by each tribe, to canse to be sold in trust for said Indians the surplus or nnallotted lands of their reservations in Jackson and Browp coun-ties, Kans. In office report of May 1,1895, the Acting Commissioner suggested that before incurring any expense incident to the appointment of a commission to make the appraisement of the lands it would be well to send an inspector of the Department to lay the wholc mktter before the two tribes for their action. August 16,1895, Inspector Paul F. Faison reported that all of the Pottawatomies whom he could get to attend a council for the purpose were unanimously opposed to any dis-position of their surplus lands, and on the 18th of August, 1895, he made similar report as to the Kickapoos. I PYRAMID LAKE AND WALKER RIVER INDIANS. Senate bill No. 99, introduced in Congress at its last session, pro-vided among other things for t,he relinqnishment of the Indian title to the entire Nalker River Reservation and to a portion of the Pyramid Lake Reservation in Nevada, and for the removal to Pyramid Lake of the Walker River Iudiaus. It was suggested by members of the Board |