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Show 96 REPORT OF THE COMMIS810NER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Agent Savage's report of September 11, 1895, showing that he baa found 29 persons to be entitled to patents. Pending administrative examination of this work protests were Bled in this office by Mr. Edwin Willits, attorney for Albert Miller, against the recognition of the roll of the tribe which had heeu approved by the Depar tme~J~utn e 12,1894. These protests, after some correspo~~dence with Mr. Willits and others, were, at his request transmitted to the Department with my report of November 8,1895, for a decision by the Department whether, in view of the facts set out in said report, sufficient groilnd bad been shown by the protestiug parties to warrant action which would upset the enrollment of 1894 and require the making of a new roll. No reply to this report has been received, and inasmuch as some of the parties found by Mr. Savage to be entitled to patents are among those against whom the protests are made, I have not deemed it expedient to take action on the report of Agent Savage. The whole matter is therefore held in this office awaiting determination by the Department as to the enrollment. TURTLE MOUNTAIN INDIANS. Nothing has been accomplished during the year in the way of settling the Turtle Mountain questiod. The agreement concluded October 22, 1892, with the Pembina Chippewas, which it was thought would bring their affairs to a satisfactory krmiuation, has not yet been ratified by Congress, though drafts of hills have several timed heeu submitted with reccmmendatiou that the agreement be ratified. One was submitted December 9,1895, with the statement that these, Indians were in a cou- . ' tinned state of disquiet and unrest as the result of the failure to ratify their agreement. The Indians strongly favor the ratification, and I know of no reason for not ratifying it, except that it is opposed by a certain Canadian half-breed faction which, instigated by outside par-ties, has always beeu more or less of a disturbing element on this reservation. A number of Pembinas were tried and sent. to jail for the alleged offense of cutting timber on Government land in the Turtle Mountain district. The Indians claimed, however, that the cutting was done on land which they have always claimed as their own; that they have never ceded this land to the Qovernment except by the unratified agree. ment of 1892, and that the cutting and sale wasdone the winter before to enable them to procure food. The ratification of the agreement with these 111dians can not be too strongly urged. UINTAH AND OURBP RESERVATIONS. IN UTAH The two surviving Commissioners, appointed under sections 20 to 22 of the actof August 15,1894 (28 Btat,. L., 286), to allot lands to the Uncompahgre Utes, etc., and to negotiate with the Uinta'h Utes for |