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Show eto., were lost. Later he reported that certain papers relating to the ZuSi grant had been found in the office of the surveyor-general of the Territory of New Mexico, and he recommended that, in case Congress should decline to take action in the matter, a suit be instituted in the United States Court of Private Land Claims, then sitting at Santa Fe for the settlement of land grants in New Mexico. The matter was reported to the Department, January 27, 1897, with the recommendaa-tion that the case be referred to the Commissioner of the General Land Office for an expression of his views as to what method should be adopted to secure the title of the Zufii pueblo grant in and to the Znfii Indians. The Department on the 9th of March informed this office that the Oommissioner of the General Land Office saw no way by which the title to the grant could then be confirmed to the Indians, except by special act of Congress, either confirming the claim ontright or permitting suit to be brought against the United States in the Court of Private Land Claims, notwith6tanding the limit for such actions axed by the act of 1801. Holding that it seemed bnt fair and just to the Indians that the necessary steps be taken to secure their homes to them, as bad been done in the case of other Indians similarly located, the Department directed that a draft of the necessary legislation be prepared to be submitted to Uongresa. For use in the preparation of such draft the Commissioner of the General Land Office, April 24,1897, furnished this office with the fol-lowing copy of the transcript of the records of the claim of the Zuiii Indians for land in New Mexico, furnished by the surveyor-general of that Territory in his letter of November 20,1880: Ranscript of Indian Pueblo Grant V, in the name of the pueblo of Zuni, in New Mexico. Date of grant, September 26, 1689. Date of surveyor-general's approval, September 26,1879. Transmitted to the General Land Offioe by the surveyor-general of New Mexico, November 20, 1880. Letter No. 75542. GRANT (IITEN TO ZUNl-PEAR 1689. At the town of Onr Lady of Gnadalupe del Pxso del Rio del Norte, on the twenty-fifth day of Lhe month of September, year one thousand six hondred and eighty-niue, hia exoellency, the governor and captain general, Don Domingo Jiranza y Petroe ds Cmzato, declared before me that whereas within the reach of his antbority which he bas in New Mexico and of his power over the Qneres Indians and over the spo8tates, and that after having fought a11 the other Indians of the Pueblos, an Indian called B8,rtolome de Ojeds, who was the one who distinguished himself most in battle, succoring all point& surrendered himself, finding himself wonnded by a gunshot aud an arrow, and being already disabled I ordered him to be bken and oansed that they sh~l l ldh eal him with grebt care so that he might be examined and state on his oonfession the oouditian in which is found the pueblo of Zuni and tho other apostates of that kingdom, and sa the Indian is versed in the Cestillisn lan-guage, is apt, and can read and write, mnd as he was the aame who had condnctmd General Pedro de Renero de Poasada to that pueblo, he being than on his way baok |