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Show - -- - 00MMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIBB. 107 zation and general advancement of the Lemhi Indians would be greatly promoted by their removal to Fort Hall. If the Lernhi Indians refuse to remove to the Fort Hall Reserva-tion, the Office is clearly of opinion that the agreement is valid and binding on the Fort Ha11 Indians, and that under it allotments could be made to the Fort Hall Indians without further legislation. INDIAN -BY UNDEa THE CURTIS ACT AND SUB8EQKJENT IZQISLATION. ABOLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. The act approved April 21,1904 (33 Stat. L., 189), provided for the abolishment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes on July 1, 1905. At the close of the fiscal year the Commission consisted of Tams Bixby, of Minnesota, chairman; Thomas B. Needles, of Illinois, and Clifton R. Breckinridge, of Arkansas. By the act of March 3,1905 (33 Stat. L., 1048), the closing up of the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes is devolved upon the Secretary of the Interior. The item is as follows: For the completion of the work heretofore required by law to be done by the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, and the provisions for investigationw herein contained, two hundred thousand dollars, said appropriation to be die burned under the dlreetion of the Secretary of the Interlor : Proffided, That the work of completing the unfinished business, if any, of the Commission to the Flve Civilized Tribes shall devolve upon the Secretary of the Interior, and that all the powers heretofore granted to the said Commission to the Mve Civilized Tribes are hereby conferred upon the said Secretary on and after the flrst of Jnly, nineteen hundred and dve. The Secretary appointed Tams Bixby to succeed the Commission and to perform the work formerly required of it. Mr. Bixby has been designated " Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes." Section 27 of the a d of June 28, 1898 (SO Stat. L., 495), entitled "An act for the protection of the people of the Indian Territory, and for other purposes," commonly called the Curtis Act, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior "to locate one Indian inspector in the Indian Territory, who may, under his authority and direction, per-form any duties required of the Secretary of the Interior by law relating to affairs therein" On August 17,1898, the Secretary of the Interior assigned United States Indian Inspector J. George Wright to the Indian Territory. This assignment has since continued. In-spector Wright reports to the Department through this Office on mat-ters coming under his jurisdiction, and the United States Indian agent transmits all of his correspondence, whether with this Office or the general public, through the inspector's office. |