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Show 10 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS seemed to be clearly shown by what the applicants were doing for themselves, and had accomplished for a year or two,,that they were as competent as our average citizens to look after their own business affairs. The number of approvals was 913 covering 106,199 acres. S wLAN~DS IN~ WIS~CONS INA ND M~NNEGOTA.-I~w as reported last year that q u e s t had been made upon the Governor of Wiscon-sin for appropriate action by the legdative branch of the State government for a reconveyance to the United States of the swamp and overflowed lands on the Menominee and Lac Courte Oreille Ra-servations in Wisconsin. No satisfactory arrangement for such ac-tion could be entered into, and later the matter was taken up with the Department of Justice mth a view to instituting action against the State for the recovery of the lands. With the wnsent of the court, an action for the recovery of the lands was filed in the Supreme Court against the State on April 21,1924. With reference to the previously reported suit in the Supreme Couit against the State of Minnesota for the recovery of the swamp and ovedowed lands within the reservations of the State, the reply of the State to the Government's bill of complaint has been filed and marked progress toward a settlement of the issue has been made. IMPORTANT LECilSLATlON EASTERBNA NDO F CEIEROKEIEr n ~ ~ ~ s . -Thaec t of June 4, 1924, authorizes the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to convey all its lands, moneys, and other properties to the United States, m trust, for an uitable distribution thereof among the Sividual members, and fu"r4t , er authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make a new tribal roll. whose action in the matter shall he conclusive as to the final membership of the band. These Indians are the descendants of those who under article,l%o f the New Echota treaty of 1835 elected to remain in southwestern North Carolina instead of removing west of the Mississippi River, as others of their number did in 1888, and under this treaty and acts of Congress to carry out its provisions the remaining band became owners in common of several thousand acres of land in the wuntles of Jackson, Swam, Cherokee, and Graham. Congress b the act of July 27, 1868, directed that the Commissioner of 1n2an Affairs should have the same supervision of the eastern North Carolina Cherokees as of other Indian tribes. In 1889 these Indians were in-corporated by an act of the General Assembly of North Carolina, ostensibly to facilitate their transaction of business With the aid of the Federal Government title to their lands was perfected and by departmental wnsent they sold several thousand acres, but still own about 60,000 acres, none of which can be sold without consent of the Secretary of the Interior, and under the act of June 4, 1924, these lands, as above stated, are to be conveyed to the United States for the purpose of allotting them. OTHERL EGISLATION.-NOC ongress in Sixty-eighth in the affairs. Among the more the following: Extending restrictions against alienation on home-stead allotments to Haw Indians in Oklahom~; reserving additional |