Arizona silver belt., 1891-09-12
INDIAN pErREhAriON CLAIMS.


 The Court of Claims for the investi- gntion of Indian depreciation cases will begin it's session at Washington, D. C., in October. Already 4200 claims have been filed. Three years are allowed in which to file petitions. After March Sd, 1894, all claims for damages done by Indians previous to March 3d, 1S9., which havo not been brought to the | attention of this court will be forever barred. It is estimated that total of IS, O00 or l9, 900 eases will be filed.
 About 1000 are on file in the Indian office and are accompanied by more or les evidence. Several thousand cases have been investigated by special agents, and the Secretary of the In ierior has from time to time made rec ommendations for payment, which Con- gress has ignored. All claims accruing prior to July l, 1865, are barred, ex- cept such as shall have been or are pending, at the time of the passage of the act of 1891, before the Secretary of the Interior or Congress, or have been presented to some superintendent, agent, sub-agent or commissioner authorized to inquire into such claim
 The first work of the Court of Claims will be to dispose of number of cases by simply entering judgment These have been prepared by the Assistant Attorney General and his office since the passage of the act They are cases in which, after examination of the avi- dsrce, Gen, Colby is satisfied that the recommendation already made by the Secretary of tho Interior Department is just, and in which the claimants con sent to accept the amounts recommen- de6. Such cases are not very numer- ous. They will be got out of the way promptly, Then will come the hear ings by the Court on the contested cases in their order. These hearings will not begin until the 4th of January
 Perhaps the most important feature of the act is that which provides for reasonably prompt payment of these claims The judgments do not have to yRi- until there is something to the credit of the Indians against which they are found. They are to be paid, as explained by the act, in the following manner: "Q) From annuities due said tribe from the United States; (2) if no snnuities are available, then from any other funds due said tribe from the United States, arising from the sale of their land or otherwise; (3) if no such funds are available, then from any ap- propriation for the benefit of said tribe, other than Appropriations for their current and necessary support subsis- tence and education; and (4) if no such annuity, fund or appropriation is due or available, then the amount of the judgment shall be paid from the Treas ury of the United States; provided, that any amount so paid from the Treasury of tho United States shall re- main a charge against such tribe, and shall be deducted from any annuity, fund or appropriation hereinbefore des- ignated which may hereafter become due from the United States to such tribe" Thns it appear that the claim ant will got his money and the Govern ment will take the responsibility of getting even with the Indians
 A provision of the law annuls all old contracts entered into with attorneys This is of special interest to claimants sho before this act was passedmade all kinds of agreements with parties to give anywhere from quarter to 9 half of their claims to get them through. The lawyer who represents the claim. ant in the Court of Claims under this act will hot be allowed over 15 per cent unless he performs some extraor. dlnary service or the amount is less than $500.