Senate of the United States,

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 17th, 1892.

Capt. R.H. Pratt,
Carlisle, Pa.

My Dear Sir,

I am in receipt of yours. I have this moment reported the Indian Appropriation bill from the Committee of the Senate; with your old clause reinserted and with the educational item put up to $1,300,000. In some things else I have got the bill a little improved but not all I wanted:- on the whole, better than I feared.

Truly yours,

COMMISSIONERS.
HENRY L. DAWES.
FRANK C. ARMSTRONG.
ARCHIBALD S. MCKENNON.
THOMAS B. CABANISS.
ALEXANDER B. MONTGOMERY.
H. M. JACOWAY, SECRETARY.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

COMMISSION TO THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES,

X Vxxixxxxxixxxiixxi.

Piitsfield Mass. March 3, 1897

My Dear Capt. Pratt:-

I am, and so is the entire family, geartly
obliged to you for your very cordial invitation to Carlisle
next week. There is no place I would so much delight to go
to, not even the Inaugeration, as to your school and tosee
your old Roman face, but your note finds the whole house
hors de combat. Four weeks ago Anna was thrown from a sleigh
and suffered a severe sprain of the knee, and ever since has
been off her feet, two weks or more in bed and since on erutu
crutches and limping with a cane. She is coming out of it
nicely but of course very slowly. This has confined her mote-
er very closely, and will still for some time. In the meant
ime I came home Saturday used up as well as disgusted to
the last degree, but am advertised for a lecture on the IIth
an engagement I had made some time since. So you see I
could no more come than if I had married a wife.

I am very sorry for I not only want to see you ag
good Mrs Pratt, but I want to let off a little ugliness which
which has been accumulating about Congres, though since I left
according to the papers they have done something for the

COMMISSIONERS.
HENRY L. DAWES.
FRANK C. ARMSTRONG.
ARCHIBALD S. MCKERNON.
THOMAS B. CABANISS.
ALEXANDER B. MONTGOMERY.

H. M. JACOWAY, SECRETARY.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

Vinita, Ind. T.,

Five Tribes, which if held in the Bill will be a good deal.

You will I am sure this time take the will for
the deed, and keep alie the hope that we may another time
have as cordial an invitation. With the kindest regards to
Mrs Pratt and Congratulations to the School that you still
live, and that fight is still unabated in your whole frame.

Truly Yours

Pittsfield Mass. May 1, 1897

My Dear Capt. Pratt:-

I am in receipt of yours. I called on the
Executor of Miss. Martin yesterday, and he says that just
as soon as some questions about taxes can be settled the leg-
acy will be paid over. He should think in less than two
months. The Dawes family are not entitled to any direct
influence in the matter of the legacy. Whatever has come
from them has been from the influence of personal friend-
ship and mutual interest in what is of interest to friends.

I assure you that the little visit in Washington gave me
as much pleasure as it possibly could have been to you.
May this pleasure never weaken. I hope you will win in your
fight. It may be that we shall be spared Needles.

Mrs Dawes has been quite ill for a week but is better and well
enough to send her love with that of Anna and myself to Mrs
Pratt and yourself.

Truly Yours

Pittsfield Mass. July 20, 1897

My Dear Capt. Pratt:-

On receipt of yours of the 14th, enclosing Miss Clapp's to you and a copy of your reply respecting the inheritance tax upon Miss Martin's legacy I called on their Counsel for information but was unable to get any thing satisfactory. They had sought advice from our Tax Commissioner only to be told that they must judge for themselves. They replied to me in much the same strain. Every one must form his own opinion, as they would have to when called upon to act.

I thereupon unedtook, by examining the law for myself, to form an opinion, which you are welcome to for what it is worth, and pay as little attention to as you think it entitled to.

Our inheritance law makes this exemption-- "charitable, educational or religious societies, or institutions, the property of which is exempt from taxation".

Our Courts have decided that means "exempt from taxation" by _our_ law but that of the state where the legacy is going.

Then, turning to see what is exempt by our law, I find these words--"liberary, benevolent charitable and and scientific institutions incorporated in this Commonwealth".

Our Courts have decided that institutions not incorporated in this Commonwealth are not entitled to the e

exemption. This leads me to the conclusion that you're inst-
tution would not be exempt. And yet they cite in their op-
opinion a New York case which decides the same way, while
you write that you had abquest of $5000 from an estate on
Long Island N. Y. which was not taxed. I do not see how th
that could be with this positive opinion of their Court the
other way. The opinion of our Court is, however, so posi-
tive that I think there is no escape from the tax.

We all send you and Mrs Pratt, and the whole school
our kind regards and best wishes.

Truly Yours

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

COMMISSION OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES,

Pittsfield Mass. Aug. 7, 1897

My Dear Capt. Pratt:-

Immediately on receipt of yours of the 3rd
I called on the Attorney who is De Facto Executor of Miss
Martin's estate and made known your request. He told me
that they were ready now to pay the legacies and that he
would instruct Miss Clapp to send you a Draft without delay.
He suggested at first, giving it to me to forward to you,
but afterwards concluded to send it directly to you. I
hope that you are in receipt of it before this. If not let
me know and I will remind him of it again.

Pittsfield Mass Aug. 14, 1897

My Dear Capt. Pratt:-

I have the pleasure of enclosing to you the
check of the Exrs. of Miss Martin for the legacy to the Carlisle
Indian School $2000 less the state tax, and a form of receipt
which they would like to have you sign and return. I would suggest
that you endorse the Check "The Indian Industrial School at Carlisle Penn. By R. H. Pratt" adding your official title, whatever li
that may be, and sign the receipt the same way.