BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS, NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., April 5, 1882. SIR: I respectfully submit herewith a brief statement of the present condition of the roof of the present boiler-shop at the New York navy-yard, and also of the condition of the caisson gate of the dry-dock at the same station, as the basis of an appli cation to Congress for appropriations for repairing the latter and erecting a new building for the former. Since the boiler building was erected the wants of the Navy have largely increased, but the capacity for facilitating this kind of work has not increased in proportion, and it may be further said that the present building is inconveniently located for its purposes. Should the bill now before Congress, looking to a rebuilding of the Navy, become a law, it is more than probable that still greater increase of capacity will be needed; and as the building proposed is in the line of completing plans formed in 1873, I have no hesitation in urging the request for an appropriation for its its erection. This building will be a part of the present steam engineering machine shop, and will tend to bring all of the operations of that department under one roof, or to one center. I have had plans made for the construction of this building, and they have received the favorable indorsement of the Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering. The amount asked for this building is $135,243.04, and it is hoped that it may be granted, so that the work may be commenced at once. funds at the disposition of this bureau are insufficient to meet the estimated cost of the repairs upon the caisson, and as the materials for work are mostly on hand, a small appropriation of $12,000 is asked for, to be made available at once, it being important to have the dock in serviceable condition at as early a date as practicable. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ED. T. NICHOLS, The Chief of Bureau. Brief statement of present condition of the caisson gate of the New York dry-dock. The caisson has been in use over thirty-two years. The iron plating is reduced over one-half in thickness from about the water line down, and in one place it has deteriorated to such an extent that the sounding hammer passed through the plate. The plating on the second and third decks is rusted through in many places; deck beams and framing on both decks seriously impaired; valves defective and inefficient; wood-backing requires renewing. It is considered indispensably necessary to renew the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth courses of plating from top all around; also to renew the second and third decks complete, overhaul and repair the valves and connections, renew the gaskets, bulwark plating, wood-backing on stems, and keel-fill in the keel and stems with brick masonry laid in cement, remove the rust from all the iron-work, inside and out, and cover with at least two good coats of metallic paint. Estimated cost to repair the caisson, $16,857.60. Brief statement of the present condition of the boiler-shop (building No. 12) at the New York navy-yard. The building is not adapted for the purpose of a boiler-shop, its capacity being too small for carrying on the work of the steam engineering department of the yard; it is insufficiently and poorly lighted, damp and unhealthy to work in, and has no swing or traveling cranes to facilitate the handling of heavy weights inseparably connected with a workshop of this character, nor is the present structure adapted for the introduction of such labor-saving machinery. The roof trusses are light and so distorted that they cannot be restored without a dismantling and reconstruction of the whole roof; the roof is considered unsafe, continually growing worse, and liable to fall in at any time. The Hoors of the building are of wood, very much worn and decayed, and in some places so rotten as to be unsafe, especially the joists concealed by the covering. The walls are not sufficiently strong to support the cranes for lifting heavy weights, and the building, being one of the oldest in the yard, is totally unfitted for the purpose for which it was originally intended. The Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering urgently recommends that an appropriation be asked for at once to build a new boiler-shop, according to plans and estimates submitted by the civil engineer of the yard. RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE REPUBLICAN VALLEY RAILROAD THROUGH THE OTOE AND MISSOURIA INDIAN RESERVATION. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TRANSMITTING A communication from the Secretary of the Interior in relation to right of way for the Republican Valley Railroad through the Otoe and Missouria Indian Reservation, in Nebraska. APRIL 14, 1832.-Referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs and ordered to be printed. To the Senate and House of Representatives: I transmit herewith a communication from the Secretary of the Interior, with correspondence relative to right of way of the Republican Valley Railroad across the Otoe and Missouria Indian Reservation, in the State of Nebraska, and draft of an amendment to S. 930, "A bill to amend an act to provide for the sale of the remainder of the reservation of the confederated Otoe and Missouria tribes of Indians, in the States of Nebraska and Kansas, and for other purposes," approved March 3, 1881. EXECUTIVE MANSION, April 14, 1882. CHESTER A. ARTHUR. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith copy of communication from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, dated 4th instant, in relation to the Republican Valley Railroad and its right of way across the Otoe and Missouria Reservation, in the State of Nebraska, with copies of correspondence relative thereto, and accompanying draft of an amendment to S. 930, "A bill to amend an act to provide for the sale of the remainder of the reservation of the confederated Otoe and Missouria tribes of Indians in the States of Nebraska and Kansas, and for other purposes," approved March 3, 1881. The amendment has the approval of the department. The PRESIDENT. S. J. KIRKWOOD, Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st instant, returning the papers in the matter of the Republican Valley Railroad Company and its right of way across the Otoe and Missouria Reservation, in the State of Nebraska, which formed the subject of detailed reports by this office to the department on the 16th March and 2d December, 1881; also inclosing a letter from Hon. C. H. Van Wyck, United States Senate, dated the 29th ultimo, suggesting that steps be taken to protect the rights of said railway company in respect of the right of way purchased by it from the Indians, and instructing me to prepare, for presentation to Congress, an amendment to the bill (S. 930) now pending before the House in regard to the sale of the Otoe and Missouria Reservation, reserving from appraisement and sale so much of the lands of said reservation as is occupied by the said Re publican Valley Railroad Company, with such brief history of the case as may be necessary to its proper understanding. Without going into voluminous detail, it will, perhaps, for present pur poses, suffice to state that on the 16th of March, 1881, this office transmitted to the department a communication from said railroad company, dated the 14th of the same month, inclosing for approval and confirmation a deed, dated December 28, 1880, purporting to be signed by cer tain head-chiefs of the Otoes and Missourias in Nebraska, granting, for a consideration of $1,600 paid to said Indians, a right of way to said. railroad company 100 feet in width (unless a greater width should be required to build and construct said road) through the Otoe and Missou ria Reservation, in Nebraska, as located upon the several fractional sections therein more particularly described, said deed being executed by said chiefs and recorded in Gage County, Nebraska, January 6, 1881; also an affidavit of J. W. Pearman, agent for said company, sworn at Washington, D. C., March 14, 1881, setting forth all the facts and cir cumstances in connection with the negotiations for the right of way, the arrangements made for the purchase thereof, and the payment of the consideration-money to the Indians on the 28th December, 1880. While it did not appear that the company had taken any unfair advantage of the Indians, but had indeed honestly and in good faith paid the amount of purchase-money agreed upon, there were certain reasons which actuated this office in declining to recommend to the department the approval of the deed. These reasons, briefly stated, were as follows: 1. The failure of the company on this and a previous occasion, when constructing another road through the same reservation, to file with the department proofs of its due organization and maps of definite location of its road, notwithstanding the fact that due notice had been given its attorneys and they had undertaken to do so. 2. The absence of usual stipulations and security by the company for payment of damages resulting to the Indians by reason of the construc tion and operation of the road, or for the erection of a fence on each side of the track, as originally proposed. 3. The fact that over 200 of the Indians interested in the land had lately removed to the Indian Territory and had never been consulted in the matter. 4. The imperfect character of the instrument tendered for approval. 5. The fact that, as reported by the agent in charge, negotiations with the Indians for the right of way had been conducted off the reservation, |