hese reservations
has been surveyed, a portion in accordance with this act of Congress and
the remainder with a view to the allotment of lands to the Indians.

The second section of the bill provides for the appraisement of the
whole reservation, while the third section authorizes the sale of a
portion not exceeding 120,000 acres, a portion of which is in Kansas.

The bill authorizes the sale of that portion lying in Kansas through the
land office located at Beatrice, Nebr. No provision is made for the
relief of such Indians, if any there be, who may have settled upon the
portion authorized to be sold, and who may have made improvements
thereon. Moreover, in fulfillment of treaty obligations, the assent of
the Indians to the operations of the whole bill, and not simply to the
first section, should be required, as in the case of the Menominees (16
U.S. Statutes at Large, p. 410). In my opinion, this bill should not
receive the approval of the President.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J.Q. SMITH, _Commissioner_.

[The Senate proceeded, as the Constitution prescribes, to reconsider
the said bill returned by the President of the United States with his
objections, and pending the question, Shall the bill pass, the
objections of the President of the United States to the contrary
notwithstanding? the following message was received:]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 15, 1876_,

_To the Senate of the United States_:

Upon further investigation I am convinced that my message of this date,
withholding my signature from Senate bill No. 779, entitled "An act to
provide for the sale of a portion of the reservation of the confederated
Otoe and Missouria and the Sacs and Foxes of the Missouri tribes of
Indians, in the States of Kansas and Nebraska," was premature, and I
request, therefore, that the bill may be returned, in order that I may
affix my signature to it.

U.S. GRANT.

[A motion to refer the last message to the Committee on Privileges
and Elections was, after debate, determined in the negative; and the
question recurring, Shall the bill pass, the objections of the President of
the United States to the contrary notwithstanding? it was determined in
the affirmative--yeas 36, nays 0.]

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _August 15, 1876_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

For the reasons presented in the accompanying communications, submitted
by the Secretary of War, I have the hon