STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS.

As a member of the State Board of Examiners for the two years just past, I have been an active participant in its work and can bear testimony to the good work done by the Board, which has at all times been ably supplemented by a painstaking and concientious attention to details by the Secretary of the Board, Mr. A. Helm. There are no duties that are so little appreciated, thankless and unpopular, as those imposed by law on this Board, at the same time no public function is of a higher responsibility or requires a higher order of executive ability. The Board has met more frequently than required by law; in fact, whenever business presented itself it received the prompt attention of the Board. It may be mentioned as a fact showing the strict attention paid to business, that excepting on a few occasions every regular meeting of the Board was attended by all its members as well as its Secretary. All the contracts made by the Board have been carefully scrutinized, and in every instance made on terms most advantageous to the State. The Board has at all times maintained that its duties extended to the thorough investigation of every transaction, and that such duties were not perfunctory and supplemental to the investigations of the several commissions which have State institutions in charge.

Indian War Claims.

Under the statutes of 1887 and 1889, the duty of investigating the status of Indian War depredations which have heretofore been considered and passed upon was imposed upon the Board. Upon the induction of the present Board into office, it fell heir to some fifty-two claims, as shown by a table hereunto attached, all of which were forwarded to the Hon. Secretary of the United States Treasury, on the 21st day of January, 1891. Sixty days after all these claims, including such evidence as related to each, was returned to thet Governor with the following information:

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, March 19, 1891.

Hon. R. K. Colcord, Governor of Nevada, Carson City, Nevada:

SIR: In reply to your communication of January 21, 1891, referring to an Act of the Legislature of Nevada, approved February 13, 1889, relative to the proving of Indian War Claims, and in reply to your request for payment by the United States of thirty-four of such claims forwarded to this Department, examined and approved by the State Board of Examiners, I have the honor to enclose copy of the report of the Third Auditor in the matter, dated the 7th instant, showing that this Department has no authority to entertain the claims, and that they should be presented to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with all the data and evidence.

As one of the claims-that of George W. Chedic-seems from the report of the

Auditor to be different in character from the others, and is of the class governed by the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved July 4, 1864, relating to claims for quartermaster stores and commissary supplies, it has been forwarded to the Secretary of War, in order that the papers may be filed in the office of the Commissary General, as recommended by the Auditor. Thirty-three claims are returned herewith. Respectfully yours,

A. B. NETTLETON, Acting Secretary.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, THIRD AUDITOR'S OFFice, }

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 7, 1891.

Hon. Charles Foster, Secretary of the Treasury:

SIR: I return the claims of Frank Hall and thirty-three others of Nevada, which were referred to me on the 3d instant, being the same which were forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury by the Governor of Nevada by letter dated January 21, 1891.

From the certificate in each case it appears that, under an Act of the State Legislature, approved February 13, 1889, relative to the proving of Indian War Claims (no copy of which, however, is furnished), the Governor, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General were constituted a Board to examine claims. The "Certificate of Approval" in each case is signed only by the Secretary of State; but it is certified by him that the Governor (now deceased) also joined in the approval, and that the Attorney General was not present at the meetings of the Board.

The aggregate recommended by the State Board, including interest for periods ranging from twenty-seven to thirty-three years, is $236,345 69. The claim of George W. Chedic will be separately mentioned herein. The others are chiefly on account of loss of horses, cattle, etc., killed or driven off by hostile Indians in various years from 1851 to 1863; services as volunteers, with horses, for about thirty-four days in the Piute Indian War, in 1860; supplies furnished to volunteers in that war; articles of property lost by the volunteers or others in that war, etc.

If any of the claimants are entitled to indemnity from the United States for property destroyed or taken by Indians, they can present claims to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, with proper data, and supported by proper evidence.

There has been no Act of Congress authorizing the adjudication of any claims for services of volunteers in the Piute Indian War of 1860, or for supplies furnished to them, or for expenses or losses by them.

I recommend that these thirty-three claims be returned to the Governor of Nevada, this Department having no authority to entertain them.

George W. Chedic's claim is of an entirely different nature, and I see no reason why a State Board for the "Proving of Indian War Claims" should have regarded the case as in any way coming within its province. His claim did not originate in connection with the Piute campaign of 1860, or until 1862; neither did it relate to any services or expenses of Nevada volunteers; nor did he claim for any losses said to have been sustained at the hands of Indians. He charges that an officer in the military service of the United States, and then Commandant of Fort Churchill, Captain E. A. Rowe, 2d California Vol. Cav., ordered the branding and appropriation of a large number (indefinite) of his cattle, and that they were thus appropriated to the use of the U. S. Army during the war of the late Rebellion. He states his claim at $21,800; adds $32,700 for interest, and demands an aggregate of $54,500.

The claim as set out is of the class governed by the provisions of the Act of July 4, 1864, relating to claims for quartermaster's stores and commissary supplies, and should have been presented to the Commissary-General, U. S. A., and prior to Jannary 1, 1890. (Vide limitation by Act March 3, 1879.)

I suggest that the papers in his case be forwarded to the Secretary of War, that they may be filed in the office of the Commissary-General, to whose files they properly belong. Very respectfully,

(Signed)

W. H. HART, Auditor.

On receipt of the foregoing, the State Board of Examiners met on the 7th day of April, 1891, and adopted the following resolution: On motion, it is ordered that the Clerk of this Board notify all Indian war claimants referred to by the State Department, and also of the Treasury Department at Washington and the attorneys of said claimants, of the contents of said decisions of said department; and said Board of Examiners, on motion of O. H. Grey, decide that under the decisions and instructions received from the

Treasury Department, it has no further jurisdiction in the matter of said Indians claims, and decline further action thereon.

In pursuance of the Act of the Legislature of the State of Nevada, entitled "An Act requiring the Board of Examiners to annul certain contracts between the State of Nevada and John Mullen," approved March 4, 1891, the Board, at a meeting held March 4, 1891, all members being present and voting affirmatively, passed the following resolution:

Resolved. That all contracts heretofore made by the State of Nevada with John Mullen of Washington, D. C., to prosecute claims against the Government of the United States be, and the same are hereby cancelled and annulled.

The above resolution, together with a certified copy of the Act of March 4, 1891, relating to this subject matter, was promptly forwarded to Captain John Mullen.

Subsequently, to-wit, on the 11th day of January, 1892, thirtythree of the claims mentioned in the list following were forwarded, at his request, to United States Senator William M. Stewart, all others having been delivered to claimants. There is now on file in this office a receipt which reads as follows:

Received February, A. D. 1892, of O. H. Grey, Secretary of State of the State of Nevada, the following claims against the Government of the United States for Indian depredations in said State, thirty-three in number.

The following are the claims referred to:

WM. M. STEWART.

List of Indian War Claims Forwarded to Senator Stewart,

The

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION AND ASSESSORS. Under the statute of 1891, creating the State Board of Assessors and Equalization, the Secretary of State is made a member. duties imposed by this Act were not incident to the office on the induction of the incumbent into office, and are of the most onerous and exacting nature, and at the same time the most responsible and consequential functions ever imposed upon any Board of officers in this This office is designated in the Act as the place of meeting, and has been used as such during the two years just passed one hundred days. At many of these meetings the office has been filled by citizens and their attorneys claiming a hearing. The investigations and discussions before the Board and among its members many times involved the most serious legal questions, requiring much research and protracted sittings. Thankless as have been their duties and hopeless as may be that reward implied by popular approval, I can bear testimony that the members of the Board have in no instance shrunk from the faithful performance of any duty, trusting for their reward to that unknown land of the future where, it is said, justice always reigns and where the prevaricator is not permitted to enter.

BALLOT PAPER.

The last Legislature imposed upon this office the duty of securing the ballot paper for use at the general election held November 8, 1892. The statutes popularly known as the Australian Ballot bill provides (section eleven): "Said paper shall be water-marked with a design furnished by the Secretary of State, in such manner that the said water-mark shall be plainly discernable on the outside of such ballot when properly folded. A literal compliance with this provision was, on investigation, found to be impracticable. No machinery known to the art will produce the effect desired. The nearest possible compliance with the Act was adopted, which it was believed would satisfy the requirements of the law. There was no appropriation made for the purchase of this paper. An advantageous contract for the necessary supply of paper was made with Carter, Rice & Co., of Boston, Mass., under which forty thousand sheets of paper, with water-mark, was made to order at an expense, freight included, of $208. The paper was forwarded to the several County Clerks by Wells, Fargo & Co., in every instance before any legal use of it could be made. Only a very small amount of the paper is remaining in stock. For the purpose of informing the public as to the expense of elections under the Australian Ballot bill, I submit the following statements kindly furnished by the several County Clerks.