Litchfield enquirer., 1872-09-12
CHAPTER LAVA.

CHAPTER LxYM .se ...-....t An act conferring upon the Mohegan Indians the
 privileges of citizenship, and Leg uiating the
 ownership. sale, distribution aud use of the
 property sequestered for their benefit and also
 providing for the taxation of their polls and ratable estates.
 Be it enacted by the senate and house of repre-
 sentatives in general assembly convenea:
 Ser l. The tribe of indians known as the Mo began tribe, and the several members thereof, and the real and personal property in the pos- sesslt F of any other person or persons for their Use, shall hot remain subject to the provisions of title thirty-third Of tho general statutes, but shall be wholly released. withdrawn and exempt ed tiIeretrom, after the ninth day of October next: and from and after that date, tine members Of said tribe residing Ill the town of MUntvlle,o Ill al. other town iii this state, shall form part of th6people of the same state and shalt be en- ttied tO all the rights, privileges and mmuni- ties and subject to all lhe duies, obligations and liabilities of natural born citizens.
 See. 2 The commissioners appointed by the governor to supervise the affairs of said tribe, ,are authorized and directed, as soon as practicable, to make such repairs upon the meeting house and parsonage, erected for the benefit Of said tribe, as they may deem necessary, and enclose the said buildings with a suitable fence; proVid- cd that the expense of making such repairs and such fence shall not exceed the sum of. i've hnn- lh ed dollars; and the said expense shall be paid out of the moneys of said tribe in the hands of their OVerseer. Tie title to said buildings and the land npOn which the same are located, with i'll the lines of said fence is hereby vested in the said commissioners upon trust to hold the said meetmghouse and the lot upon which the same stands place of religious worship for the said Indians. and the said parsonage as a place of residence for their minister for the time buing and his family, until the male members Of said tribe of the age oftwenty-one years and upwards by themselves or with such other persons as may associate with them for the purpose, shall n Slf.i n OP n CT lous worship according to the provisions or chap ter fourth of title seventh of the general statutes and then to confer and convey the said lands and and buildings for the same uses and purposes, to to the said society or congregation: and the said lands and buildings shall be exempt from taxa ton. s.s '0s E F5 ..+f.s.al~ l~rs14 EFa
 Sec. 3. The school house standing upon lands sequestered for the use of said tribe Is hereby annexed to the school district of the town of Montville, in which the same is located, ,and shall be hereafter kept in repair and supplied with fu- el, furniture and other necessary appendages and accommodations by said district, The site of said school house not be changed except with the consent of two-thirds, at least. of the maie mem- bers of said tribe of the age of twentv-one years and upwards, residing in said district; and 8 pub lie or common school shall be kept ill said house each year according to the statutes providing for the maintenance and support Of public or com- mon schools in other school districts ill the State and the children residing in families belonging to said tribe shall be permitted to attend the said school. t...- ss.
 Sec. f. The title, in fee simple, to the lands in the town of Montville. set out and distributed to members of said tribe by the commissioners appointed by the governor to supervise the affairs of said tribe. in the year 1861, shall be and here said lands were so set and distributed, in sever- alty, and may be aliened and transmitted by them in the same manner as lands held in fee simple may be aliened aud transmitted by other citizens of this stpte; provided that if any person to whom any portion of said lands was so set out and distributed, has since deceased leaving & chlid children him or Her surviving, that DOT ton of said lands shall belong to and the title to the same, in fee simple, shall be vested in such child or children; but, if such person died child less, the said portion shall be treated and dispOs ed of as tribe lands. The said dis tributim shall be recorded ill the records of deeds of said town of Mon4yille, and the maps or plans exhibiting the same now ill the possession of the eyerseer of said tribe, shall be signed by said commissioners and lodged with the town clerk of said town and shall constitute part of the records of said town. The expense of recording said distribution shaii be paid by the said over seer out Of the moneys Of said tribe in his lands. . -. - e...t. ..:.-t-.-.. '.
 Sec. 5. The residue of the lands sequestered for the use of said tribe, including the lands in possession of c c. Simons, and all tribe lands in said town of MontviIle, excepting the lands set apart for cemetery for said tribe. shall be sold n, 1 Laerned Hebard of Lebanon, Thomas G. Kings ley of Franklin. and Henry R. Bond of New Lon don. But beforc prOcccdfng to make sale said com nittee slla:igive notice thereof by an advertise ment published nf the tEe Norwich Aurora, and the Norwich Courier, Newspapers printed ill Nor yich, and in the New London Star, newspaper printed New London, and by hapdbills posted in two or more public places in said town of Mont vile, at least two weeks before the said sale is to take place. Andeyery member of said tribe may be bidder at sad sale, and said sale may be continued or postponed by said committee to any other time, within sixty days, the same pub- lie notice being given as is required for tho sale on the first day. And the said committee. after making said sale, shall execute and deliver to the purchaser or purchasers of said lands, on receiving the consideration therefor, good and sufficient deeds of the same, and shall distribute the proceeds of said sale. after deducting the necessary expenses, to and among the members of said tribe, or to and among such persons be. longing to said tribe of the said committee, in view of all the circumstances and in the exercise of sound discretion, shall deem best. And the said committee shall. in like manner. make dis tribntiOn Of tho moneys of said tribe in the hands of Daniel L. Browning fheir present overSeer, al the expiration or three years from the passage of this act. or sooner if they deem 1t expedient so the said Daniel y. Browning or such other per son as said committee shall appoint, shall hold the said moneys Tn trust for the benefit of the persons who may be entitled tothe same under
 
 and securely loaned, or invested, or deposited in savings banks, and making such appropriations from the income thereof for the benefit Of indi- viduals belonging to said tribe as the said com mittee shall, from time to time, order and direct Provided, that fl either of the said committee shall die, resign refuse to act or become inca pable of acting before the duties deyolved, upon said committee shall have beon fully performed the vacancy thereby crerted shall be fined blythe | governor.
 f Sf-sS@ . tofore distributed to any Of said Indians 6y fht I overseer of said tribe or required by them b, their personal services, or by gift purchase or i I any other lawful manner and now in their actu shall be, and hereby is, vested in said Indians and the said property may Do held and aisuCsei l of by them in the same manner as similar pror erty may be held aud disposed of by other pa sons. ~ @ F ssassa 'o sI'1sa1