New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-21
THE CHoCTAw CLAIM OF ss,Oe,oOo.

ORIGINAL BASIS OF THE CLAIM-DIFFBRESr PRoPo-
sITIONs ENTERTAINED FOR ITS SETTLEMENT
PAYMENTS MADE on ACCOUNT SUSPENDED BY
THE wAR--No PRESENT PROSPECT OF THE
AMENDMENT CONTAINING 1T PASSING THE
HOUSE.
lBr TELEGRAPH TO TUE TRTBUNE'I
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-rhe House, by vote OF
100 TO ILL., refused to order to third reading the
Indian Appropriation bill. The load that sank 1t
was the old Choctaw claim, which has been con-
stantly before Congress for more than ~ years.
The anticipated Deficiencies in the public revenues
for the next fiscal year prevented any proposition to
make an appropriation OF this kind in money, but
an item authorizing the issue of a per cent bonds to
the amount Of ,333 ,5Gl 80, with interest from the
time the award was made, was placed in the bill.
This claim originated in treaty made in 1880 be-
tween the United States and the Choctaw Indians,
providing for the removal of that nation
beyond the Mississippi River. BY that
treaty the Indians coded the lands which they
owned ia Mississippi to the United States reserving
by the 14th article, for the head of each Choctaw
family desiring to remain in the States section OF
land besides haf-stctIon for each child over, and
quarter-seetion for each child under, III years OF
age at the time of the treaty More than 1850 fam
lies claimed the benefit of this article, OF whom less
than $50 secured the land and less than 800 ever re-
ceived any compensation for the failure OF the
United States to carry out its part of the treaty In
addition TO this the Choctaw Nation also claimed
that they entitled to the net proceeds OF the
lands they coded and which afterward sold.
This in May 1853, amounted to $5,74SSi3 30. No
settlement of these CLAIMS was made until 1855,
when a new treaty was concluded, submitting to the
United States Senate for decision the following
questions:
a Whether the Choctaws are entitled to or shall be
allowed the proceeds of the sale of the lands eeded
by them to tie United States by the treaty of Sept
~ $780, deductng therefrom the costs of their sur
vey and SALE and all just and proper expenditures
and payments under the provisions thereof and If
80, what price per acre shall BIO allowed to the
Choctaws for the lands remaining unsold, in order
that final settlement with them may be promptly
effected; or
(2 Whether the Choctaws shall be allowed gross
sum in further and full satisfaction of all their
claims. national and individual, against the United
States, and if so how much.
Tue Senate, March 8, 1859, acting under this
authority made award of the net proceeds of the
lands ceded in 1880, and the amount due under that
award was officially reported May 8, 1860, to be
S29S1 237 3d. BY act of March q 1861, S5OO.OOO was
appropriated in part payment of this award, and
SjOOOO of the amount was paid in cash. Soon after
ward the events Of the rebellion interrupted the
pcaceful relations between the United States and the
ChOctaws and the remaining $2j0,01O was suspended
by the Secretary of the Treasury. Friendly rela-
tons restored in 1866, and in 1870 the Attorney
General of the United States gave an opinion that
this money ought to be delivered to the agents of
the ChOeaws but it was never done. Tho amend
ment put upon the Indian Appropriation bill to day
was to pay the award made by the Senate in 1859.
As the matter stands it appears that this entire
amendment will have 10 be stricken out before the
bill can pass.