Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-14
PEMRINA AND OKLAHOMA.

SAtAA1ApNA <AIND O AAE1ONkAs
 The establishment of the Territories Of Pembina and Oklahoma has been talked of for some time, and two bills for that purpose are now before the Committee on Territories
 It is proposed to create the Territory of Penn bina out of the northern half of the present Territory of Dakota, which has been Terri tory since 1861. Dakota is large enough to divide. It Is of au almost quadrilateral form, and its length and breadth are about 400 miles, Its area is about 15s, 900 square miles, or more than thirty times that of Connecticut, and if Pembina is set of, both that territory and Dakota will have sufficient size. The Oklaho- ma project provides for the establishment of temporary government in what is now known as the Indian Territory, the new terri tory to be known by the name of Oklahoma.
 What the Oklahoma bill proposes in the way of government and concerning the Indi- ans is interesting. It provides for the ap- pointment of Governor for two years by the President, with salary of $4,OOo. A Secretary is also to be appointed. The Leg islative Council is to consist of 13 members, and the House of Representatives of 2e. Representation is to be apportioned among the several tribes, nations, or districts, based upon the number of qualified voters in each The length of each session after the first Is limited to sixty days. At the first election, any male Indian twenty-one years old, who Is which have adopted the customs of civilized life, and all citizens of the United States who have lawfully resided in the Territory one year, and arc 21 years old, can vote, and no person Is to bo deprived of the right to vote or hold office on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Full provision is made for the establishment of courts. The lands arc to be surveyed, and each person who is member of any tribe or nation occupying a reservation, including adults and minors. male and female, is enti- tied to Q homestead of 16O acres in the reser- vation of his or her tribe, and if in actual pos session of land, improved or cultivated by him or her, shall have a prior right to the quarter section on which the Improvements are. Adults are to select their own home sseads, and those of minors are to be chosen by fathers mothers, or guardians. Alienation or sale of these homesteads is prohibited for twenty years. Directions are given for the enumeration of the Indians and the allotment of the lands. Any Indian can become citi- Zen by making application and proving that he has resided in the United States for five years; Is 8 resident of the Territory has be- haved during the two years last past as a man of good moral character; that he has sufficient intelligence to control his private affairs, and that he has adopted the habits of civilized life. He must then swear to support the Constitu- tioD. and absolutely and forever renounce all fidelity and allegiance to every Indian power whatever, and particularly to the tribe to which he has belonged. Such Indians are to be paid their proportion of the cash value of the funds of the tribe held in trust by the United States. It would seem that no fair minded Indian, or white man, could find much fault with these provisions.