Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-03-07
LANDS OPENED.
Congressman Perkins Makes De-
termined Fight For Oklahoma
The Creek and Seminole Amendment to
the Indian Appropriation Bill Passed
The Sections Relating to the Open
ing OF the Lands.

ing OF the Lands
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The clauses in
the Indian Appropriation bill inserted by
the House opening the Greek and Seminole
lands in Oklahoma were defeated in the
Senate on Saturday and a conference was
ordered. In the conference, Mr.. Perkins,
of Kansas, ma ie determined stand for
the clauses and succeeded in having them
restored to the bill, whic ch was adopted by
the Senate at its meeting yesterday. The
sections of the Indian Appropriation bill
having reference to the Greek and Semi
mole lands are as follows:
Creek an Seminole lands-section 12-that
the sum 81, ,9l2 952. o! be- and the same hereby is
appropriated out OF any moneys in the treas
ury not otherwise appropriated. to pay in full
the Seminole Nation OF Indians for all the
rights. title, interest and claim which said Ma
tion OF Indians may have in and to certain
lands ceded by article Of the treaty between
the United States and said Nation OF Indians
which was concluded June a. 1856 and
proclaimed August 16, 1856, and which
land then estimated to con-
tain 2,l59,OSO acres, but which Is
now, after survey, ascertained to contain
2, $40 4l462 acres, said sum of money to be paid
as follows 81 coo to remainin in the treasury Of
the United States TO the credit OF said Nation
per annum from July /, 1899. said interest to be
paid semi annually to the treasurer of said Ma
tion, and the sum Of s3l2,: 1910. to be paid to
said person or persons as shall be duly author
lied by the laws OF said Nation to receive the
same, at such times and in such sums as
shall be directed and required by the legislative
authority OF said Nation. to be Immediately
available This appropriation to become opera
tive upon the execution by the Gully appointed
delegates of SAID Nation specially empowered
so TO do, OF q release and conveyance to the
United States OF all th- right title, interest
and claim of said Nation OF Indians in and to
said lands in manner and form satisfactory to
the President of the United States;
and said release and conveyance when
fully executed and delivered shall operate
to extingush all claims of every kind
and character of SAID Seminole Nation of In
dians in and to the tract OF country to which
said release and conveyance shall apply, but
such release, conveyance and extingulshment
shall not inure to the benefit or cause to vest
in any railroad company any right, title or in
terest whatever in or to any said lands; and all
laws and parts of laws so far as they conflict
with the foregoing are hereby repealed and
all grants or pretended grants TO said
lands or any interest or right therein now ex-
isting in or on behalf of any railroad company
except rights of way and depot grounds are
hereby declared to be forever forfeited for
breach OF condition
Sec. 13 That the lands acquired by the
United States under said agreement shall be a
part of the public domain. TO be disposed OF
only as herein provided and sections 16
and IS of each township, whether sur
veyed or unsurveyed, are hereby reserved
for the use and benefit of the public schools
within the limits of said lands under such con-
ditions and regulations as may be hereafter en-
acted by Congress; that the lands acquired by
from the Seminole Indians here
under, except the 10th and 36th sections shall
be disposed of to actual settlers under the
homestead laws only except as herein other
wise provided Except that section 331 of the
revised statutes shall not apply; and provided
further, that any person who, having
attempted, but for any cause failed, to
secure a title in fee to a homestead under
existing law or who made entry under what is
known as the commuted provision OF the home
stead law. shall be qualified 30 make home
stead entry upon said lands; and provided
further that the rights of honorably discharged
Union soldiers and sailors in the late civil war,
rs defined and described in sections 1904 and
230j of the Revised Statutes, shall not be
abrdged and provided further, that each entry
shall be in square form nearly practi-
cable and no person be permitted toaenter
more than one quarter section thereof.
but until said lands are opened for settlement by
proclamation of the President, no person shall
be permitted to enter upon and occupy the same
ana no person violating this provision shall be
pcr:Eitted to enter any of SAID lands or acquire
any right thereto. The Secretary of the Inte-
rior may, after proclamation and not before, per-
nit entry OF said lands for town SITES under
sections 1881 and 23SS of the Revised Statutes,
but no such entry shall embrace more than one
half section of land; that all foregoing provis-
ions with reference to lands to be acquired from
the Seminole Indians including the provisions
ulate the disposal of the lands acquired from
the Muscogee or Creek Indians by articles OF
cession and agreement made and concluded at
the City of Washington on the 9th day of Jan
uary, in the year of our Lord, 1889.
Sec. II. The President is hereby authorized
to appoint three commissioners, not more than
two of whom shall be members of the same
political party, 10 negotiate with the Cherokee
Indians and with all other Indians owning or
claiming land lying west of the 95th degree OF
longitude in the Indian Territory for 'the ces-
sion to the United States of all their title, claim
or interest OF every kind or character in and
TO said lands, and any and all agreements re-
sulting from such negotiations shall be
ported to the President and by him to Congress
at its next session and to the Council or COun-
cils OF the Nation or Nations, tribe or tribes,
agreeing to the same for ratification, and for
this purpose the sum of SIS, OOO or as much
thereof as may be necessary is hereby appro-
priated to be Immediately available; provided
that said commission is further authorized 70
submit to the Cherokee Nation the proposition
that said Nation shall cede to the United States
in the manner and with the effect aforesa all
the rights OF said Nation in said lands upon the
same terms as TO payment as is provided in the
agreement made with the Creek Indians, Of
date January lS,1SS9. and ratified by the Presi
dent and Congress, and If said Cherokee Nation
shall accept and by act Of legislative authority,
duly passed, rutify the same the said lands
shall then become part of the public domain,
for the purpose Of such disposition as is here
in provided; and the President is authorized, as
soon thereafter as he may deem
advisable, by proclamation to open said
lands to settlement in the same man
and to the same effect IN this act pro-
vided concerning the lands ACQUIRED from said
Creek Indians, but until said lands are opened |
for settlement by proclamation of The Presi- |
dent person shall be permitted to enter |
upon and occupy the same. and no person vio- |
lating this provision shall be permitted TO enter
any OF the said lands acquire any right thereto
Sec Is That the President may, whenever !
he deems it necessary, create not TO exceed |
two land districts, embracing the lands which /
he may open TO settlement, By proclamation as
hereinbefore provided, and he is empowered to /
locate land offices for the same. appointing /
thereto, in conformity to existing law registers |
and receivers. and for the purpose a-carrying |
out this provision 5000, or so much thereof as
may be necessary, Is hereby appropriated.
Edward S. LOTUS, who is now staying
in Chicago, is the latest victim of the
tarring and feathering process, and is so
well satisfied with his novel dress that he
is 10th to part with it. Edward was at