The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-04
OKLAHOMA.
Proclamation of President Harrl-
son Opening Ceded Greek
and Seminole Lands.
The Authority for the ProcIama-
ton. and the Terms Pre-
scribed for Settlement.
Warrington, March 27.-The president
to-day issued the following proclamation
opening the Oklahoma lands

to-day issued tbe following proclamation
opening the Oklahoma lands:
BY THE PRESIDENT OF The UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA.
A observation-disclosures, Pursuant to
section s of an act of congress approved
March 8, 1885, entitled can act making
appropriations for current and contingent
expenses of the Indian department and
for fulfilling treaty stipulations with va
rious Indian tribes for the year ending
June 30, 1888, and for the purposes
of executing certain articles of oes-
sion and agreement, on the 10Th day
of January, in the year of our Lord,
eighteen hundred and eighty nine, by and
between the United States of America and
the Muskoges (or Creek) nation of In
dians, for a consideration therein men
toned, aoceded and granted to the United
States without reservation or condition,
and the complete title to the entire west
ern half of the dominion of the said Mus
koges (or Creek) nation, of the Indian
Territory, lying west of the division lines
the said nation, dated the 14th day
of June 1866, and also granted and re-
leased to the United States all and every
claim, estate, right or interest of any and
every description in and to any and all
land and territory whatever, except 80
much of the former domain of said Mus
kogee (or Creek nations as lies east of
said line of divisions surveyed and estab-
lished as aforesaid and then used and oc-
cupied as the homestead of said nation,
and which articles of oession and
agreement were duly accepted or ratified
and confirmed by said Muskogee (or
Creek nation of Indians by act of the
Indian council, approved the 31st day of
January, 1889, and by the United States
by an act of congress, approved March l,
1889; and
Whereas, By section IL of an act en-
titled can act making appropriations for
current and contingent expenses of the
Indian department and for fulfilling
treaty stipulatons with the various Indian
tribes for the year ending June
80, 1890, and for other pur
poses, approved March 2, 1889,
a sum of mony was appropriated to pay
in full the Seminole nation of Indians for
all right, title, interest ald claim which
said nation of Indians might have in
certain lands oeded by article 3 of the
treaty between the United States and said
nation of Indians, concluded June IL,
1866, and proclaimed August 16, 1866,
said appropriation to become operative
upon execution by duly appointed dele
gates of said nation specially empowered 10
do so, of the release and conveyance to the
United States of sll right, title, interest
and claim of said nation of Indians in
and TO said lands in manner satisfactory
to the president of the United States;
and,
Whereas, Said release and conveyance,
bearing date of the 10Th of March, 1889,
has been duly and fully executed, ap-
proved and delivered; and,
Whereas, Section IA Of the act last Gfore
said, relating to said lands, provides as
follows:
Section l3-That lands acquired by the
United States under said agreement shall
be part Of the public domain, to be dis
posed of only as herein provided and Sec
lions 16 and SO of each township, h5ther
y
served for the use and benefit of public
comforts to be established within the lin
its of said lands under such conditions
and regulations as may be hereafter au.
thoTized by congress. That th9 land Sc
cured by conveyance from the Seminole
Indians under section l6 shall be disposed
of TO actual settlers under the homestead
laws only, except as otherwise provided,
except that section 230l of the Revised
Statutes, shall not apply; and provided
further, that any person who having at
tempted-but for any cause failed TO Sc
cure title in fee to homestead under exist
ing laws, or who made entry under exist
ing laws, or who made entry under what
is known as the commuted provision of
the homestead laws, shall be
qualified to make a homestead entry on
said lands; and provided further, that the
rights of honorably discharged Union
soldiers and sailors in the late civil war,
as defined and described in sections 2304
and 2305 of the Revised Statutes, shall
not be abridged; and provided further,
that each entry shall be in square form,
as nearly as practicable, and no person be
permitted to enter more than
one quarter section thereof; but
until said lands are opened to
settlement by the proclamation of the
president, no person shall be permitted to
enter upon and occupy the same, and no
person violating this provision shall be
permitted to enter said lands or acquire
any right therefor.
Th, secretary of the interior may, after
said proclamation and not before, permit
entry of said lands for town sites under
sections 1887 and 1888 of the Re-
vised Statutes, but no such entry
shall embrace more than one-half of q
quarter section. That all the forg Ding
provisions with reference to lands to be
acquired from the Seminole Indians, in
cluding the provisions pertaining TO the
forfeiture, shall apply to regulate the dis
posed of lands acquired from the Musko-
gee (or Creek Indians by articles of
agreement made and completed at the
city of Washington on the 10Th of jan
uary, in the year of our Lord, 1889.
Now, therefore, 1, Benjamin Harrison,
president of the United States, by virtue
of the power in me vested by said acts of
Marnb 1870 afnra-