Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-07
HOW LANDS NAY BE ENTERED,
Some Facts Concerning tho Indian
Appropriation Bill
NATURE OF THE AMENDMENTS,
Important Points OF Difference Be'
tween This Measure and the
One Organizing tho Ter
ritory of Oklahoma.
The New Public Domain.

WASHINGTON, March 6.--ln the confusion
attendant upon the closing hours of congress
The exact nature and effect of the amend
mcnts made to the Indian appropriation bill
have not been clearly understood The im-
preston has gained currency that all tho
provisions of the bill organizing the territory
of Oklahoma, in effect, were embodied in
the Indian appropriation bill. This is not
the case. The amendments agreed to relate
to the Seminole and Cherokee lands, and are
as follows
The sum of S1,9l2,9i2 is appropriated to
pay in fun the Seminole nation Tor all tho
rights, title ana claims they may have in and
to certain lands cedcd BY tho treaty
of 1865, containing 2,03i,ilj acres,
OF this sum Sl,5JU,000 shall remain
in the treasury, per cent interest TO be paid
semi annually to the treasury of the hation,
and S4l2, 942 shall be Immediately available
for distribution. This appropriation is to he.
come operative upon the execution, by the
duly appointed delegates OF said nation, of a
release and conveyance to the United States
of all rights, title, interest and claims of said
nation of Indians in and to said lands, in "a
manner and form satisfactory to the prcsi-
dent of the United States. 1t is further pro-
vidcd that such release, conveyance aad eX-
tnguishment shall not inure to the benefit
or cause to vest in any raiiroad company any
right, title or interest whatever in or to any
of said lands, and all laws and parts of laws,
so far as they conflict with the foregoing,
are repealed.
Except rights of way and depot grounds,
the lands thus acquired shall be part OF the
public domain, two sections in each town
ship to be reserved for the use and benefit of
public schools to be erected within the limits
of said lands. The lands thus acquired, eX-
cept school sections, are to be disposed of to
actual settlers under the homestead law only
except as herein otherwise provided, and ID
is provided further that any person who,
having attempted to, but for any cause
failed, to secure a title in fee TO Il homestead
under the existing law, or who made an en-
try under what is known as the commuted
provision of the homestead law, shall be
entry upon sucn lands, and pro.
vided further, that the rights
of honoraply discharged union soldiers and
sailors in the late civil war, as defined aud
described in 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 to be permitted to
enter more than one quarter section thereof.
Until such lands are opened for settlement
by proclamation of the president, no person
shall be permitted to enter upon ana occupy
the same, and no person violating this pro,
vision shall ever be permitted to enter any of
said lands or acquire any right thereto The
secretary of the interior may, after said
proclamation and not before, permit entry of
SAID lands for town sites, but no such entry
shall embrace more than one half section OF
land. All the foregoing provisions shall
apply to and regulate the.disposal OF acquired
lands from the Muskogee or Creek Indians
by the articles of cession and agreement of
January 10, 1899.
The president is authorized to appoint
three commissioners to negotiate with tho
Chero1ees and all other Indians owning
lands lying west of the nnety-sixth degrees
of longitude, Indian Territory Cherokee
outlet), for cession to the United States, of
all title, claim or interest. The commission
is further authorized to submit to the Chero
kce nation the proposition that said nation
shall cede their lands to the United States
upon the same terms as to payment as pro-
vided in the agreement with the Greeks. Ii
the CherOSeeS shall accept the terms, said
lands thereupon became part OF tho public
domain for the purpose of such dispo.
s!ton as 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 manner
and to the same effect rs provided concern
ing the lands acquired from the Creeks.
The president may, whenever he deems
necessary, create not to exceed two land dis
tricts, embracing lands which he may open
to settlement by proclamation rs herein be-
fore provided, and is empowered to locate
land offices for the same, appointing thereto
in conformity to existing laws, registers and
receivers.