Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-12-11
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL.
The Constitutional Session Ends
and the Called One Begins.
A Resume" of What, of Impor-
tance, has been Done and Left
Undone General Notes
From The Capital.
TAnIreuAH. Dec. s. 1890


The regular constitutional ses.
sion of the national council has
come and gone and with it the
record Of fifty-eight representatives
has been made and the executive
is in his last year. 1t will per-
haps be interesting to look back
ard see what has been done.
The first measure of consequence
that became.a law vas that to.pay
pei capita the $500, ,000 That has
unquestionably been the political
banner of this council. 1t took
the last cent from the treasury and
leaves only one institution in the
nation in a living condition and
that is the Insane asylum. The
others, seminaries, Jail, Advocate
ETC., have heavy debts hanging
over them. When the school
teachers ccmc in a few days there
will not be one cent to pay them
Warrants of councilmen and Of
fcers are now selling at from six,
ty-fve to seventy. five cents on the
dollar. Your correspondent has
interviewed various leading men
and so far not one has been able
to suggest any plan to relieve the
situation. An attempt was made
the last day of the session to amend
an appropriation bill in the lower
house by taking 100000 of the
per capita fund to pay the public
debt but it failed, the vote being
10 to IS.
The next act of any Importance,
outside Of some for traders H.
censes and divorces, was to create
a commission to treat with the u.
s. commissioners. Several DAYS
were consumed in argument and
agreement as to the number; the
senate deemed five sufficient and
the council nine; both finally
agreed on the latter number.
The next was to tax all import
ed cattle fifty cents per head. The
act provides that any person
importing cattle shall register the
same, giving description. number,
sex, brands, etc, and shall pay
fifty cents per head. No penalty
is attached, neither does the act
repeal anything. Many think it
frail in this respect. Should the
owners fail to pay. the solicitor is
required to prosecute civil suit
for the collection of the tax. Suits
of this character might be kept in
the courts for years and no dam
ages can be added more than costs.
ollowing this act came one to
create g revenue officer for each of
the nine districts, who is required
to collect all revenues and settle
with all the district officers. They
are TO be appointed BY the chief
and confirmed by the senate.
An act to regulate the practice
Of medicine became a law. Under
its terms the chief appoints three
medical boards of three physicians
each and all doctors must go be-
fore them and be examined,
whether citizens or not; the ex-
ceptions are those who have had
ten years practice prior to this
act and "Indian doctors ANY
travelling venders Of medicine are
required to pay $50 per month.
Among the enactments of less
Importance was one to amend the
mineral law, making the time
twenty years instead Of ten and
one giving the circuit courts au-
thority to try the rights Of adopted
citizens who have forfeited their
rights under the intermarriage
law. Also one to amend the road
law, requiring persons to make
wider lanes.
Among those which failed was
the question of the railroads run
ming through the Cherokee coun-
try and the stopping Of further
litigation, including the acceptance
Of the situation, be it pleasing or
otherwise. Also. one looking TO
the collection of the balance due
the nation from the Strip asso-
citation.
Two attempts wera made TO
make a delegation; some want
four. some two, but none so far.
The seminafies. schools, Jail.
Advocate, monopoly Of the public