The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-05
TIE cAncTAW CLAIM.

TUsKAHoMA, L r., Dec 4.-The special
delegation which went to Washington
City after the lease district money, has
made its official report to the Choctaw
council and it has been accepted. The
following is the report of the committee:
ain obedience to an act of your honora-
bic body, passed aud approved October 19,
1891. in reference to the appropriation
made by the congress of the United States
on he Sd day of last March for the sum of
81 991, ,450 for the payment Of the interest
of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations OF
Indians in certain lands west OF the 9Sth
degree west longitude. we proceeded TO
Washington City, arriving there Novem-
Der |, 1891, and have the honor to report
IN our mission as follows:
1--WE had two interviews with the pres
ident of the United States on the matter
intrusted to us. At the first he stated
that the whole legislation by congress ap-
peared to be hasty, ill-advised ana slip
shod, and that guesswork entered largely
in determining the amount of said land,
and he intimated, or rather said very
plainly, that fraud appeared to have been
practiced on the ChOctaw council to pro-
cure authority to prosecute the claim;
that it was not necessary for the Choctaws
10 give % per cent. of any just claim
against the United States for It's collection,
and that he understood that $500 0JO was
TO be paid out here in Washington City
for the way the matter was passed through
congress. and in consequence he thought
It would be better to refer the whole mat
ter back to CONGRESS for its further action
and investigation.
I'm our second interview the president
said he was in receipt of an opinion pur-
porting TO have come from our attorney
general, disputing our authority in the
premises, and that he had no time TO in ,
vestigate the question and had fully de-
termined TO refer the whole matter back !
to congress
"As the matter now stands, the law |
making the appropriation, before 1T IS
formally accepted by us, is merely
proposition to pay the Choctaw nation so |
much money for releases and conveyauces |
of so much land. Until The Choctaw ma |
ton accepts the proposition congress can |
Withdraw il and leave the matter precisely |
as if no proposition had been made 10 |
create legal right in the Choctaw nation
10 receive the money and to collect 1t.
Your body should at once pass law ac-
cepting the proposition in terms, This
would then be a contract which the gov
ernment could not repeal. This should be
acted upon with promptness, for II the
president should refer the matter back to
congress the chances of our getting the
money would be greatly impaired.
cit appears to US the opinion of our ma
tional attorney on this question was
gratuitous, and given merely to obstruct
or delay the payment of the money. The
chief is the only party authorized by law
to call for his opinion on this subject, or
any other matter outside OF the Choctaw
nation. The auditor or treasurer, when
ia doubt of an expenditure, can get the
opinion of the national attorney but the
methods of receiving money are not
ledged in by such safeguards, being en-
,irely unnecessary.
1--WE also call particular attention to the
rpinion of the attorney general of the
United States as to the authority of the
ChOctaw nation to use its moneys in any
manner it pleases."