The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-04-30
NEW INDIAN BILL.
senator Gray Introduces a Measure for
The REORGANIZATION Ct The
Indian Territory.

" A0-Nf
Gray, of Delewa. e, has introduced a
bill which he believes to be a solution
of the never ending and always
troublesome Indian problem. The
bill begins with a sweeping declara-
tion that all citizens of the Cherokee,
Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole and
Greek or Muskogee nations are to
be citizens of the United States as
well as of the said nations, and these
nations may sue and be sued i'm the
United States courts. Caution is
taken that nothing in the act shall
be construed to affect or abridge the
ri hts Of the Indians as members Of
their respective tribes.
Effort is made to repeal ali lave
which remove Indians from the
Jurisdiction of the United States
courts, and an extensive method of
court procedure is set up for the
prosecution Of Indian criminals in
the federal courts. These courts are
also made the administrators of
estates and guardians for the In
dians.
The bill continues the Dawes com
mission and directs it TO lay out
townsites.
A board is to be appointed by the
judge in each district to consist Of
the chief of each tribe, a member of
the Dawes commission to appraise
all town lots in the possession OF any
person. Thereafter the holder Of
the town lot or lots is directed to
deposit in the United States treasury
at st. Louis to the credit of the
secretary of the interior the amount
OF such appraisement. This sum is
to remain on deposit subject to the
will of the Indian tribe holding the
lot, and if the tribe sees fit to accept
it in full payment a sale shall be
consummated and full title given.
The incorporation of towns i'm the
Indian Territory is provided for un-
der the general laws of the state of
Arkansas. II is further provided
that the Indian nations or tribes
shall each within 30 days after the
passage of this act appoint com
mission of three citizens to pass
upon the citizenship of all members
of the tribe.
When these rolls are made up they
are to be held to be full and COM
plete rolls of tribal citizenship, and
according to them all of the land
belonging to the nation or tribe shall
be segregated in individual allot-
ments.
The persons not included in the
rolls of citizenship are to be evict-
ed as intruders.
The bill provides that after the lst
of January, 1900, if any of the Indian
nations has failed to comply with the
provisions of the act, or if the secre-
tary of the interior shall refuse to
approve the allotments made by the
Indian commissioners, any Indian
citizen may petition the United
States court for an equal allotment
of the lands of the tribe.
After the lands are allotted the
United States government will ac.
count to each nation for all sums
which may be due il under treaty
/ stipulations and will provide for the
/ immediate distributions among the
citizens of their pro rata shares.
Extensive means are taken to pre-
vent land monopolies by the restric-
I ton of land ownership, and also for
/ the prevention Of royalties on miner
ais. The bill is very long and com
prehensive, but its final section shows
marked weakening in its scope. The
act is not to take effect or be en-
/ forced upon any of the Indian ma
tions until ratified and approved by
its legislative council, the act to be
enforced as to each nation when il
shall be duly ratified. If any of the
nations fail or refuse to ratify before
December 1, 1896, the act is to be
void as to that nation, and congress
may proceed to enact such other leg
islation as to that nation as IL may