The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-03-27
PLATT's AMENDMENT,
which lie Proposes to Tack Onto the
Indian Appropriation BIn-Dawes
Commission Continued.

The following amendment is in
tended to be proposed by Mr.. Platt
to the bill making appropriations for
current and contingent expenses of
the Indian department and fulfilling
treaty stipulations with various In
dian tribes for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1897, and for otherpurposes,
viz:
For salaries and expenses OF the
commissioners appointed under acts
of congress approved March 8, 1898,
and March ?, 1895, to negotiate with
the five civilized tribes in the Indian
Territory, the sum of $50, 900, to be
Immediately available; and said com
missioners, in addition to the author
ity already conferred upon them by
law are authorized and directed TO
proceed at once to hear and deter
mine all questions of citizenship in
the several tribes or nations in said
Indian Territory, namely: The Cher
okee, Muscogee or Creek, Choctaw,
Chickasaw and Seminole tribes or
nations, and to make for each full
and complete roll of all persons en-
titled to the rights of citizenship
therein; and in the performance OF
such duties said commissioners, and
each of them, shall have power and
authority to administer oaths, to is
sue process for and compel the at
/ tendance of witnesses, to send for
persons and papers, and to punish
any disobedience of their orders and
process as for contempt. They shah
at all times have access to all rolls OF
citizens, records, and documents be-
longing to any of said nations or any
of their officers, or in any of the de
partments of the United States which
they may deem necessary for the
prosecution of said work, and may
make copies thereof. In determining
all said questions of citizenship com
missioners are authorized to consider
all the acts of the national councils OF
said several nations, and the acts and
decisions of persons claiming TO act
by authority thereof, and any decis-
ions made or papers issued by such
persons in any case before them, and
all dispositions and affidavits and
other evidence in any form whatso-
ever heretofore taken where the wit
uesses giving said testimony are
dead or now residing beyond the
limits of said Territory, and to use
every fair and reasonable means
within their reach for the purpose OF
determining the rights of persons
claiming such citizenship, or to pro
tect any of said nations from fraud
or wrong. In making up such citi-
zcnship rolls said commissioners shall
accept as citizens all persons now or
rolls recognized by said several ma
tions with reference 10 whose citi-
Ienship no controversy has been in
stituted. The decisions of said com
uissioners in all such cases shall be
inal, and the rolls so prepared by
them shall be thereafter held and
considered to be the true and correct
rolls of persons entitled to the rights
of citizens in said several nations.
Such rolls shall be made in duplicate,
attested by the commissioners, one
TO be deposited with the secretary OF
the nation to which it relates and the
other with the secretary of the iute-
rior. The said commissioners shall
also make n fun and complete roll OF
all those persons residing in the
Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, and
designated in article OF the treaty
of April 2S, 1866, fourteen statutes,
769l, with said nations as persons of
African descent resident i'm said ma
tions at the date of the treaty of Fort
Smith, and their descendants, here
tofore held in slavery among said
I Indians who shall not be found BY
/ said commissioners entitled to be en-
rolled as citizens of said nations; and
the said commissioners shall forward
said roll as early as practicable to
| to the secretary of the interior, with
their report thereon, showing wheth-
er the stipulations prescribed in said
treaty of April 2s, 1866, for the bene-
/ fit of said persons have been fulfilled,
with their recommendations for such
action by congress as in their judg-
ment is required, said report to be
laid before the congress by the sec
retary of the interior with his recon-
mendations thereon.
when the rolls of citizens of any
one of said nations or tribes are fully
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