Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-04-16
THE CURTIS. REPORT.
Protection Of the People Of the Indian
Territory, Etc.

TO whom was referred the join
resolution Is. r. 19) to authorize
the secretary of the interior tC
suspend the removal of intruder:
from the Cherokee country unit
further action by congress, the
bill (H. r. 6309) to provide fol
the security to persons and prop.
erty in the Indian Territory and
for other purposes, and the bill
| Oh. r. 1879 for the protection o
the people of the Indian territory
extending the jurisdiction of the
United States courts, providing fol
the laying out of towns, the leas.
ing of coal and other mineral. tim.
ber, farming, and grazing lands,
and for other purposes, having
given the same careful considera.
ton, recommend that the said res.
olution and bills do lie on the ia.
BILE, and that the substitute pre-.
pared by the committee do pass,
and said committee submits the
following report:
Knowing tine importance of the
question involved, your committee
devoted over three weeks in hear,
ing the interested parties and
officers of the government; each OF
the five civilized tribes-the Cher
okees, the Creeks, the Choctaws,
the Chickasaws, and the Semi.
noles-are affected by this bill,
and each of said tribes were heard
by their attorneys, and several
members of the tribe presented
their views upon the proposed
legislation; members of the Dawes
commission, who have spent two
years in the territory, explained
the condition of affairs as they
found them there, in short, all
interested parties were given full
opportunity to be heard.
Your committee is fully satisfied
that there must be a change in the
government of the territory, and
they believe the sooner it is made
the better it will be for all con-
cerned.
There are now about 100000
people ia that country, not more
than 50, 900 of whom are Indians;
about 1000 are intruders, and the
others are white people from all
parts of the United States.
Railroads have penetrated all
parts of it; fiourishing towns have
sprung up, and the inhabitants,
outside of the members of the In
dian tribes, have no schools and
no certainty as to the length of
time they will be permitted to re-
main in the towns where they
have located.
One of the principal sources of
trouble in this territory is the lack
of proper criminal jurisdiction,
and your committee has, by the
first section of this bill, extended
the criminal laws of the United
States over it, and thus gwen to the
United States courts power to try
all persons charged with crimes
and mlsdemeaners committed
within their respective jurisdiction,
without regard to the race or citi-
zenship of the offenders. 1t has
also extended certain sections of
the criminal laws of the state of
Arkansas over said territory.
The second, third, fourth. fifth,
sixth and seventh sections of the
bill gives said courts jurisdiction
in certain civil suits arising be-
tween citizens of the United States,
or between citizens of the United
States and members of either of
said tribes of Indians, between In
dians of different tribes in said
territory, and in appeals from the
Indian courts.
The intruders have been the
cause of no end of trouble in said
territory, and the United States
has frequently promised and
agreed to remove them, but has
never done so, and your committee
has endeavored to provide a way
to settle that much vexed question.
Under section eight, parties
claiming TO be citizens of the sew
eral tribes are given six months
within which to apply to the prop
er authorities of the tribes for ad-
mission, and the question shall be
settled within thirty days after
such application, or, under section
nine, said parties may apply, if
they prefer, to the Dawes commits
sion, which is continued under
this act, for citizenship, but such
application must be made within
six months after the passage OF
this act and must be decided with
in ninety days after the applica-
ton, but either the tribe or appli-
cant if aggrieved may appeal to
the United States courts.
Section 10 directs the commits
sion to make rolls of citizenship
for each of said tribes, taking such
as are now on said roll and adding
thereto all of whom they may find
entitled to citizenship, but in de-
termining the question of citizen
ship said commission is to be gov
erned by the rolls of the tribes,
their laws and regulations, if not
with the laws of the |
United States, or in violation of
treaty stipulations.
After the rolls of citizens are |
made and the land surveyed the |
commission is required to allot the |
exclusive use and occupation of |
the lands OF said tribe which are
of such allotment.
The committee was convinced |
that there are many rich deposits
of coal and other minerals in said |
territory and that the tribes are
not deriving the benefit from them
that they should, but that individ-
ual members and those holding |