Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-06

Niltl COIClUcn.
BY section 16 of the Act of March 3. iSsa.
the President authorized to appoint
three commissioners to enter into negotia-
tons with the Cherokee Choctaw. Chicka-
saw. Muscogee (or Creek and Seminole
Nations, commonly known as the Five
Civilized Tribes In the Indian Territory.
Briefly, the purposes of the negotiations
were to be: The extinguishment OF Tribal
titles to any lands within that Territory
now held by any and all such Nations or
Tribes. either by cession of the same or
some part thereof 10 the United States or
by allotment and division of the same in
severalty among the Indians of such Ma
lions or Tribes respectively as may be enti-
tied TO the same, or by such other method
as may be agreed upon between the several
Nations and Tribes aforesaid or each OF
them with the United States, with view
to such an adjustment upon the basis OF
justice and equity may. with the con
sent OF the said Nations Of Indians so far
as may be necessary. be requisite and suit
able to enable the ultimate creation OF a
State or States of the Union which shall
embrace the lands within said Indian Ter
ritory.
The Commission met much opposition
from the beginning. The Indians were very
slow to act and those in control manifested
decided Discrimination to meet with g ,,nr
the propositions submit TO them. A III
lie more ts'--ll three years after this or
HeniZation he Commission effected an
agreement with the Choctaw Nation alone.
The Chickasaws, however, refused to agree
TO its terms, and as they have n common
interest with the Choctaws in the lands Of
said Nations. the agreement with the latter
Nation could have no effect without the
consent of the former On April -. 1897,
the Commission effected an agreement with
both trites-the Choctaws and ChicKasaws.
This agreement, it is understood. has been
ratified by the constituted authorities of
the respective Tribes or Nations na--ttiies
thereto. and Only requires rata alton 10y
Congress to mako il binding
On the 21th of September. 1897. an agree
inent was effected with the Creek Nation.
but it is understood that the National
Council of said Nation has refused to ratify
the same. Negotiations are yet to he had
with the Cherokees. the most popuous of
the Five Civilized Tribes and with the
Seminoles. the smallest in point of numbers
and territory.
The provision of the Indian Appropriation
Act. approved June 10. 1896. makes it the
duty of the Commission TO investigate and
determine the rights Of applicants for citi-
Zenshp in the Five Civilized Tribes and 10
make complete census rolls of the citizens
of said Tribes. The Commission is at pres
ent engaged in this work among the Creeks
and has made appointments for taking the
census of these people up TO and including
the Both of the present month.
Should the agreement between the Choc-
taws and Chickasaws be ratified by Con-
gress and should the other tribes fail TO
al.
then it will be necessary that some leeis-
lation shall be had by Congress, which.
while just and honorable to the Indians.
shall be equitable 10 the white people who
have settled upon these lands by invitation
of the Tribal Nations.
Hon. Henry L. Dawes, Chairman of the
Commission, in a letter to the Secretary of
the Interior under date of October II, 1885,.
says: individual ownership is in their
tthe Commission's) opinion absolutely Is
sential to any permanent improvement in
present conditions and the lack of il is
the root of nearly all the evils which
so grievously affiict these people Alot-
ment by agreement is the only possible
method unless the United States Courts
are clothed with the authority to appor-
ton the lands among the citizen Indians
for whose use il was originally granted"
toIcuE WITH tfc secretary OF inc l1ltt-
rior that there can be no cure for the evils
engendered by the perversion of these great
trusts excepting by their resumption by the
government which created them.
MARINE HOSPITAL.
The recent prevalence of yellow fever
in number of cities and towns through
out the South has resulted i'm much dis
turbance of commerce and demonstrated
the necessity of such amendments to our
quarantine laws will make the regula-
lions of the national quarantine authorities
paramount. The Secretary of the Treas
ury in the portion of his report relating
to the operation of the Marine Hospital
Service calls attention to the defects i'm
the present quarantine laws and recon-
mends amendments thereto which will
give the Treasury Department the requisite
authority to prevent the invasion of cpl
demic diseases from foreign countries and
in times of emergency like that of the past
summer will add to the efficiency of the
sanitary measures for the protection of the
people and at the same time prevent I'M
necessary restriction of commerce / con-
cur in his recommendation.
In further effort to prevent the invasion
of the United States by yellow fever the
Importance of the discovery of the exact
cause of the disease, which up to the pres
ent time has been undetermined. is obvious,
and to this end systematic METEOROLOGICAL
investigation should be made. [ therefore
recommend that Congress authorize the APP
pointment of a commission by the Presi-
dent to consist of four expert bacteriolo-
sists, one to be selected from the medical
officers of the Marine Hospital Service.
one TO be appointed from civil life. one to
be detailed from the medical officers of the
Army and one from the medical officers
of the Navy.
PACIFIC RAILWAYS.
The Union Pacific Railway, Main Line.
was sold under the decree of the United
States Court for the District of Nebraska
on the LIST and I'd of November of this year.
The amount due the Government consisted
of the principal of the subsidy bonds. ST.
236.512. and the accrued interest thereon,
$3l,2l1, i11-13 making the total indebted
ness SIS 44S 223.75. The bid at the sale COW
cred the first mortgage lien and the entire
mortgage claim of the government, prin-
cipal and interest.