Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-01-28
TERRITORY LEGISLATION.
CULMINATION OF THREE YEARS
WORK AMONG THE FIVE
TRIBES.

|
Full Text Of Senator Plait's Bill, Intro
duced January 18th : Choctaw Agree
ment the Basis, but Applies TO all IN,
NatiOns-NO TOwnsito Provisions.
A bill, to secure to the citizen In
diane in the INDIAN Territory tn,
equal use of their tribal lands
and to extend the jurisdiction o
the United States courts therein
aud for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the senate anc
house OF representatives of the
United States of America in con.
gress assembled, That all the
lands within the Indian Territory
belonging to the Chectaw and
Chickasaw Indians shall be allot.
ted to the citizens Of said tribes so
as TO give each citizen Of these
tribes Except the freedmen pro
vided Tor in the treaties of eighteen
hundred aud sixty six witt these
tribes so far as possible, the use
Of "A fair aud equal share thereof,
considering the character and fer
lility of the soil and the location
and value Of the lands.
SEC. 2. That all lands set apart
for town sites, as hereinafter pro-
vided for, aud the strip of land
lying between the city Of Fort
Smith, Arkansas, and the Arkan.
sas and Poteau rivers, extending
up the latter river to the mouth OF
Mill Greek; and ten acres each, to
include the buildings now occu-
pied for the capitol and for the
New Hope seminary, Jones acad-
emy, Tuskahoma Female semi
nary, Wheelock Orphan seminary,
Spencer academy. Tuskahoma
academy, and Armstrong Orphan
academy, in the ChoctaW nation;
and the same number Of acres each
for such public buildings aud
schools in the Chickasaw nation as
the governor thereof shall desig.
nate shall be exempted from allot-
ment; and all minerals, including
oil, coal, natural gas and asphalt,
in or under the lands allotted shall
not pass to the allottee, but shall
remain, as now, for the use OF the
Chootaw and Chickasaw tribes,
exclusive of the aforesaid freed.
men: Provided, That where any
mine is hereafter opened on land
allotted to any citizen, the value of
the necessary surface for mining
and the damage done to his allot-
ment and the improvements there
on shall be ascertained under the
direction of the secretary Of the
Interior and paid TO the allottee
by the lessee, or party operating
the same, before operations begin
SEC. 8. That in order to such
equal allotment, the lands Of the
Choctaws and Chickasaws shall be
graded and appraised 40 as 10 allot
each citizen, as far as possible, the
use Of an equal value of land:
Provided, That if it shall he de-
cided that the Chickasaw freedmen
are not entitled to the land pro-
vided for in the treaty Of eighteen
hundred and sixty.six with the
Chickasaw tribe, then the lands
allotted to the Choctaw freedmen
are to be deducted from the portion
to be allotted to the Chociaw citi-
zens,. so as TO reduce the allotments
to the Chociaw citizens by the val.
ue Of the same, and not affect the
value Of the allotments to the
Chickasaw citizens.
SEC. 4. That the freedmen who
may be entitled to allotments of
forty acres each, under the treaties
of eighteen hundred and sixty-six
with the Choctaw and Chickasaw
tribes, shall be entitled each To the
use Of land equal in value to forty
acres Of the average land Of the
two nations.
SEC. 5. That the appraisement
and allotment shall be made under
the supervision of the commission
heretofore appointed under the
acts of congress, approved March
Sd, 1893, and March %, 1895, or
their successors, and shall begin
as soon as the progress OF the sur.
yeys now being made by the
United States government will
admit.
SEC. 6. That each citizen OF the
Choclaw and Cbickasaw nations
shall, where it is possible, have
the right to take his allotment on
land, the improvements on which
belong to him, and such
Improvements shall not be
estimated in the value OF his
allotment: Provided, that where it
is necessary to just distribution
Of the use Of the lands, the
commission is authorized to re.
quire any allottee to take his allOt.
ment from different grades of land.
In the case Of minor children, al
shall be selected for
them by their father, mother,
guardian, or the administrator hav-
ing charge OF their estate, prefer.
ence being given in the order
named. AllOtmeLis shall be Sc
lecied for prisoners. conyicls, and
incompetenls by some suitable
person akin TO them, to be desig.
mated by the commission making
the allotments; and said commits
sion shall exercise due care that
all persons entitled thereto have
made to them.
SEC. 7. That all contracts look
ing to the sale or incumbrance in
any way of the use Of the land Of
an allottee, except leases thereof,