Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-11-24
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Estimated Appropriations for the Fisca
Year 1899, SI56, $50. 4Ie.
Total Indian Population of the United
States, Exclusive OF New York and the
Five tiNtitEcd Tribes, iss.iss-The
Work of the Dawes Commission.

Total Indian Population of the United
States, Exclusive of New York and the
Five Civilized Tribes. iss.Iss-
Work of the Dawes Commission.
WASHINGTON. Nov. lQ.-Sccrctary OF
the Interior Bliss, in his annual re-
port, made public Thursday night,
submits estimates aggrcgating $780,
So. Il9 for appropriations 10y congress
for the fiscal year ending June so, 1899
Discussing pensions. he SAYS 200, 600
pension claims are awaiting adiudica-
ton, and ii is estimated that 40 or 30
per cent OF these will bc finally ad-
mitted. II they are rapidly adjudicatcd
they Will swell the pension roll from
5000. 900 To- 1000. 900. When, how
ever. these claims are adiudicatcd and
the first payment made thereon the
amount of the pension roll will de-
crease very rapidly, possibly To Sl25.-
10000 or $3.50. 600, 900 the first year
The total Indian population of the
United States exclusive of the New
York Indians and the five civilized
tribes, approNimatcs Ia, I7S. located on
Ia reservations. which contain approx
imately 81, 4Oi, $50 acres. OF these 4. 545
aggregate about ga. i45 acres.
Secretary bliss says while the OPEN
ing of the Wichita reservation in Ok
lahoma To white settlement would
greatly promote the development
of that country, yet in view
of the unsettled condition OF
the questions affecting their
rights until there is further legislation
he does not see how il can Toe done
without causing great injury and dis
trcsS. To guard against this. recon-
me udation is made that the Dawes
commission Zoe authorized to nvcsti.
gate questions as To their rights and
claims and report recommendations
for speedy and just settlement
Referring to the worl, of the Dawes
commission, IL il announced that the
investigation OF the rights of appli-
cants for citizenship i'm the five nations
has been practically completed: the
commission has been preparing the
rolls of citizenship of the several tribes
and has negotiated three agreements
That with both the Choctaws and
Chickasaws OF April %. 1897. is be-
fore congress and has been ratified
by those tribes. That made with
the Creeks September - last, was re-
jected almost unanimously 10y the
Creek council and there il little pros
pcct of any further agreement with
them. The thcrolIccs have efused 20
make agreement and negotiations with
them have been abandoned for the
time being. Such agreements rs have
been concluded vary so in their
provisions that in view OF the fact that
eventually uniform system OF
government must Ice provided for the
Indian Territory 1T is questionable SAYS
the report, whether any OF the agree
mcntS should bc definitely ratified bv
congress until the desired and ncccs-
sary uniformity can Ice secured The
secretary says the five tribes have un-
doubtcdly violated in many ways the
spirit OF their agreements with the
United States under which the ter
ritory is now held and governed. and
while hc does not recommend any
harsh government, the secretary calls
the attention Of the president and con
grcss To the chaotic condition of the
affairs OF the territory growing out of
the several tribes method of admins
tration. Leading Indians have alb
sorbcd great tracts TO the exclusion of
the common people, and government
by an Indian aristocracy has been
practically established TO the detrimcnt
Of the people. From 200. 900 To 25O, 900
whites 10y permission of the Indian
government have settled in the terri
tory but are merely tenants sufTerance.
Concerning Alaska, Secreta Bliss
says existing conditions demand n rad
zeal change in the laws relating thereto
and he recommends that the public
land laws bc extended TO that district.
that additional land Offices bc created
and appropriations made 20 carry them
into effect; that the granting of rights
Of way for railroads, telegraph and
telephone lines and the construction of
roads and rails bc specifically author
lied; that provision bc made for the
incorporation OF municipalities. pro-
viding for the holding Of elections
defining qualifications for voting
and giving such powers as are
used and exercised 10y municipal
tiles elsewhere. that the legal and
political status Of the native
population which is in doubt be de-
fined; that citizenship be extended 10
inc NC Ildkduild INDIANS VINO CHi graf
ed from British Columbia. and, under
authority OF an act Of congress APP
proved March 9, 1891, now occupy An
ncttc island; that complete territorial
government be authorized and estab-
lishcd; and that representation in CON
gress be granted.
WAsmNGToN. Nov. 1g.-The secretary
of the treasury has issued "a circular TO
employees 30 the effect that clerks re-
cciving "a stated salary who neglect TO
pay their debts contracted for the
necessary support ~ thcmsclvc. and
their families. without presenting sat
isfactory reasons therefor will not
be retained in Office.
An Unknown Mans Death.
LIMA. O.. Nov. 10 Wednesday night
an unknown man was hit by passcn-
ger train on the Pennsylvania road
near Eiida. lie was sitting on the end
Of tie and was knocked about fifty
feet