The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-13
THE INDIAN APPROPRIATION
The Bill Reported to the Senate ~
the Committee.
LANDS OPENED FOR SETTLEMENT.
Changes Made Conccrninw the Leas.
inw OF Landa ny Indians-IndiRn
Freedmen to he rnid Claims.

Washington. February Ex-senator Pet.
THROW. from the committee on appropria-
tons. reported tho Indian appropriation bill
TO tho senate. AS reported, the bill car.
ries an amendment to the provision for
the allotment Of lands In tho Indian Ter
ritory and for displaclng the local Indian
courts by system OF Federal Judiciary,
which was sent out yesterday by tho Assoc
eatcd Press, Another amendment thrown
open the lands to settlement OF tho Un-
comphagrc reservation In Utah. A provi-
sion Is also inserted In regard to tho sup
port OF indian schools. giving the secretary
authority TO mako contracts With contract
schools, apportiontng tho amount paid thus
among the various religious denominations
but these contracts are TO be made only
where non scctarian schools can not be
procured, The provision is the same es the
present law except that the percentage u
reduced from 80 To 10 per cent.
Amcng other nmondmpnts in tho lerirta.
tive features OF tho bill ara the following:
living competent Indians the preference
III tho employment OF farmers at Indian
agencies; striking out tho provision allow
I'M tho Quapaw lndiana to lease the lind
In Indian territory and inserting provisiou
allowing the Sisston and Wahpeton Indiana
the right to make leases; requiring the cont.
missioner OF Indian affairs to employ In
dlan girls ns assistant matrops and Indian
boys as assistant farmers. wherever prac-
ticaole to dc So; authorizing disabled In
dmns to lonso the lands allotted To them:
providing for commission to treat with
tho Rosebud and Lower Brule Indians for
me cession OF their lands; providing for
commissioner TO sunorintend the sale Of
Indian lands comforting Jurisdiction upor
the court Of claims in the Cherokee old
settler claims.
As reported the bill shows an inorense Of
sgi1 $50 over tho amount appropriated by
tho house bill making a total of 81 400 ana
1ho princinal item OF this incroise In
SAL 500 for the roRurycy OF the lands OF
| The Chicknsaw Nation
Forty thousand dollars Is provided tor
| irrirntion on Indian reservations, instead OF
$4,000, MS In the house hill
Union Pacific Lind Patents, -i~ir
washington, February IL. Secretary
Francis today issued an order restoring ia
tho Union Pacific lands pending patent the
status they occupied under tho order OF
Secretary Smith last June. directing tho
lands of tho road to be patented where
shown to have been sold to bona fde pur-
chascrs, and fixing the affidavits Of two
persons familiar with the facts us suffi-
ciont to show bona fide purchase as well ~
OF the company's officials; but the road
| N""f'"'h'A 'h"t WIN III iuJuhtlCo ia
view Of deaths and other reasons. Tho Or
| der. which applies only to tho Union pa-
cific follows. II ia addressed TO the COM
missioner of the general land office:
| The reorganization committee OF tho 10
| cnrity holders of the Union Pacific Railway
| company, having entered into an agree.
ment with tho government whereby tho
| government IN guaranteed to receive at
least Stb, 900 for Its claims against said
| company at foreclosure sale, which tina
attorney general OF tho United States and
the attorneys for said first mortgage bond
holders have united IN asking the court to
order nnd said representatives having do
posted si50o,000 with tho United States
thereto In this city TO insure thu fulfill
ment OF said agreement, now, therefore,
| my orders OF December 20. 1896. aud jan
uary 2, 1897, governing the listing OF lands
| TO DO patented to the Union Pacific Rail-
way company are hereby modified.
| From and after date you VIII list TO mo
| for patenting such lands within the limits
OF the grants inurinR to the Union Pacific
| Railroad company ns may have boon sold
| 20 bona fide purchasers. In determining
| whether such lands may have been aold To
bona fidc purchasers, You will follow tho
| instructions IN departmental letter OF my
| predecessor dated juno ". 1896, Nothing
| In this order shall be construed M modify
| ing any departmental letters OF December
| &c, 1875, and January 2. 1897. so far as
said letters relate 10 lands within the lin
| its Of tho grant OF tho Central Pacific rail-
| road.