Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-11-03
A SUBSTITUTE
FOR CURTIS BILL.
A Carefully Arranged Meas
ure to be introduced
in the National
Council.

DSoA q Sdi Clu1 pCAuSd D1 ONC-
Cherokee citizen. Something
must certainly be done at the next
session of council, and it is the
opinion of many that a measure
that will meet the demands of the
Cherokees should be passed at an
early day and submitted to vote
ofthe Cherokee people. Here is
the proposed bill:
Sec. 1. That when the roll OF
citizenship of the Cherokee Nation
has been fully completed by the
commission heretofore appointed
under acts of congress and known
as the "Dawes commission" they
shall proceed to allot the exclusive
use of all the lands of the Cherokee
nation among the citizens thereof
as shown by said roll, the same
numter of acres, 10 include as far
as POSSIBLE, the improvements
which belong to him, but said i'm
provements shall not be estimated
In the value fixed on his allot-
ment.
Provided however. that any
citizen may take any land not al
ready selected by another; but if
such land, under actual cultivation
has on it any lawful Improvements,
he shall pay the owner of said i'm
provements for the same. the value
to be fixed by the commission ap-
praising the land, and until such
payment for the improvements
has been made, no title or allot-
ment shall be valid or binding and
ne certificates. patent or other
evidence of ownership shall be
allowed, and if in possession he
shall be disposessed and all
his rights in said land
are forever barred and he
must take his allotment on
some other land.
Provided, That the owner of
said improvements may at any
time sell the same to any allottee
on such terms and conditions as he
deems best.
In the case of a minor child,
allotment shall be selected for him
by bis father, mother, guardian or
administrator of the estates, pref
erence given in the order named,
but the United States district court
for the Northern district, Indian
Territory, shall have power to Sc
lect for all orphan minors, incom-
petents, prisoners and convicts,
and due care shall be taken that
all persons shall have allotments
made them.
Each allotment shall be apprais-
ed at what would be its present
value, as if unimproyed, consider
ing the fertility of the soil and its
location, but excluding the i'm
provements, and each allottee
Shall be charged with the value of
his allotment in the future distribu-
tion of any funds of the nation now
on hand or arising from any source
whatever, so that each member of
the nation shall be made equal
in the distribution of the
lands and moneys belonging
to the nation, provided that mini
mum valuation be placed upon any
land shall be one dollar and twen-
ty-fve cents per acre.
Those ailottees whose allotments
are valued below the true and
equitable valuation shall be paid
out of the Cherokee funds now or
that may hereafter come into the
treasury of the United States the
the amount of money that will
bring their shares to the equitable
allowance and those allottees
whose allotments are above the
true and equitable valuation shall
pay into the treasury of the United
States the full amount OF money
that will bring their shares to the
allowance, and said pay
ments shall be made as follows:
One fourth within one year, one
fourth within two years, one-iourth
within three years and the balance
within four years, all of said pay
ments to bear interest at the rate
of eight per cent per annum, but
said allottee has the privilege of
paying the whole at any time; but
if said allcttee shall fail to make
said payments or any part thereof,
all sums of money paid thereon
shall be forfeited to the Cherokee
nation, and the commission here
after created, shall proceed TO sell
to the highest bidder for cash, so
much of said allotment as may be
necessary to bring the rest or re-
naming portion down to the true
and equitable valuation and The
purchase money shall be paid into
the treasury of the United States
for the benefit OF the Cherokee
nation; provided, that purchasers
Of said sales shall receive a patent
in fee simple.
A commission is hereby created
by the appointment of one person
by the president of the United
States and one by the principal
chief of the Cherokee nation and
,ne by the judge of the United
States district court, Northern dis
.rict. Indian Territory, who shall |
lppraise said lands and who shall
nave charge of the sales provided
or in this section, but no appraisal
,r sale shall be of any validity ex-
,ept when approved by the seere-
.ry of the interior.
All controversies arising be-
ween citizens of the Cherokee ma
ion as to their rights to have GER
ain lands allotted 10 them shall be |
ettled by the commission making