Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-01-06

carry with it provision for put.
ting the allottee in possession Of
such land as may be given him
Judge Little has prepared ar
amendment for the protection OF
the white citizen who may be in
possession of such allotment, anG
who has made valuable improve.
ments thereon. The amendment
will be presented and pressed al
the proper time, and reads as fol-
lows:
provided always that the per,
son in possession may, in defense
of said action, show that he is and
has been in peaceful possession OF
such lands, and that he has, while
in such possession, made lasting
and valuable improvements there
on; that he has not enjoyed the
possession thereof a sufficient
length of time to compensate him
for such improvements. There
upon the court or jury trying said
cause, shall determine the fair
and reasonable value of such i'm.
provements, and the fair and
reasonable rental of such lands
for the time same have been &C.
cupied by such person; and if the
improvements exceed in value the
amount of the rents with which
such person should be charged,
the court, in its judgment, shall
specify such time, as, in the opin-
ion of the court, will compensate
such person for the balance due,
and award to him possession for
such time, unless the amount due
be paid by the claimant, within
such reasonable time as the court
shall specify. If the finding be
that the amount of rents exceed
the value of the improvements,
judgment shall be rendered against
the defendant for such sum, for
which execution may issue"
The question of the protection
of church, school and graveyard
lots, when allotment is made has
been discussed. On this Judge
Little will present the following
amendment:
"Reserving from allotment all
ground or plots of land that may
be necessary and proper for school
and church houses and grounds
and cemeteries.
Mr.. J. n. Thornton, the bril-
liant young editor of the Eufaula
Journal, arrived this week, and
will remain until the disposition
OF pending Indian legislation. Mr..
Thornton is sent by the Board of
Trade of Eufaula to look after the
townsite interests of that town.
He is at work on that line. He
has interviewed most of the men,
bers of the Indian committees and
will join with the other townsite
delegates in presenting to the COM
mittee such facts as may be neces.
sary to guide them to intelligent
action.
Roley Mcintosh, second chief Of
the Creeks, is one of the most
magnificent specimens of physical
manhood among the Indian dele
CATION here. | met him some
days ago and requested that he
say something to the people of the
Territory through my papers. He
discussed the matter briefly il; the
Creek language, with his COM
panion, while ! looked on blankly.
The result OF the conference was
that if | would call at his room III
a few days, he would give state
ment for the Territory papers.
Many letters are being daily re-
ceived by members of the Indian
committees from those in the |
several nations who have been re-
fused citizenship by both the
Dawes commission and the courts.
As 10 whether or not the question
will be taken up by the committee
and reopened remains to be seen.
One member in answering a letter
of this character, makes use of the
following language:
Recognizing the difficulty and
embarrassment of these questions,
erected as fair a tribunal
as it could, for their settlement,
with right of appeal to the courts.
The Dawes commission has ruled.
Those vino felt aggrieved appealed
to the courts, and their decisions
have been rendered upon what
they deemed to be grounds of
Justice and equity. With these {
facts in view, there does not seem {
10 be any disposition on the part {
Of congress to reopen the question [
Or seek to modify the rulings of |
hese tribunals of its own crea- i
ion."
The report of the agents of the
Interior department on the Creek |
warrant fraud is still in the hands
If the secretary of the interior. !
When asked as to what would
likely be the policy of the depart
nent in carrying into effect the c
aw of last winter, which has been q
by the discovery OF the |
rauds, the officials said: a
at is the probable policy of the !
to hold this money no c