The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-05-30
BLEDSOE WRITES
OF Matters at wsshIneton-No Pro.
visions For TownsItes In the Curtis
BIN 1S Present-wIn 90 In Later.


inst the committee on Indian affairs
reported to the senate the Curtis bill
with amendments. The amendments
consist in striking out that portion
Of the bill permitting the tribes or
individual members thereof to bring
unlawful detainer suits in certain
cases and allowing the non-citizen to
have an accounting for his improve
ments; also section 15-the townsite
section; and that portion of the bill
fixing the penalty for an Indian fenc-
ing up or retaining under fence more
land than he could allot. Some other
portions Of minor Importance were
stricken out. The committee further |
amended by resubmitting the treat
les practically without modification,
except certain clauses relating to |
minerals; by adding q provision per-
mitting towns to condemn lands for
public purposes, and by adopting the
Kern roll of Cherokee freedmen.
The report was as l had expected
1t, except that expected q modIfica-
ton of the townsite provision of the
treaty in accordance with my previ-
GUS letters. Still thought nothing
Of the failure to modify until heard
1t persistently circulated that Senator
Pettigrew would under no circum-
stances consent to the proposed
change. Determining to find out for
certain, l called on Senator Petit
grew this morning and told him that
it was persistently reported that he
was opposed to any townsite legisla-
tion except the treaty provision, and
that he was opposed to its modifica-
ton. He said to me that he was not
opposed to townsite legislation, and
that section is was stricken out OF
the Curtis bill not because he or the
committee was opposed to townsite
Legislation, but because the members
of the committee we're not agreed
7 upon any plan and preferred leaving
it to the conference committee. Up
on the second proposition he said he
preferred making Just as few changes
in the treaty as possible so rs to in
sure it's ratification, but that he did
not believe the white people of the
. towns of the Indian Territory ought
to pay for the values they had them
selves created.
Yesterday, in company with Judg'
Bradford, called on Mr.. Curtis anC
. asked him if he was in favor of re
submission of the treaties. He sai'
- he was, with notifications which b.
deemed necessary, but what thes'
II proposed notifications are he pre-
ferred not to state.
It is expected that the Curtis bil
80 will be taken up and passed by tn
senate as soon as the war revenu
bill is out of the way. The commit
tee in charge of the bill on behalf c
the administration endeavored to &c
an agreement to vote Saturday (tC
morrow evening, but failed. Ithinl
an however, that it will be disposed {
'" during next week. 1t is possible tht
the Curtis bill may pass the sena'
next week. 1t is hard TO tell no
long 1t may remain in conference
There is much discussion and
= rather decided disposition to az
journ by June 15.
y NV opinion is that when the b
comes out of the hands OF the COME
L enoe committee it will have q ia
A townsite provision and that the tres
la les will be modified SO as to provi'
for the payment of so per cent of q
appraised value and for giving &
Towns representation on the apprRl
All ing board.
~ Blount Martin. . Cherokee India
has fled application for a writ of
beas corpus to secure his relies
from the custody of the marshal
% the Northern district. This 10 {
- case by which the Cherokees expt
70 test the Jurisdiction of the Unit
States courts to try one Indian
an offense committed against {
ii other. The names of Wilkinson o.
ID. w. O. Duncan, YAncey Lewis
William t. Hutchings appear on
- brief on behalf Of Martin. Ooun
jGly for Martin rely upon article 13 of
treaty Of 1865 between the Unit
'S"s States and the Cherokee matte
l.ng which provides that the courts Of
let Cherokee nation shall retain exc
,air sive jurisdiction In "all civil 6
criminal cases arising within tn
country, in which members of
ming nation by nativity or adoption 81
be the only parties"
= On May rs the vice president =