The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-02-20
THE FIVE TRIBES IN CONGRESS.
The Senate Is Now Wrestling With The Troublesome
Question of Revision
FrOeressAPPeaIs
COurt-Idea Now Ia to Slim
pify Mstters-Amendments o Curtis BIn
copyright 1881

washington, req. Id. NE leg
islative pendulem has swung from
the House. TO the senate, so to
speak. That body has made sub
stantial progress this week 'S
AS indicated in my cOmmunica-
ton of last week, the senate has
heretofore done nothing in the way
OF legislation, and its policy was
thought to be to allow the house to
take the initiative, by the passage
of the Curtis bill.
Developments of this week show
this policy to have been departed
from. The senate has taken up
many of the most important ques-
tions with the manifest and ex-
pressed determination to carry its
convictions into law. The pecul-
lar organization Of the senate
makes It possible for that body to
reach final legislative results with
almost incredible celerity.
On Thursday of this week the
senate took up the Indian apprO-
priation bill and attached thereto
many important amendments
They are in substance as follows:
The membership of the Dawes
Commission was raised from three,
the number to which it had been
reduced by the house committee, to
four; and the amount appropriated
for the support of the commission
and its clerical force was raised to
total of $43, 400.
The bill introduced last week,
providing for revision of all the
rolls of the tribes by the Dawes
commission, and prescribing the
manner and means for the accom-
plishment of the work, was adopt
ed in toto, and added to the bill as
an amendment. (The substance
of this measure was given in detail
in my communication of two weeks
ago.
Rejected citizenship claimants
and the tribes may, within sixty
days after the passage of the act,
appeal all cases decided by the
Dawes commission and the United
States court, under act of June 10,
1896, to the court of appeals of
the Territory, and thence to the
supreme court of the United States.
: The bill some time ago intro
duced by Senator Jones and Judge
Little, providing for the ratifca-
ton of the Seminole treaty, was
adopted as an amendment to the
bill. on
There is scarcely any doubt that
all these amendments will stand in
the bill and go into law, with the
exception of the manner of appeal
ing the citizenship cases. 1t is
understood that they will never be
allowed to go to the supreme court
of he United States, and that this
was adopted only as a matter of
form, to save time and avoid de-
bate, it being understood by those
in charge of the bill that it would
be modified when the bill goes into
conference. The concensus of
opinion now is that these claim
ants viii be given the right of ap-
peal to the court of appeals at st.
Louis. The Dawes commission
sees no objection to this, and it
viii very probably be done.
at Fridays session Of the senate
another amendment was adopted
providing that holders Of Greek
warrants, payment of which was
stopped by the secretary of the in
terror on account of the discovery
of fraudulent warrants, may enter
suit against the Greek nation for
the payment of the same in the
court Of claims.
~
The house Indian affairs COM
mittee met Thursday to resume
consideration of the Curtis bill.
ALI the members of the commit
tee were present, and the committee
nom Was Allied with both Indian