The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-02-06


expected.
Senate bill 343s, to provide for
making rolls of citizens of the Five |
Tribes in the Indian Territory, and |
for other purposes, has been intro
duced by Senator Jones.
1t was drawn and introduced at the |
instance of the Dawes comm ission,
and provides in substance as follows:
That the Dawes commission shall
make rolls of citizens as required by
law; that they shall take the CherO-
kee rolls of 1890 mot including freed
men) and enroll all persons on said
roll, and their descendants, and all
persons enrolled by tribal authorities
who have made permanent settle
ment in the Cherokee nation, and
who have, by reason of their blood,
been lawfully admitted by the tribal
authorities, and who were minors
when their parents were enrolled;
that the commission shall investigate
the right of all persons on any other
rolls, and omit all placed thereon by
fraud or without authority of law,
enrolling only such as have lawful
right thereto and their descendants;
that they shall make a roll of Chero-
kee freedmen in compliance with the
decree of the court of claims rem
dered March 3, 1896; that the COM
mission correct the rolls of citizen
ship of all the other tribes, eliminat-
/ ing all placed thereon by fraud or
shall determine the identity of Choc-
taws claiming rights in Choctaw
land under treaty of 1880, and if
they find that such persons have re-
moved in good faith, and become
residents upon the lands of the Choc-
taw nation, they shall be entitled to
enrolment; that the roll of the Greek
freedmen made by j. w. Dunn prior
/ to March IA, 1867, be confirmed, and
that the commission enroll all whose
names are found on said rolls, and
all descendants; that the commission
shall make a roll of the Choctaw
1 freedmen and their descendants
under treaties and laws of the Choc-
taw nation; that the commission
shall make a roll of the Chickasaw
freedmen and their descendants,
under the treaty of 1866, and that a
sufficient amount of land be reserved
from allotment for their use under
the provisions of the treaty, should
they be found entitled to the same,
and that the use and occupancy of
40 acres be allotted to them until
their rights are determined; that the
several tribes may determine the
right of persons claiming citizenship
in two or more tribes, but if not so
determined, the claimants shall be
entitled to citizenship in only one
tribe, to be determined by his cleo
ton, and if he fails TO make such Sc
lection the commission shall enroll
him in the tribe with whom he has
resided; that no person shall be en-
rolled in any tribe who has not here
tofore removed thereto, in good
faith, and settled in such nation
that in all rolls thus made, the per-
sons thereon shall be described; that
the commission shall have access to
all records of the several tribes, and
upon refusal they may punish as for
contempt; that the rolls so made,
when approved by the secretary oi
the interior, shall be final, and thai
the persons So placed thereon and
their descendants shall constitute
the several tribes; and that thereafter
no person shall be admitted to eiti
zenship by the several tribes or BY
the commission.
Much speculation has been in
dulged in and many letters of in
quiry received by members of the
Indian committee in regard to pros
pective legislation in the Territory
Many towns are urging theil
r claims for courts. 1t is unofficial,
learned here that the three United
/ States Judges have agreed upon 1
2 court bill for the Indian Territory
1t is understood that an ajditiona
: judge will be asked for and the for
D nation of new district by a division
' of the present Northern district. Th,
bill, if seriously contemplated, ha
D not yet reached Washington Icalle,
on Judge Terry, the Arkansas mem
ber of the judiciary committee, bu
t he knew nothing of it.
t This legislation belongs TO the ju
g dietary committee, and unfortunatel,
:, so. While the members of that com
= mittee knew well of all matters ju
: dicial, they have not had to do wit
: and know nothing of the peculia
.. conditions existing in that country