Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1899-03-02


All contests shall be determinedby
said commission subject to appeal
to the commissioner on Indian
Affairs, and from him to the secre-
tary of the Interior.
No contract for rent of any selec-
ton so made shall be valid or
binding unless for adequate con-
sideration and made in writing
in duplicate and deposited in the
office of said commission in which
the selection was made. Said
commission, after investigation,
shall forward same to the secretary
of the Interior for his approval,
aud when approved it shall be re-
turned to such office of the COM
mission, to be by it delivered to
the parties, one copy to each.
Said commission is authorized
and required to employ sufficient
clerical force in each office estab-
lished to promptly and correctly
prepare all such applications and
to record the same, and to furnish
each applicant with certificate of
his selection containing a proper
description of the lanGs selected.
No applicant shall be required
to pay any fee for or expense
of the work of preparing and re-
cording such application, or the
certificate therefor, except fee OF
% cents to the officer before
whom the affidavit was made.
Selections of land may be so
made by members Of the several
tribes in quantities not to exceed
100 acres to each Creek, so TO
each Cherokee, 24O to each Choc-
taw and each Chickasaw, and 40 to
to each Choctaw aud each Chick
asaw freedman.
And the balance of the lands
belonging to each tribe shall be
left uninclosed and open for the
common use of all members of the
tribe until final allotment, and
then be divided among them, &C
cording to the provisions of said
act of congress and ageement,
where agreements have been rati-
fed, so that every member shall
have his fair aud equal share OF
all the lands of his tribe.
After the 1st day of April, 1899,
any member of any tribe may en-
ter upon and occupy any lands
which have not already been, as
hereinbefore provided, selected
and occupied by another member
of the tribe, whether such lands
be improved or inclosed or not;
and where a member has, pror to
said date, held possession of lands
Of the tribe In excess of the
amount of land he may be entitled
TO select for himself and family, a.
aforesaid and has not made such
selection, he will be deemed to
have selected the lands upon
which he and his family then re-
side, and lands outside and in
excess of same, Heretofore held
by him, may be selected and oc-
cupied by other members of the
| tribe for their allotments. All
| leases, however, of agricultural
lands, made prior to January l,
1898, which would by the terms of
the lease continue to or beyond
January l, 1900, may be held by
the lessees until the last-mentioned
date, but no longer.
All land and other property now
held for religious or educational
purposes in the territory, either
by tribal authorities or religious
denomination, will be protected
from intrusion until allotment,
and until the right of occupants
TO hold same has been determined
by the allotment commission or
other lawfully constituted author
ity;and all persons are warned not
to in any manner interfere with
lands or property so held.
This department will observe
the desire and:purpose Of the gov
ernment to have prepared and
approved correct rolls Of the men,
bers of the several tribes, thus
settling the question of citizen
ship, preparatory TO allotment of
lands. and the further purpose of
the government to release all ex-
cessive holdings of lands Under
tribal laws or individual leases, so
that members of the tribes may
occupy the same and make homes
thereon, with view to allotment,
and will leave nothing undone to
enforce all laws enacted by con-
gress in aid of such desires and
purposes, and all persons are ad-
monished not violate or attempt to
evade such laws i'm order 10 secure