The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-07-07
PRIVILEGES or INDIANS
'special Laws for Their Bene1it Passed
BY Congress and In the
States.

Il
There are, approximately, $50, 900 In
dams in the United States, and the
larger number of them maintain such
tribal organizations as exempt them
from the operation of the ordinary laws
of the country. They have their own
governments, tribunals and tribal reg
ulations, enjoy exemption from taxa.
ton, jury duty and military service.
and have the benefit of the various pro-
visions made in treaties from time to
time whereby the United States gov
eminent assures them certain lands, q
certain amount of subsistence and in
some cases cash payments. From the
foundation of the government until the
present the Indians have cost the fed
,eral government, exclusive of the sum
set apart for military expeditions, forts
and reservations and exclusive of the
sums appropriated by the states, about
$300,0o0,000 in disbursements, the av-
erage amount Of which is now about
$6,O00,0 900 year. lib :, l.. -
In nearly all the states Of the country
Indians are the subject Of special stat
utory provisions, and, although their
number seems to grow less each year,
the number of Indian statutes, as they
are called, does not diminish year Ivy
year. AS recently as 1897, for instance,
Utah, the last admitted of the states,
adopted statute making it unlawful
for anyone to sell liquor within ten
miles of an Indian reservation, except
in cities and towns Under the liquor
tax law of New York, section 80, it is
made a penal offense@ to sell or give
away any liquor to any intoxicated per-
son, to anyhabitual drunkard, or tosany
Indian. Section! of article 1 of. the
real estate code of New York, so called,
provides that the heirs of an Indian to
whom real property was granted for
military services rendered during the
war of the revolution may take and
hold such real property by descent, as
if they were citizens of the state at the
time of the death of their ancestor. A
conveyance of such real property to
citizen of this state, executed by such
Indian or his heirs after March T., 1909;
is valid, if executed with the approval
of the surveyor-generalo or state engi-
neer and surveyor, Endorsed thereupon.
The Indians of Florida have been
faring very we'll in matters of legisla-
ton designed for their government and
betterment. The SeminA e Indians of
Florida by the treaty Of 1882 re-
linquished to the United States all title
to lands in that state. In later years
recognition has been given to those re-
naming in Florida by the appropria-
ton of money for their education and
civilization. In 1894 congress made a
further appropriation of $4,000 for the
purpose of civilizing and educating the
Seminole Indians, one half of the
| amount to be used in securing lands
| for permanent homes. Each succeeding
year congress has made an appropria-
ton of the same amount, to be used for
the same purpose. There has been pur-
chased from these appropriations land
near the Everglades amounting to 5000
| acres. In all states the Indians enjoy
| certain exemptions, and one section OF
| the New York state constitution pro-
vides that mo purchase or contract for
the sale of lands in this state made since
the 18th day of October, 1875, or which
may hereafter be- made, of or with the
Indians, shall be valid, unless made un-
der the authority and with the consent
of the legislature."-N Y. Sun.