The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-04-18
our WttkLI WASHINGTON LITTER
CHANGES ASKED FOR IN INDIAN
APPROPRIATION BILL.
Increase In Agents SaIary-The Use of
ChOctaw Orphan Fund-The Increase
of Dawes Commits sion ApproprIa-
tIon Still bone of Contention.
Special to the Ardmoreits.

Indian appropriation bill which is
now in conference will be reported |
back to the two houses within day /
or two. 1t will contain many changes |
from the bill which originally passed |
the house. Those of particular in
terest to the Territory are as follows:
An increase of Mr.. Schoenfeldt's |
salary as agent at the Union agency |
from 81 800 to 81, 800 per annum and |
commencing with June 80, 1899.
The abolishment of the provision |
which gives the secretary of the in
terror authority to locate a special
inspector in the Indian Territory to
act as his special representative.
An appropriation of S2,696.4 40 is
also made to be placed to the credit
treasury, and to draw interest at the
rate of five per cent. per annum-
this amount being the value of 2,157
acres of land, being the unsold
Choctaw orphan lands in Mississippi,
which lands, under the provisions of
former treaty, were taken by the
United States at s1.25 per acre.
An appropriation is made of 81 800
for the payment of blacksmith and
assistants and for tools, iron and
steel for the blacksmith shop at the
Quapaw agency. 1t is also provided
that hereafter all chattel mortgages
executed at the Quapaw agency in
the Northern district of the Terri
tory shall be recorded in the town
of Miami by the clerk of the said
Northern district of Indian Terri
tory, or his duly appointed deputy,
in book or books kept for that pur-
pose. The provision relating to the
establishment of public schools on
the reservation and the consolida-
| ton of same is stricken out of this
| bill.
No change is made in the appro-
priations for the Seminole Indians as
originally agreed upon by the house.
The provisions in the bill giving the
Dawes commission final Jurisdiction
in all citizenship cases in the Terri
tory has been amended so as to read:
with the approval of the secretary, !"
which leaves the law exactly as it
has been.
An appropriation of $4,000 is made
for two additional clerks at the Union
agency. Provision is made for the
payment of warrants issued by the
principal chief of the Cherokee ma
council to meet the expenses of the
delegate while in Washington to
formulate an agreement with the
commission to the five civilized
tribes.
The increase in the appropriation
for the Dawes commission from
$500, 900 to S616, 900 is still bone of
| contention between the conferees,
but the indications are that the
amount agreed upon by the senate
will remain in the bill.
An appropriation of s67 900 to pay
the expenses incident to the survey,
plating and appraisement of the
townsites in the Choctaw, Chickasaw,
Creek and Cherokee nations is also
made.
One hundred and eighty-six thous-
and dollars is appropriated to pay
the claim of the royal Seminole In
dians with interest thereon as per
articles 3 and of the treaty of
March 81, 1898, and credited to the
saw Indian nation on the books of
the United States treasury, namely;
first, there shall be paid to such sur
vivors of the original beneficiaries
of said fund and to such heirs or de-
ceased beneficiaries as shall, within
one year from the passage of this
act, satisfactorily establish their
identity and also the amount of such
titled, their respective shares; sec
ond, SO much of said fund as is not
paid out on claims satisfactorily
established as aforesaid shall be dis,
/ bers of said Chickasaw nation and
all claims of beneficiaries and their
respective heirs for participation in
said incompetent fund" not pre-
/ sented within the period aforesaid
shall be, and the same are thereby
/ barred.
An appropriation of 200 is also
made to be distributed equally be-
tween those members of the Chero-
kee nation who removed from Ten
nessee, Alabama and Georgia, and
other southern states in 1885 who
did not receive any portion of the
$50, 900 appropriated for that speci-
| fic purpose. In order to obtain this
| the applicant of his or her heirs and
/ lineal descendants must file with the
commissioner of Indian affairs his
application establishing his right
which shall be approved by the sec.
retary of the interior.
Fifty thousand dollars is appro
priated for the stamping out of the
smallpox in the Territory.