The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-02-12
TINS BILL lft(15 TN ftRdTORT
Is AN AMENDMENT TO THE OLD
CURTIS LAW.
le in lneended Co AdiaSe che Coafnse@
and Unsettled Conditions Now Pre-
vaIIinR Here-.is Especislly Cor.
nected with Lease Ques

amend the CurGlS law:
In all cases where any person
has held possession Of or occupied
the lands of any tribe in the In
dian Territory. claiming to be a
member of such tribe. and whose
name is not found upon any duly
authorized roll Of citizenship of
the tribe, and who has not been
duly admitted to citizenship by
the Dawes commission or by the
United States court, upon appeal
from the legally constituted court
or committee designated by the
tribe, where application was made
to such court or committee within
the time prescribed by law, and in
all cases where a non-citizen holds
possession of or occupies land of
any tribe, under an agreement,
lease or Improvement contract, with
either of said tribes, or any citizen
thereof, which lease or improve
ment contract has been terminated
or made void by section % of the
act of June %, 1898, and all other
persons who hold possession of or
occupy lands belonging to any
tribe in said Territory, without
authority or in violation of law
shall forthwith vacate such land;
and any person failing so to do
for the period of thirty days after
the passage of this act, shall, with
out further notice, process or au-
thority, be Immediately removed
therefrom by the Indian agent in
said Territory.
And if such persons repossess or
occupy such lands or take posses
sion of or occupy other lands of
any tribe without authority of
law, said Indian agent shall re-
move him from the Territory. If
any such person claim to have
made improvements or own i'm
proVements upon lands, so held or
occupied by him or those under
whom he holds, the present value
Of which exceeds the reasonable
rentals of all such lands for the
time he and those under whom be
holds has so held, occupied OF
used the same; he may make claim
therefor before the commission,
by petition duly verified. to which
the tribe may in like manner make
answer.
And the commission shall
thereupon make careful examina
ton of said claim and shall decide
the same, ascertaining the present
value of improvements on the land
made by the claimant and those
under whom he holds and value OF
the rents of the land, for the time
they were held by the claimant and
those under whom he holds, who
made improvements as foresaid,
and deducting one from the other,
thus determine and fix the amount
which may be due the claimant in
excess of the value of his improve
ments over the rent or the amount
due by him to the tribe for excess
of the value of the rents over the
improvements. And if no appeal
be taken therefrom within the time
herein fixed. duly certified trans
cript of the proceedings may be
fled in the Office of the clerk of the
United States court, having iuris-
diction and the same shall have the
force and efrect or a judgment IN
said court and shall be enforced
accordingly. If such claimant feel
aggrieved by the decision of the
commission, he may, within thirty
days, appeal his case to the United
States court within whose juris-
dictien the lands of the tribes NAV
be; or the tribe may take such ap-
peal and, if Judgment be rendered
iu claimants favor, either by said
commission or by said court upon
appeal, the same shall be paid out
of any money belonging to the
tribe; but if jurisdiction be given
for the tribe, the same shall be 8
lien upon all property of claimant
in said Territory and shall be en-.
forced accordingly.
In all cases where claims ar.
made the tribe shall be made {
party hereto by service of motto,
upon the principal chief or gov.