The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-02-22
ODQ 5pt0A WASHINGTON lIITtR
BILLS REPORTED WHICH WILL
TOUCH OUR AFFAIRS.
The BIN Co Incorporate the Odd Fellows
Lodge Reported FavOrably and May
Become Law-Blil Relating TO In
termarrled Citizens introduced
Special to the Ardnloreite.

Special to the Ardmoreite.
Washington, Feb 20.-The follow
ing bills have been introduced in the
house and senate:
By Mr.. Curtis-A bill to incorpor-
ate the Grand Iadge of the Inde-
pendent Order o. fEdd Fellows of the
Indian Territory. The bill provides
that William Noble CT South Nc
Alester; 4. r. Mason of Ardmore;
N. &. Turk of Checotah; j. r. Har-
ris of Chickasha; William Clardy of
Purcell; G. w. Hatfield Of Wagner,
and A. Frank Ross Of Harsthorne,
all in the Indian Territory, being the
elective members and officers of the
Grand Lodge of the Independent
Order of odd Fellows Of the Indian
Territory, and their successors, be,
and are hereby, incorporated and
made body polite and corporate in
the Indian Territory, by the name
and title of "The Grand Lodge of
the Independent Order of Odd Fell
lows of the Indian Territory" and
by that name it may sue and be sued,
plead and be impleaded, in any
court of law or equity, and may have
and use a common seal and change
the same at pleasure, and be entitled
to use and exercise all the powers,
rights and privileges within the In
dian Territory incidental to fraternal
and benevolent corporations within
the state of Arkansas. as provided
by sections 1923 to 1924, inclusive, of
chapter 20 of the Mansfield's Digest.
~
By Delegate Flynn:-For the ap-
pointment o: an additional United
States commissioner in the northern
judicial district of the Indian Terri
tory. The bill provides that the
Judge of the United States court of
the Indian Territory presiding in the
northern judicial district thereof is
hereby authorized and empowered to
appoint an additional commissioner
within said district, who shall be
permanently located at Wewoka. in
the Seminole nation, and to pre-
scribe by metes and bounds the por-
ton of the district for which such
commissioner is appointed.
One of the most important bills in
troduced in the house and senate re-
lates to the bringing of suitssin the
court of claims against the various
nations in the Territory. The bill
provides that white persons who
have intermarried with Cherokee
citizens according to Cherokee laws
are hereby authorized and empower
ed to bring suit in the court of claims
of the United States, within ninety
days after the passage of this act,
against their respective nations, for
the purpose of determining, accord
ing to law and equity, all their rights
and claims under such laws and trea-
ties in andsto the lands and funds of
the respective tribes into which they
have so intermarried. Should any
of such persons recover against the
nation, the court shall render judg-
ment for the amount and order the
same paid by the United States and
deducted from any funds due such ma
ton, and shall fix the compensation
or fees due to attorneys of record.
and make proper orders in reference e
thereto, or said nation Imay bring
like suits against such intermarried
persons within their respective ma
| tions; and Jurisdiction is conferred
on said court to adjudicate and fully
determine all such rights.
Section 2 provides that any suit
provided for in section / herein may
be brought by any party other than
said tribes, in their own behalf, or in
the name of any trustee or delegate
selected by them, with approval of
the secretary of the interior, and
by any of said tribes in the name of
the principal chief, acting principal
chief, or governor of the tribe; and
the law and practice and law in all
such cases; and copies of petitions
| filed iii any case at commencement
of suit shall be served on the princi-
pal chief or governor of the tribe, or
on the trustee or delegate SO ap-
pointed, or on any other person
suing, or on his representative by a
marshal of the United States conrt
in the Indian Territory, and on the
attorney general of the United States
who shall designate aud appoint,
from the department of Justice, a
competent person to defend for the
tribe and for the United States in
each of said suits; and said court
shall have authority, in its discre-
ton, to enforce its judgment in all
cases by proper process.
Section 3 provides that persons
known as Mississippi Choctaws, or
Choctaw Indians claiming certain
rights under article fourteen of the
treaty concluded on the 9th day of
september, 1880, of Choctaw Indian
blood who claim the rights as Choc-
taws in the lands or funds of the
Choctaw nation or of the Choctaw
people, are hereby authorized and
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