The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-02
SPRINGER
AND PORTER
ARE HEARD
The Congressional Committee
Listens to Arguments,
ON THE CREEK TREATY
Survey of Kiowa and Co.
manche VIII Begin Monday.
HASKELL INDIAN SCHOOL
viii be Rebuilt According to
Mr. BowerSoCk
ON THE CREEK TREATY
HASKELL INDIAN SCHOOL

washington, Feb 1.-The conference
oommitte Of the house and senate today
gave a hearing to General Pleasant Por-
ter. chief of the Creek nation. and Judge
William NJ Springer, the legal represent
alive Of the tribe. on certain proposed
amendments to the Creek treaty.
The most important amendment consid-
cred today was that authorizing the
Creeks to go into the courts to obtain
fee simple title to their lands, thus Sc
curing a patent without the requirement
Of residing on the land for a period Of
twenty-five years. Inaaolved in this
amendment, also, is the proposition to
Increase the size Of Creek alIOtments, on
account Of the fact that it has been dem
onstrated that the population Of the tribe
Is not as large as was originally esu-
mated
It was decided by the conferees that
this amendment was not proper legisla-
ton to incorporate in the treaty It was
commented upon favorabIy, however, and
st was decided that the legislation asked
should be Incorporated in a special bill
which viii be drawn later and presented
in the house and senate. General Porter
and Judge Springer were assured that
such a bill would be reported favorably
by the committees Of both houses.
The townsite amendment was also dis
cussed today. It was represented to the
COMMITTEES that townsites have been laid
out since the passage of the Curtis law
and that the settlers thereon are merely
squatters without legal rights TO the land
General Porter urged that the townsites
should be vacated, but the committee ex-
pressed the opinion that no action on
this point was necessary. as the equities
Of the Indians are fully protected by the
general laws on the subject.
This disposes of two important amend
ments proposed by Chief Porter.
The other important proposition discuss
ed today was in relation to mineral
leases. No conclusions were reached on
this point 1t viii be taken up by the
committee tomorrow, when w B. Linn.
representing a st. Louis company which
has valuable leases in the Choctaw coun-
try, VIII be given q hearing. The treaty
as reported by the senate did not con
tain the house provision authorizing the
secretary Of the interior to prescribe
rules and regulations governing mineral
entries on the unsettled portions of the
Indian lands.
An agreement win in all probability be
reached on the Creek treaty this week
The work Of surveying the londs on the
Kiowa and Comanche reservation, in Ok
lahoma, VIII be inaugurated on Monday
next The interior department has been
advised 10y w F. Evans. who VIII have
charge Of the survey for the Rock Island
work. that he has completed his arrange
ments and viii begin work on Monday.
February 4. Accordingly. Inspector Ness
Ter. who will represent the department
during the progress of the survey, has
been directed 70 meet AR Evans at
ChicSasha, O. r, on the date named and
give him general directions. The officials
repeat the assertion made some time ago