The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-04-18
FoR INDIAN rsRRlroRR LAW.
Congress May Pass a Court Bill Pend.
ing Statehood.

Washington, D. c., April 1s.-The
leaders in the house and the senate
favor the enactment at this session of
congress Of legislation tha. will pre-
pare the Indian territory for state
hood They are considering measures
the passage of which will accomplish
tins end. There is little doub. that
the house will take action on the
statehood bill, but the mos. sangu ne
Ct the statehood advocates do not be.
lieve that bill VII go through the SEN
ate at the session beginning next De
cember, 1t is proposed meanwhile TO
enact legislation tha VIII lead TO the
establishment Of form of self gov
ernment for the people of the terri
tory At this session. the house com.
mittee en- the judiciary has devoted
attention to the situa on in the terri.
tory with reference to the cour and
several proposition have been sub
mltted for the creation of system OF
courts to AXE the place Of the present
system of tribal courts, abolished by
he Curtis act.
The Committee Delayed.
The committee has not taken ac ion
on any of the court bills. however,
owing to the belief that the statehood
bin would be passed. The measures
now under consideration provide for
the division Of the territory into coun.
ties and the establishment. of new
courts. 1t is proposed to divide the
territory into TWEEN y-e ght counties. TO
be named as follows Miami, Vinita,
Nowata Claremore, Pryor Creek,
Tahlequah, Wagner, sapulpa, Okmul
gee, Muskogee, Sallisaw, Eufaula, We
leetka. Seminole, Poteau. Clayton,
Curtis. Pauls Valley, Murray, Chicka
saw, Gilbert, Leo, Townsend. Tisho.
mingo, Aoka, Hugo and Garv,n. The
county seats are to be in towns bear
ing the same names as the counties
in which they are located except in
the following counties, where the
county seats are to be IN the towns
named: Seminole county, wewoka;
Clayton county South McAlester;
Curtis county, Ada; Murray county,
Purcell; Gilbert county. Duncan; Leo
county, Ryan; Townsend county, Ard
more.
The committee on Indian affairs
probably will report this bill a.
meeting as it has been considered full.
ly by nearly all of the members Of
that committee. Representative Cur
tls, member Of the committee said
today that Il was deemed important
that the Indian territory should be d.
vided into counties as soon as possible
in view of the fact thai the allotment
work In the territory world soon be
completed, and that statehood ieg. sla-
ton would follow. In preparing the
bill, members OF the Indian commit
lee consulted leading lawyers, judges
and business men in the Indian ter
rtory, ami II is regarded as meeting
the requirements Of the situation as
well as any Of the several measures
that have been proposed.
To Be Twsnty-eight Counties.
The bill reorganizing the courts H.
rects that there shall be established
IN each OF the twenty. eight counties a
probate court Which shall have jurs,
dlction in all probate mat ers in the
respective counties and civil jurisdie-
ton where the value Of the property
IN controversy shall not exceed $1,000
Cases Of Indictment by the grand jury
OF the district courts for misdemean-
ors are to be transferred by order OF
the district courts to the probate
court for the county IN which the OF.
tense IS alleged to have been com
NIT ed The probate courts are 10
hold four terms each year al the coun-
~ seats designated, these terms 10
begin the first Mondays Of January,
April, July AMI October The judges
who are to be paid a salary of $2,4OO
year are TO be appointed by the
judges Of the United States courts for
The several districts Of the territory.
Another bill which probably viii be
passed at this session provides for the
W nding up Of affairs Of the seminOles
The Indian appropriation bin contains
provisions removing restrictions from
the sale Of certain Indian lands which
VIII permit OF the taxation OF these
lands when the Indian territory Is ad
miitei with Oklahoma 70 statehood.