Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-31
INDIAN AFFAIRS BILL
Appropriation Measure Reported to Senate
Carries Much New Legislation.
FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES MAY SELL LANDS
ALI Restrictions Are Removed Except Upon
HOmssteads Of Allottees.
SALE OF ASPHALT AND COAL LANDS
Rights to Surface May Be Sold Under
Certain Restrictions
MONTANA RESERVATION MAY Be OPENED
BIackfeet Land May he Placed on the
Market for settlers - senate
Committee Suggests Sew
eral Changes
MONTANA RESERVATION MAY Be oPENtI

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3O.--The Indian ap-
preparation bill was reported to the senate
today. II carries S14,5 .2m, a net increase
OF 36,306,1S2 over the bill passed by =
house. The large increases by the Sc ",
committee are due to appropriations un &
which the United States treasurer Will pa.
to a number OF Indian tribes the money
now held in trust Indian tribal funds.
The senate committee feels that these
tribes are competent to manage their own
affairs and that the government should
cease paying interest on the funds.
1t fs estimated that the Indian appropria-
ton bill carries more general legislation of
n far-reaching effect than II has in many
years. II contains practically all OF the
recommendations made by a special sub
committee OF the senate which visited okla
homa and Indian Territory during the
summer. investigating citizenship and prop
erty rights of the five civilized tribes.
Chief OF these recommendations Is that "on
and after July /. 1907, all restrictions upon
the alienation, leasing or encumbertng of
the lands except homesteads, Of all allot-
tees of Indian blood in the Indian Terri
tory and all restrictions upon the alena-
ton, leasing or encumbering of all the
lands of allottees not Of Indian blood are
hereby removed"
An equally extensive provision has been
adopted In relation to coal and asphalt
lands. The surface of the segregated lands
of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations con-
tanning these deposits, whether leased or
Unbiased. is to be appraised by a board TO
be appointed by the secretary Of the in
tsrior and approved by the president and
their values ascertained. When this has
been done the surface of these lands may
be sold, after six months notice of such
sale, In tracts OF not more than 100 acres
to each purchaser and at not less than
the appraised value. The sales are to be
made subject to the right OF the pur-
chaser of mineral deposits to mine under
the lands, in accordance with conditions
drafted by the special committee which in
vestigated the subject whose report al
ready has been published.
Reservation to be Opened.
The. JPlealkfoet, Indian reservation in Mon
tana Il to be opened to settlement II an
other senate amendment is adopted. Pro-
vision 'is made for the immediate survey of
all the lands embraced within the limits
OF the reservation and for allotments TO all
persons having tribal rights on the reserva-
tion. The remainder OF the lands are to be
appraised in the usual manner and opened
20 settlement in accordance with the gem
erat custom OF throwing Indian lands open
TO the public An appropriation is made
also TO enable the secretary of the interior
TO complete the survey allotment, classi-
ncation and appraisement OF the lands in
the Flathead Indian reservation, Montana.
Among other important amendments
made by the senate committee are the fol-
lowing;
White children may be admitted TO any
Indian school and the tuition fee shall IN
no case exceed the tuition fees allowed
or charged by the state or county in which
the school Is situated
With a view to committing the perpetual
annuities. due TO Indian tribes under
treaty stipulations, the Indian commissioner
ID directed to send a special Indian agent
TO visit all tribes enjoying such relations
with the government.
Irrigation Plants.
The secretary OF the interior is instructed
TO acquire by purchase or condemnation
such land as he may deem necessary in
constructing a reservoir for storing water
for the purpose OF irrigating lands on the
Fort Hall Indian reservation. Idaho.
Names OF persons of Choctaw or Chicka.
saw Indian blood the side OF either
spsrent. now on the freedman roll are tC
be transferred to the roll of citizens by
blood OF the Choctaw or Chickasaw ma
tions, and these persons viii be permitted
TO participate In tribal rights as full bloods
An appropriation of S2l5.2S9 is made t
pay to the Mexican Kickapoo Indians, thi
amount being the difference between 32l
cents an acre heretofore paid to these In
dahs and the amount realized by tn,
United States for their surplus lands II
Oklahoma. The attorney general OF IN
United States Is directed % Investigate
oonveyanoes. purported to have been exc
cuted In Mexico. OF lands in Oklahoma. an,
II found TO have been procured by fraud, {
begin proceedings to have them set aside
He is also instructed to prosecute partie
TO the frauds II any were committed.
The bill contains the usual large numbe
Of appropriations for the settlement o
claims, which every year are inserted 4
the measure by the house or the senate
and eliminated when the measure is take