Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-06-28

appeal by either party to the supreme
court of the United States, anything in
the judicial code of the United States
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
| Provided, That if the said tribes
or any band thereof claim any inter-
est in the lands, moneys, or other prop
erty involved in any proceedings al
ready instituted and pending in the
court OF claims, except the case or
cases of the Sioux Indians against the
United States, such tribe or band
thereof may file an intervening petit
ton therein and be made parties there
to, with all the rights and privileges as
II original parties to such proceedings,
including the right to have Judgment
Tor any sum or sums found due to
such intervenorS."
While the amount of money involved
in the claims is large. Attorney Good
win stated that the question of the
value and the question Of the offsets
are very important. He pointed out that
there are some 2O-odd cases in the
court Of claims where the court will
decide those cases or the pending law
unless there is change in the pro-
visions and instructions sent down
from congress.
Holds Question Serious
In this particular case" said the
attorney, "a provision is suggested as
an amendment depriving these Indians
OF any interest on any OF these sums
and If that were done it would put
this case on an entirely different basis
from what similar judgments in other
similar cases would be rendered by the
court of claims.
In other words, the policy has been
adopted and the supreme court in two
cases laid down as a basis of Just COM
penSatlon TO these Indians that the
value OF the land is fixed as of the
time of their appropriation or rather
appropriation by the government. Their
there should be some reasonable com
penSatlon from that date down to the
date of judgment and on that bash
there are two cases that have been de-
clded since where interest has beer
added and where the interest exceeded
the principal but by how much l do no.
I know. That IS a serious situation from
e the standpoint of both the Indians anC
5 the government.
:. The present situation is this The
cases now pending can be decided with
interest and If a special provision i!
put in this bill these Indians will no
be on the same basis as the other In.
dams"
Mr.. Goodwin explained that offset.
: are determined in the following man.
ner: A report is asked from the genera
, accounting office of the comptroller
l general. He goes back to the earlies
5 records for what expenses have beer
! paid for the tribes. A complete list o.
every item is made and every cent i!
accounted for in the reports which have
been expended for the benefit of thu
T. Indians. "or any individual that come!
within the scope OF the acts that are
considered That has been the custom.
It sometimes takes several years to ge
that report. I examined a report the
=, other day, for example. which was
about that high Indicating a foot)."
, Indians Oppose Amendment
r The attorney general in his com
: munication to Mr.. Bell said that thu
= proposed bill should be amended tn,
2 representatives of the Arapahoes ant
: CheyenneS are not disposed to accep
e the proposal that they be made an eX
, ception to the general run OF adjust
Y mentS which have resulted from de
r crees of courts. and decisions
E Mr. Goodwin touches upon this phas,
E when he told the committee that tn
S attorney general proposes to limit ant
: remove any question as to the paymen
t of interest.
+ That is a question for the furthe,