OCR Text |
Show that the agent of the Union Agency be authorized to employ not to exceed sixty Indian police, including officers, and to furnish rations to them for a period of two months, to enable him to dispossess the in-truders who have received payment for their improvements, as above indicated, of their illegal holdings, and that the Secretary of War be requested to detail a troop of cavalry, nuder a discreet officer, to snp-port him in the discharge of this duty. Should the Department grant authority for the employment of the full number of sixty policemen, inclusive of officers, as recommended, the agent will be ilistrnoted to employ only so many of that number as shall be found necessary to accomplish the work in hand. : Thisplan was adopted by the Department, and July 1,1897, anthority was granted for carrying it into operation. The agent was instrncted accordingly July 8, 1897, and Jnly 17 notices were issned giving the intruders thirty days to remove themselves. September 1 the agent repor.ted that all but five or six of theseintruders had either abandoned their improvements or had perfected an appeal from the decision of the Dawes Commission to the court. The five or six he proposed to dispossess early in September. April 15,1897, the Creek authorities urged upon the Department the removal of intruders in that nation in accordance with the notice OF January 23,1897, above noted. April 20 this office reported upon their reqnest as follows: I am of the opinion that the request of the Indians is just and rea-sonable and that, as a matter of good faith, the same should meet with the approval and favorable action of theDepartment; but in orderthat intelligent action may be taken, I think the Creek Nation should fur-nish a statement giving the names of the heads of families to be removed, the number of men, women, and children in each, where liv-ing (i. e., nearest post-office or in what township or district of the nation), together with a brief statement of the statns of each; also how many it is proposed to remove outside the limits of the Creek Nation, and how many and which ones they only desire to dispossess of their illegal holdings. A report has since been received dated July 8, 1897, from Agent Wisdom, Union Agency, transmitting a letter to him by the principal chief of the Creek Nation, who forwards what he terms lists of intruders in that nation. No action has as yet been taken on this matter, for the reason that the information contained in the papers furnished by the Creek anthorities is so meager and indefinite that no intelligent action can be taken thereon, and for the further reason that it is deemed best to allow the matter of removal of Creek intruders to remain in abeyance until the ant,horized removals in the Cherokee Natioll are accomplished. I PEORIA AND MIAMI RESERVATION, INDIAN TERRITORY. . The Indian appropriation act, approved Jnue 7,1897, provides-- That the d o l t sllotteea of land in the Peoria and Miami Indian Reeenmtion in the Qnapaw Agency, Indian Territory, vho have each received allotments of two hnndred acres or more may sell one hundred acres thereof, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe. |