OCR Text |
Show XIY REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 675), certain cessions and exchanges were made by which the area of the Ponca reservation was reduced to 96,000 mra, to which diminished reservation the pledge of prokection in the former treaty remained fully applicable, and was never forfeited on the part of said Indians. The following bill was presented by the department to Congress on the 3d of Februasy 1879 : A BSL For the relief of the Poooa tribe of Indians in the Indian Territory. Whereas, by the treaty of Maroh 12,1858, the Ponca Indiana ceded to the United States all the land then owed or claimed by them, except a tract in the Territory of Dakdta, bounded as fallows, viz: "Beginning at s. paint on the Niobrara River and ruming due north so as to intersect the Ponca River 25 mile8 from its mouth; thence, from said point qf inLerseotion up and along the Ponce River twenty-miles ; thence due aouth to the Niobrara River, and thence down and &Kg said river to the place af beginning": and in posseaaion of whioh the United States agreed taproteot said tribe ; and, Whereas, by the treaty of March 10, 1865, certain changes were made in the bound-aries of the Ponoa Reservation, as defined in the treaty of Meroh 12, 1858, whereby their reservation was rednoed to 96,000 awes of land; and, Whereas, by the second article of the treaty of April 29,1868, with the Sioux nation of Indiaua, the lands owned snd$henoocupied bythe said Poncas, under the pro~isione hereinbefore set forth, and on whioh they had valuable inrpmvements in hauses and cultivated lands, were without their oonaent ceded and conveyed by the United States to said nation of Indians; and, Whereas orovision was mrsde in the iwt makine S U D ~ - O D ~ ~ S ~fo~rO t~hEe current and I -- - contingent expenses of the Indian Department for the fisaal year ending June 30, 1857, for the rsmovd of the Ponoa, Indians to the IndianTerritory, whichsaid remaval has Binee been effected ; and Whereaa said Ponca Indians at the time of their removal were obliged to leme all of their improvements and other vallaable property, consisting of a@oultural imple-ments, eto., on their said reservation in Dakota, and for whioh they have received no aompensntion; and, Whereas said Ponos, Indiana are now located temporarily on certain lands, which they desire to retain, within the territory west of the 9 P osded by the Cherokee Na-tion to the United Ststas by the treaty of July 19, 1866; for the p"p0se of nettling other Indiam thereon, bat which l s n a they haveno money to pwahaee as provided in aaid treaty: Therefore, Be it matted by the Senate and How86 of RBpea~nt(ltiv88 of the U*itad 8ta& of Am<m in, Cmgvws assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior he, and he ia hereby, author-iaed and directod to osmanentlv looate the mid Ponce Indiana on the tract of land I now nwnpieJ hy rflnm, embraci~yir t rlte sggwgare 101,%l4 arroe, and tu pllrohnae tha snmo fir their use ironr rib" Cherokee Kntion; mid purehudo ro he made in nccurdiulre with the provisions of the Cherokee trenty of July 19, 1876. Sec. 2. That the mm of $140,000 be, and the same ia hereby, approphted, out of any moneys now in the Trea~uryo f the United State8 not otherwise appropriated, to be disposed of for the benefit of said Ponca Indiana ssfollows, viz, $8!2,000, or Bo much thereof as may be neoessary, ahdl be expended by the Secretw of the Interior in payment for the lands suthorieed herein to be purchased for the Use of the Ponos tribe of Indians. and the balance of said $140,000 remaining after the purchase of said I . l a u d ~sh all be invested in rite four per 'en'. bonds of rl$o United SrarPr and l s ld as a prr!ua!tont inverrmant 1Lr said rrlbe, rlttr inrereat thereon to be expandull an nu ell^ for their benefit in such mmner aa the Secretmv of the Interior m~ direct. SEC. 3. Tbat the amount appropriated herein shall be in fell of ell olnirns by said Ponca tribe of Indiana agaiinat the United States for the lands and property heretofore owned by them inDakota Territory. |