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Show LX REPORT OF THE COMlfISSIONER OF IKDIAN AFFAIRS. ship and non-citizens (Muskogee Lan-a, p. 57, edition of 1880), which provides that- All persons who have been at nnr time adopted by tth recognized authorities of the Muakogee Notiou, md %I1 pe?sona of Afriom descent vha rere made citizens by the treaty of June, 1866, between the Creek Nation and the United States, shall hereafter be recognized as citizens of the Muskogee Nation. Seminole Nation.-The same stipuilations respecting -the freedmen of the Creek Nation are incorporated in the second article of the Seminole treaty of March 21,1866 (14 Stats., p. 756), respectiug their freedmen, and the same action was taken by the nation in t.heir behalf, no distinc-tion being made ill the Seminole. Nat,ion between the ra.cea. KANSAS INDIAN INDEBTEDNESS, AS REPRESENTED B1 "KAW SCRIP." By a resolution of the Senate of January 27th last, the Secretary of the Interior was directed to inform the Senate of the amount of in-debtedness by the Kansas tribe of Indians to individuals represented by certificates issued by any otlicer of the government; the statns of said indebtedness, whether legal or equitable, or both; what, if any, assets of said tribe the government holds; "and what lrgisiatiou, if any, is nec-essary, in order, that said indebtedness nlay be paid, a.ud the financial relations of said tribe to the government, growing out of the sale of its reservation in the Stateof Kansas, may be apeedily and finally settled." As an early atljustment of this long-standing indebtedness is greatly to be desired, it was hoped that the call of the Senate for infortnation indicated a purpose to provide such needfll legislation as mould insure such result. EIowever, no measures looking to that end have thus far been introduced, save only that by a clause in the deficiency appropri-ation act approved August 5, 1882, the sum of $15,00P mas authorized to be paid out. of any funds in the Treasury to the credit of said Indians, derived from the sale of their lands, in liquidation of so much of said indebtedness, principal and interest, as is represented by scrip certifi-cates of the first class (Stevens scrip, so called) held by mechanics and others who actually performed the labor in the construction of build-ings, &c., for the benefit of said Kansas Indians, under Steve~ls's con-tracts, for the payment of which the indebtedness wa8 incurred. In response to said resolution this office submitted to the depart-ment, under date of March 9 last, a brief history of the indebteduess, a statement of the arnorxnt of the same, its present status, as well as a statement. of the a.ssets of the tribe held by the government.* The total amount of the indebtedness of the tribe, including interest, was shown to be considerably less than the value of the lands and in~pro~ements owned by them, as appraised nuder authority of the act of July 5,1876, 'The report of this office embodying snid statemanta is made the abject mttt,ter of Senate Ex. Doc. No. 136, Fortyseventh Congress, first session. |
