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Show XL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ATTEMPTED SETJ!LEMENTS IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY. I n previous reports of this office the attention of the Department has been repeatedly called to the periodical invasions of certain portions of the Indian Territory by bodies of United States citizens, under the leadership of D. L. Payne and' others, stgling themselves ''Oklahoma Colonists." Recommendations bave as repeatedly been made for an amendment of existing laws relating to trespassers on Indian lands, so as to make such offenses punishable by imprisonmei~t as well as by fine. Measures looking to that end havc been introduced in Congress but hitherto have invariably failed to receive the concurrent action of both Houses. During the present year Payne has again twice sought to obtain a foothold in the Territory; the first time in May last, when, with a party of about fifty, he endeavored to effect a settlement on the uuoceupied lands south of the Oimarrou River, from whence they were dislodged by the military, not without considerable show of resistance; and later, in the month of Juue last, when, with largely increased nnm-bers, be established himself on the Cherokee lands south of Huunewell, Kans., locating settlemeuts at various points therein, designated as " Rock Falls on the Cl~ic:~skRiai ver, " Stafford" or <'Pearl City j1 on the Bois d7Arc, and at other places along the Arkansas River; the headquarters of the colony being at Rock Falls, four miles south of the Kansas line. The official report of Colonel Hatch, commanding the district of Ok-lahoma, dated 6th August last, states that prior to active operations he risited the principal rendezvous of the intruders, and egplained to t.he leaders and people present the object of his mission, reading to them the President's proclamation of Jnly 31 last, and informing them of the condition of the Indian lands, arid the necessity of the Government maintailling the status thereof. Most of the intruders of the better class? and some others, upon reflection, coticluded to move at once. The leaders, Payne, Cooper, Miller, Couch, Eichelburger, and others were defiant, andrefused to move unless compelled by superior force. On the 7th August snob of the iuhnders a8 remained at Rock Falls, were, with their private property, removed fro111 the Territory by the military, with the exception of P a ~ naea d some others, old offenders, who were arrested and turnedover to thecivil aothorities at Fort Smith. The settlement at stafkord City," on the Bois d'Arc, was on the arrival of the military there fonnd to have been rew,lltly evacuated. At Chillott Creek, 14 miles from the State line, a small party of boon~ers"w as found encamped, three of whom were also arrested as old offenders, and turned over to the United States marshal. The number of persous engaged in this last movement was variously estimated at from five hundred to two thou-sand, and it appears from the official reports to the War Department, that from 6,000 to 10,000 claims had^ been located and surveyed on the Cherokee lands, land in the southern part of Kansas having become so valuable that men of means, owning large farms had sent to the Okla- |