OCR Text |
Show !- L ~ . i ' 82 REPORT OF TIIE CO~MISSKONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. ,, . ~ :.. In response to my request Mr. Paiuesaggested, June 30,1891,that in view of his predictions of failure, Agent Bennett be relieved of the work of removing the Chickasaw intruders, and that it be placed in charge _ I of some special agent of known integrity, with instructions to proceed ; / I . with the execution of the ordern previously give11 Agent Bennett. , Pending the consideration of this communica,tion Governor Byrd, of !: the Chickasaw Nation, arrived id Washington, July 7,1891, and on the same da1.e I received a report from Agent Bennett, with which he trans-mitted copy of a ci'rcular issued by him June 13,1891, prescribing rules to govern his action in making removals. The circular is as follows : The following rules h a ~ bee en adopted by me to govern my action in the matter of the removal of intruders from the Chickasaw Nation: First. I shall permit those non-citizens to remain who are in posasssion of permits issued by legally authorized permit oollectora. sooond. Also thoes whohold permits for theirprevious years of residenoe, andhold their "natives" receipt for Inoney paid for permit of 1891. Third. Also those who hold permits for their previous years of residenoe, and om prove they bare paidor offered to pay the money for permit of 1891 to their "native." Fourth. Also those mho hold permits for their previous years' residence, and oan prove that the permit oolleotors (as has beeu tho cuetorn) granted to them an exten-sion nntil their crops were sathered to pay their permit tax. Fifth. I consider propar snbjeots for removal those non-citizens who have settled upon the Chickasaw landii, oldming residence under "squat.ter" rights. Sixth. Thoso who have refused to pay the p3imit tax. Seventh. Those who arediaorderly disturbers of the peace and violatara of tho 1sw. In view of thefact that the Chickasaw laws are openly violated by Chiokasawoiti-ems, who also enoourage the non-citizens therein, equity ns well as law most be so administered that justice shall be tempered with meref, and fairness toward all oon-cerned characterize every aetion in exeonting the orders of removal. LEO E. BENNETT, U~i tedS lates Iedian Agent. A copy of this circular was furnished Governor Byrd and he was re-quested at his early convenience to submit such modifications of the rules prescribed as seemed to him desirable for the eftectual accom-plishment of the end sought, together with his reasons for the same. Replying, under ditt,e of July 8, 1891, he submitted objections to the rules, requested the modification of some and the total abrogation of others, and gave his reasons therefor brieflr as follows: First. Claiming that permits, to bevalid and biuding upon the Dhicka-saw Nation, must be issued on blanka furnished by the national secre-tary, he objected to rule 1 on the ground that many permits, issued by the legally authorized permit collectors of the Ohickasaw Nation, but on paper not furnished by the national secretary, would thereunder be recognized by the agent. Second. Eis objections to rules ,2 and 3 were based upon his claim that a non-citizen can have no right to reside in the nation unless he shall hare received a permit regularly of the permit collectors of the na. ion, and that therefore the receiptof the citizen emplo~ere videncing |