OCR Text |
Show 55), repealing the act of 1843, and restoring theIndians to their ancient form of tribal government; and Vebruary 6,1871 (16 Stihtts., 404), pro-vicling for the division of the tribe by the admission of some to citieen-ship and the taking of a census of those who were to r ema i ~in tribal re1:dions. 1 do not deem it necessary here to enter largely into a discussion of the provisious of all the various treaties and acts above cited aud the eE(!ct of each; but will briefly state the provisions of the treaty of 1868 and the act of 1871, and the effect of the execution of the latter. The treaty of 1848 provided for the patenting of certain tracts to mem-ber@ of the tribe and for their admission to citizenship in the United Sta,tes. This the parties aflected claimed was without their consent and against their desire; so the treaty of 1856 was made for the avowed purpose of fixing the membership of the tribe, and it provided for the ad~nissioli to rights therein of all who wero recognized as members under the treaty of 1839, including those who became separate in inter-est from the tribe under the provisions of that treaty, and their descendants. !I1bis treaty was signed by four-fifths of the adult members of the tribe, and it would perhaps have forever settled the troubles of the Stockbridges and Munsees had it not been that the small minority who refused to sign it continued to foment discord, until through their efforts the matter became involved in the local politics of the State. This fact enabled the small disaffected element tosecure the passage by Congress of the act of 1871, which, as executed, entirely unsettled the arrangement of the affairs of the tribe under the treaty of 1856, and. took away vested rights acquired by many of the tribe under said treaty. People who had always been recognized as Stockbridges or Munsees were deprived of their rights to tribal property, and in the funds of the tribe, because of the fact that they had selected lands for allotment under the treaty of 1856, some of which lands were real-lotted to parties who were favored in the execution of the act of 1871. Eiver siuce 1874, when the rolls provided for by the said act of 1871 were t.ra11smitted to this office by the special commissioner appointed to take the census, the parties who had been deprived of their rights have persistently and conti~~uonsnlyrg ed upon the Government the fact. that injustice has been done them and the importance of some action by Congress to correct the wrong. In the meantilue their oppo-nents in the tribe have been as active in their efforts to prevent legis-lation in their behalf, and to secure other legislation by which the affairs of the tribe would be settled in such manner as to forever cut them off from any likelihood of receiving any benefit from the common or tribal property. In 1891 an act was passed by Congress less than ten days prior to adjournment, which mould have had this effect; but it n ~ eberc ame alaw, the office reporting strongly against its approval, |