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Show 106 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. The first act passed by Congress permitting Indians the privilege of the'homestead 1a.w was approved March 3,1875 (18 Stats., 420). The fifteenthsection of said act extended to certain Indians thc b~llcfits of the homestead law of May 20,1863, and the acts amendatory thereot; except that the right of commuting to cash was not given them. Sec-tion 16 confirmed all entries theretofore made by Indiana under the reg. ulations of February 11, 1870, but declared that patents thereon shonld issue subject to the restrictions contained in said fifteenth section. A few Winnebago Indians in Wisconsin made homestead entries under the regulations above mentioned, and a still greater number made entries under the act of March 3,1875, some at the La Crosse (now Eau Claire) looal laudoffice,and tLc balauce at the Wansau local land office, Wisconsin, except perhaps two or three, which were made in the Eau Claire office. Believing that a large number of the Winnebago Indians of Wis-consin had selected and settled in good fiaith upon homestead claims under the provisions of that act, and that all the Winnebagoes of Wis-consin had signified tlieir desire and purpose to abandon their tribal relations and adopt the habits of civilized people, although in many instances they were unable to do so on account of their extreme pov-erty, Congress declared, January 18, 1881 (21 Stats., 316), as follows: That the Searetsry of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to aause s. ceusue of the tribe of Winnebago Indiana now residing in Nebrneka and Wisconsin to be taken; said enrollment to be made upon separate lists; the first to include all of said tribe oow residing npon or who draw their anpoities at the tribal reservation in Nebraska, and the second to embrace all of faid tfibe now residing in the State of Wiaoonsin. That upon tho completion of the census of the Winnebago Indians in Wisconsin, the Secretary of the Interior is znthorized rot1 directed to expend for their benefit thepropartion of the tribal annuities due to and set apart for asid Indiananuder the act of June twenty-fifth eighteen hundred and sixty-four, of the appropriations for the tribe' of Winnebego Indians for the fiscal years eighteen hnndred and seventy-four, eighteen hnndred and seventydve, eighteen hundred and seventy-sir, eighteen hundred and neveuty-seven, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, and eighteen hnndred and eighty, amounting to ninety thousand six hundred and eighty-nine dollars and ninety-three cents; and the Seoretary of the Interior shall also expend for the benefit of said Indians, out of the sum of forty-one thousandand twelve dollar8 snd seventy-four cents now in the Tressory to the credit of the Winnebago tribe of Indians, aud accruing under treaty appropristions for the fiscal ?ear eighteen hundred and seventy-three and prior years, aoah sum ss may, on the completion of said census, be Found neoeseary to equalize the paymeuts between the two bands on account of the pnynlent of the sum of one hundred thou-sand dollars in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-two fram the principal funds of the tribe to the Winnebegoes in Nebraska. And all of the said sums shall he paid pro ratta to those persons whose names appear upon the cenms rollof the Win-nobngoes of Wisconsin, heads of families being permitted to receive thefidl amount ta which all the members of the family are entitled: Provided, That before any per-sun shall be entitled to the benefits acoroing under this act, it shell he made to qppear t h ~ tth e person claiming its benefits, or tho hew1 of the family to which such person belongs, has taken up a homestead in accardznce vith the said act of March third, eighteen hundred and seventy-five, or that, being unable to fully com- L |
