OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 71 a total of $188,922.58, which with the $2,300 additional for costs, made a grand total of $191,222.58. This decree was, however, subsequently set aside by decrees of January 27 and March 9,1896, which follow. 3. January 27,1806, decreeing that the Secretary of the Interior was the official guardian of the Delaware and Shawnee Indians, charged by Jam with the duty of ascertaining their individna.1 identity, and of de. terminiug who were Delawares and who were Shawnees. 4. March 9,1896, decreeing that the origiual decree of June 12,1893, estended to and applied to the Outlet fund, and that costs of suit, then awarded against the Cherokee Nation, should be paid out of aid fund. It wnfirmed its former decree that the Shawnees were entitled to $13,834.08 out of the grass money and &% out of the $6,640,000 of the Outlet money, $154,770.46, making in all $168,604.54; and, as Blackfeather had been paid the award of May 21,1895, that portion of said decree was also confirmed. There have been five decrees in the case of the freedmen, viz: 1. March 4,1895, fixing the status of the freedmen in the Cherokee Nation (30 0. 01s. R., 138). 2. March 18,1895, fixing the number of the freedmen as 3,524, by tak-ing the Wallace approved roll as furnishing the true number. Thecon-clusion of the court was t,hat 1,472-the ditierence between the number 2,052, used in making the total Cherokee population 26,771, and the number 3,524, Wallaceapproved roll-should be added to26,771, making the Cherokeepopulation 28,243, and that the recovery of. the freedmen in the whole fund of $7,240,000 ($600,000 grass money and $6,640,000 Out-let nioney) be in that proportion viz, &!&% of $7,240,000, or $903,385. It decreed further that the Secretary of the Interior should cause t,he Wallace roll to be amended by adding thereto descendants horn since March 3,1883, and living May 3,1894, and by striking therefrom the names of thosewho had died or ceased to be citizens of the nation prior to May 3,1894, so that the roll thus changed should represent the freed-men entitled to participate in the fund awarded. 3. May 8,1895, fixing a limit to such freedmen as had not forfeited or abjured their Cherokee cit,izenship at the date of entering this decree, and reaffirming its former decree as to the Wdlaca roll, and authcriz-ing the Secretary of the Interior to appoint a commission to proceed to the Cherokee Nation aud ascertain and report the facts necessary for the correction of the. Wallace roll, the Cherokee Nation to have the right to have a representative present to advise concerning the same, who should have full coguizance of all corrections made to said roll. After the new and corrected roll had been made and been approved by the ~ e c r e t aorf~ th e Interior, he was to cause the amount remaining of said $903,365 to be paid and distributed to the freedmen, free colored persous, and their descendauts entitled thereto, not to exceed the sum of $256.34 per capita, the remainder, if any, to be paid to the Chew- . , kee 'Nation as other money8 are paid which are provided for in the agreement made between the nation and the Secretary of the hiterior.. |