| OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 85 30 made similar provision for the ratification of an agreement made with the Oreek Nation on September 27,1897, as amended aud set out therein. The Choctaw end Chickasaw agreement was ratified at an election held in those nations on August 24,1898, as shown by a proclamation issued by the proper officers August 30,1898, and published in report of last year. At the date of that report no action had been taken by the tribal authorities looking to a vote on the Creek agreement, but later the principal chief of that natiou called an election, to be held on November 1,1898, for the purpose of voting on the agreement. The result of this election was the rejection of the agreement. This appears, from a report of November 22, 1898, made by Inspector Wright, to have been due to a misapprehension on the part of the people as to the effect of a negative vote. It seems that the Creeks understood that the defeat of the agreement would place them back under their old form of government, without any limitation or inter-ference by the United States, and that after they found that the rejec-tioa of the agreement put into full operation the general provisions of the Curtis act they desired to have another opportunity t~ vote on it. In view of this Inspector Wright thought that a large majority of the citizens of the Greek Nation would vote for ratification if another opportunity could be afforded them. As Congress had by the law limited to December 1 the time within which the Indians would be allowed to vote on their agreement, the effect of the unfavorable vote on November 1 was to defeat it beyond hope, there being no sufficient time within which to resubmit the same before the expiration of the time limit. At the date of the last annual report no permanent regulations had been promulgated under the various provisions of the act and of the Choctaw and Chickasaw agreement. The Department had issued some provisional instruction8 for the guidance of the Indian agent in the collection of the revenues of the various tribes pending the formulation of the regnlations required under the law and agreement for the orderly and proper administration of affairs. In this report it is proposed to state, as briefly as may be consistent with clearness, the action taken since the last report in theexecution of the Curtis act, and discuss the questions that have arisen involving the constructior~ of various provisions of the law, with the rulings of the . Department thereon. The first importaut step that was takan by the Department under the act was the location in the Indian Territory, under the provisions of section 27, of an inspector with authority to supervise the manacement of the affairs of the various tribes coming under the coutrol of the Government. This responsible duty was imposed on Mr. J. George Wright, who for a number of years had been connected with the Indian service, first as Indian agent at the Rosebud Agency, S. Dak., and |
