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Show REPORT OF TEE CO~ISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 139 Chickasaw Nation, requesting that the parties, about 90 in all, be removed. The governor also complained of persons who had large herds of cattle grazing on the lands of the Chickasaws upon which no tax had been paid. August 2, 1900, the inspector transmitted a list of about 500 persons residing at various places in the Chickasaw Nation who had refused to pay the permit tax, and invited attention to section 9 of the act of the Chickasaw legislature approved by the President on January 19, 1899 (see Chickasaw Laws, 1899 edition, p. M I ) , and recommended that the Department issue a proclamation giving the noncitizens notice that unless theypaid their tax within thirty days from the date of such proclamation they would be removed from the limits of the nation. The office, in transmitting these two reports to the Department, August 7, 1900, said: The office does not think that the Government should in any manner shrink from the responsibility of enforcing the laws in the various nations in the Indian Terri-tory; but as the matter of the removal of noncitizens from the Chickasaw Nation, aceording to the reports of the inspector inclosed herewith, is one of great,magni-tude, it is thought by the office that the inspector's suggestion relative to the issu-ance of a proclamation should receive very careful consideration. If the Department shall decide to cause the removal of the parties mentioned, it would seem that Agent Shoenfelt should be directed to attempt the removal of the said parties with the rnriLn3 at hi* rvrnr.rand, and ii ur~aI,Ic1 0 do co pea~.eabIy11 " rhould rept,rl the tnnrrrr tu the Drwntrrpnt for fnrtlwr dinxri<r~~-. August 4, 1900, the inspector forwarded a list of 86 persons, non-residents of the Choctaw Nation, who, after proper demand had been made, had refused to pay the taxes due that nation, and inclosed a request from the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation that these per-sons be removed from the limit8 of that nation for the reason that their presence therein was "detrimental to the peace and welfare of the Indians." All of the correspondence was submitted by the Department to the Attorney-General for an opinion relative to the "duties, powers, and authority" of the "Department in the matter of the collection of the permit tax imposed by the laws of the respective Indian nations in the Indian Territory known as the Five Civilized Tribes upon noncitizens engaged in various pursuits within the territorial limitsof such nations," and an answer to the following questions was requested: Have these nations the right to require noncitizens to pay a permit tax or license fee far the privilege of engaging in business within their boundaries? Does the provision of theaet of June 28,1898, allowing others than citizens to pup chase town lots occupied by them, constitutearecognition by Congressof their right to be and main in such netion and have the effect of relieving them from the pay-ment of the permit tax 1 Does theactual purchase of a, town or city lot, sold under the provisions of the act of June 28,1898, relieve a noncitizen from the payment ofisuch tax or fee 7 Can a noncitizen he lawfully permitted to hoidand pasture cattle upon the lands of such nation without paying the tax prescribed by the nation ior such privilege 7 |