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Show . power to save for them the prope+ty which was rightfully theirs; they were warned that they were in great danger of losing their lands because educated persons were preparing to take advantage of their ignorance of the law and thereby obtain possession of their allot-ments; and I advised them not to sign any paper of any kind, if it was presented by a person other than a Government officer, without first consulting tge nearest representative of the Government in whom they had confidence. I quoted from the act of April 26, 1906 (34 I Stat. L., 144), the clau- Every deed executed before, or for the making of which a contract or agree ment was entered into before, the removal of restrictions * * is hereby decIared void ; and told them that any paper affecting their allotments, which had been signed before the restrictions on the alienation of the land were removed, was of doubtful validity, and that they should pay no heed to anyone who pretended that he had an agreement with them for conveying their lands, for whoever had taken wrongful advantage of their ignorance well knew what the law was, and consequently had no cause for complaint if by disregarding it he loit money. On the same date I addressed a circular letter to all agents, teach-ers, inspecting officers and other persons in the Government service stationed among the Five Civilized Tribes, notifying them that their future standing with this Office would depend upon the heartiness of their cooperation in protecting the full-blood Indians from robbery of their homes and lands. Agent Kelsey was instructed to have 1,000 mimeograph copies of the circular made and to send one, with several copies of the letter to the full bloods, to every Government official in the Indian Territory. I INTERMARRIED CHEROKEES. The act of June 28,1898 (30 Stat. L., 495), provides that the Com-mission to the Five Civilized Tribes shall make rolls of the different tribes, enrolling, among others, "such intermarried white persons as may he entitled to citizenship under Cherokee laws." Early in 1903 a controversy arose as to the right of white persons intermarried with Cherokees to participate in the distribution of the.triba1 estate, and on February 24, 1903, the Department referred the subject to the Court of Claims for findings and opinion, in accordance with section 2 of the act of March 3, 1883 (32 Stat. L., 485). Before any action was taken the act of March 3, 1905 (33 Stat. L., 1048), became law, which authorized the Court of Claims to render final judgment in the case and provided that either party feeling aggrieved by its judgment should have the right to appeal |