INDIAN AFFAIRS: LAWS AND TREATIES

Vol. III, Laws     (Compiled to December 1, 1913)

Compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler. Washington : Government Printing Office, 1913.

PART II.—PROCLAMATIONS RELATING TO INDIAN LANDS AND RESERVES.

A Proclamation

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A PROCLAMATION
By the President of the United States of America.
May 21, 1907. | 35 Stat., Part 2, 2133.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the act of April 27, 1904 (33 Stat., 352), entitled “An act to ratify and amend an agreement with the Indians of the Crow Reservation in Montana, and making appropriations to carry the same into effect,” certain of the unallotted lands of the ceded Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, have been withdrawn for disposition under the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat., 388), were for that reason excepted from the Proclamation of May 24, 1906, opening the remaining portion of the ceded lands of said reservation to settlement and entry, and have been subdivided and platted as farm units in the Huntley Project;

And Whereas, it now becomes necessary to open the lands in the said Huntley Project for disposition under the said Reclamation Act;

And Whereas, the great demand for these hands because of their enhanced value by reason of the construction of irrigation works makes it necessary to prescribe an orderly manner in which said lands may be settled upon, occupied, and entered, by persons entitled to make entry thereof;

Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, in furtherance of the provisions of said act of April 27, 1904, do hereby declare and make known that the lands shown upon the

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approved farm unit plats of said Huntley Project will, on and after the 22nd day of July, 1907, be opened to settlement, entry, and dis-position under the provisions of the Reclamation Act, and the act of April 27, 1904, in the manner hereinafter prescribed and not other-wise.

Any qualified person desiring to make entry of any of these lands, shall execute in person within the limits of the Billings, Montana, land district, an affidavit showing his qualifications to enter and means of identifying him (forms of such affidavits to be furnished by the officers of the land department). The affidavit must be pre-sented in a sealed envelope, in person or by ordinary and not regis-tered mail, at the district land office located at Billings, Montana, before 4:30 p. m., June 25, 1907. Thereafter at 9 a. m., on June 26, 1907, there shall be taken or drawn, impartially, from the envelopes so filed, such number as may be necessary to carry into effect the pro-visions of the Proclamation, and the order of drawing such envelopes shall determined the order in which applicants shall be permitted to make entry of these lands.

Those successful as a result of the drawing must present formal application to enter a specific farm unit within the time fixed and assigned for making such application; show present qualifications; file a water right application; make the required payments under the Reclamation Act and the act of April 27, 1904; and otherwise comply with the law.

Any person filing more than one affidavit, or in other than his true name, shall be denied any privilege he might otherwise have secured under this drawing, except that any honorably discharged soldier or sailor entitled to the benefits of section 2304 of the Revised Statutes of the United States as amended by the act of March 1, 1901 (31 Stat., 847), may be represented by an agent of his own selection for the purpose of executing the affidavit herein required, due authority therefor being shown, but no person will be permitted to act as agent for more than one such soldier or sailor.

Envelopes showing on the outside distinctive marks of any char-acter shall be eliminated from the drawing.

The plan herein provided for governing the manner of opening these lands shall have operation and control the order in which all entries of the lands are allowed until August 23, 1907, upon which date any portion of the lands then remaining undisposed of will be subject to settlement, occupation, and entry under the provisions of the Reclamation Act in like manner as if no special preliminary plan had been provided for.

All persons are especially admonished from attempting to settle upon, occupy, or improve any of these lands prior to August 23, 1907, except those making entry in accordance with the terms of this Proclamation.

The Secretary of the Interior shall make and publish such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry into full force and effect the manner of settlement, occupation and entry as herein provided for.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this 21st day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-first.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT [SEAL.]

By the President:
      ELIHU ROOT
          Secretary of State.

Produced by the Oklahoma State University Library, 1999-2000
Generous support provided by The Coca-Cola Foundation, Atlanta, GA
URL: http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/

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