Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 34 Part 1.djvu/169

FII•`TY—NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 1876. 1906. 13B lawful assigns, as if the patent or deed had issued to the allottee dur- ‘ ing his life, and all patents heretofore issued, where the allottee died before the same became effective, shall be given like effect; and all C0‘,?,§[,},’“f,$,‘Qf§;,$*"ié,;jg patents or deeds to allottees and other conveyances affecting lands of ¤¤*=· i any of said tribes shall be recorded in the office of the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes, and when so recorded shall convey legal title, and shall be delivered under the direction of the Secretary of the _ Interior to the party entitled to receive the same: Provided, The pro- fi§§’,°Q'§§é 00,,,,,,,, visions of this section shall not adect any rights involved in contests ¤°*¤“°°*€d· §nding before the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes or the epartment of the Interior at the date of the approval of this Act. Sec. 6. That if the principal chief of the Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, ,_1f*j:“,{;’g,°lO‘;*u¥,;Q”;’Qj or Seminole tribe, or the governor of the Chickasaw tribe shall refuse iiwmance ofduuesii or neglect to perform the duties devolving upon him, he may be removed from office by the President of the United States, or if any such executive become permanently disabled, the office may be declared vacant by the President of the United States, who, may fill any vacancy arising from removal, disability or death of the incumbent, by appointment of a citizen by blood of the tribe. If any such executive shall fail, refuse or neglect, for thirty days an-$$*2;*1 g,•{g{_';’°g§ after notice that any instrument is ready for his signature, to appear chiefto execute. at a place to be designated by the Secretary of the Interior and execute the same, such instrument may be a proved by the Secretary of the Interior without such execution, and) when so approved and recorded shall convey legal title, and such approval shall be conclusive evidence that such executive or chief refused or neglected after notice to execute su? insmuient. h h I N h b ravi , That the rinci al c ief of the Semino e ation is ere y P"°"“°· . _ authorized to execute Pthe dgeds to allottees in the Seminole Nation paippgiciidl Ei pgiiiiiprior to the time when the Seminole government shall cease to exist. "°I°S‘ _ Sec. 7. That the Secretary of the Interior shall, by written order, mE§g§Y,€,ZK’§§f§§°` within ninety days from the passage of this Act, segregate and reserve from allotment sections one, two, three, four, five, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, the east half of section sixteen, and the northeast quarter of section six, in township nine south, range twenty-six east, and sections five, six, seven, eight, seventeen, eighteen, and the west half of section sixteen, in township nine south, range twenty-seven east, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, except such por- E°‘°°P“°¤¤- tions of said lands upon which substantial, permanent, and valuable improvements were erected and placed prior to the passage of this Act and not for speculation, but by members and freedmen of the tribes actually themselves and for themselves for allotment purposes, and where such identical members or freedmen of said tribes now desire to select same as portions of their allotments, and the action of the Secretary of the Interior in making such segregation shall be conclusive. The Secretary of the Interior shall also cause to be estimated and Of¢:_l;g€jji¤!;L(;¤·:t§}l° appraised the standing pine timber on all of said land, and the land ' segregated shall not be allotted, except as hereinbefore provided, to any member or freedman of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. Said segregated land and the pine timber thereon shall be sold and disposed of at public auction, or by sealed bids for cash, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. _ _ Sec. 8. That the records of each of the_ land offices in the Indian m';l°;g_•;f,°§0 gpg? Territory, should such office be hereafter discontinued, shall be trans- district coun. ferred to and kept in the office of the clerk of the United States court in whose district said records are now located. The officer having custody of any of the records pertaining to the enrollment of the members of the Choctaw, Chickasaw. Cherokee, Creek, or Seminole tribes, and the disposition of the land and other property of said tribes, upon proper application and payment of such fees as the Secretary of