Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 11.djvu/707

 TREATY WITH THE STOCKBRIDGES AND MUNSEES. FEB. 1856. 663 FRANKLIN PIERCE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Feb, 5, 1856, ro ALL AND srucomm ro wuorr rmssm rnnsmzrs srmm;. comm, onnmrme: WVHEREAS a treaty was made and concluded at Stockbridge, in the State of Wisconsin, on the fifth day of February, eighteen hundred and fifty-six, between Francis Huebsehmann, commissioner on the part of the United States, and the Stockbridge and Munsee tribes of Indians, assembled in general council, and such of the Munsees as were included in the treaty of September third, eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, but are yet residing in the State of New York, by their duly authorized delegates, William Mohawk and Joshua Willson, which treaty is in the words and figures following, to wit :— Whereas by Senate amendment to the treaty with the Menomonccs of Preamble. February eighth, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, two townships _ of land on the east side of Winnebago Lake, Territory of Vlfisconsin, were V°l· VH- P· 347- set aside for the use of the Stockbridge and Munsee tribes of Indians, all formerly of the State of New York, but a part of whom had already removed to Wisconsin ; and Whereas said Indians took possession of said lands, but dissensions Vol- vii· p- 580- existing among them led to the treaty of September third, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, by which the east half of said two townships was retroceded to the United States, and in conformity to which a part of said Stockbridges and Munsees emigrated west of the Mississippi ; and Whereas to relieve them from dissensions still existing by "An act for the relief of the Stockbridge tribe of Indians in the Territory of Wisconsin," approved March third, one thousand eight hundred and forty- three, it was provided, that the remaining townships of land should be V1$43>°h‘ég‘ divided into lots and allotted between the individual members of said °V' p' ` tribe; and Whereas a part of said tribe refused to be governed by the provisions of said act, and a subsequent act was passed on the sixth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, repealing the aforementioned 1846 ch_85_ act, but without making provision for bona fide purchasers of lots in the VOL bf_ p_ 55_ townships subdivided in conformity to the said first named act; and Whereas it was found impraetieable to carry into eifect the provisions of the last-mentioned act, and to remedy all difficulties, a treaty was entered into on the twenty-fourth of November, one thousand eight hundred and Vai, sx. p. 955. forty-eight, wherein among other provisions, the tribe obligated itself to remove to the country west of the Mississippi set apart for them by the amendment to said treaty; and Whereas dissensions have yet been constantly existing amongst them, and many of the tribe refused to remove, when they were offered a location in Minnesota, and applied for a retrocession to them of the township of Stockbridge, which has been refused by the United States ; and Whereas a majority of the said tribe of Stoekbridges and the Munsees are averse to removing to Minnesota and prefer a new location in Wiseonsin, and are desirous soon to remove and to resume agricultural pursuits, and gradually to prepare for citizenship, and a number of other members of the said tribe desire at the present time to sever their tribal relations and to receive patents for the lots of land at Stockbridge now occupied by them; and