Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 31.djvu/727

 the entire matter; that we truly interpreted for the commissioners and the Indians at all the councils held to discuss the subject, and to individual Indians.

Witness:

, February 5, 1898.

, February 5, 1898. I hereby certify that two hundred and twenty-seven (227) Indians constitute a majority of male adult Indians on or belonging on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Idaho. First Lieutenant, Second Cavalry, Acting Indian Agent.

Therefore,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the said agreement be, and the same hereby is, accepted, ratified, and confirmed.

. That for the purpose of making the first cash payment stipulated for in article two of the foregoing agreement, and or the purpose of a new school plant, as provided in the same article the sum of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars be, and the same hereby is, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

. That for the purpose of surveying, establishing, and properly marking the western and northern boundaries of the tract ceded by the foregoing agreement, as required by article five thereof, and for field examination and necessary office work in connection therewith, the sum of one thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same hereby is, appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

. That before any of the lands by this agreement ceded are opened to settlement or entry, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall cause allotments to be made of such of said lands as are occupied and cultivated by any Indians as set forth in article three of said agreement, who may desire to have the same allotted to them; and in cases where such Indian occupants prefer to remove to lands within the limits of the reduced reservation, he shall cause to be prepared a schedule of the lands to be abandoned, with a description of the improvements thereon, and the name of the Indian occupant, a duplicate of which shall be filed with the Commissioner of the General Land Office.

Before entry shall be allowed, as hereinafter provided, of an tract of land occupied and cultivated as above and included in the schedule aforesaid, the Secretary of the Interior shall cause the improvements on said tract to be appraised and sold to the highest bidder. No sale of such improvements shall be for less than the appraised value. The purchaser of such improvements shall have thirty days after such purchase for preference right of entry, under the provisions of this Act, of the lands upon which the improvements purchased by him are situated, not to exceed one hundred and sixty acres: Provided, That the proceeds of the sale of such improvements shall be paid to the Indians owning the same.

An Indian electing to abandon the land occupied by him as aforesaid shall have reasonable time, in the discretion of the Secretary of