Whereas, said release and conveyance, bearing date the sixteenth day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, has been duly and fully executed, approved and delivered, and, Whereas, Section thirteen of the Act last aforesaid, relating to said lands, provides as follows: "Sec. 13. That the lands acquired by the United States under said agreement shall be a part of the public domain, to be disposed of only as herein provided, and sections sixteen and thirty-six of each township, whether surveyed or unsurveyed, are hereby reserved for the use and benefit of the public schools, to be established within the limits of said lands under such conditions and regulations as may be hereafter enacted by Congress.' "That the lands acquired by conveyance from the Seminole Indians hereunder, except the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections shall be disposed of to actual settlers under the homestead laws only, except as herein otherwise provided (except that section two thousand three hundred and one of the Revised Statutes shall not apply): And provided further, That any person who having attempted to, but for any cause, failed to secure a title in fee to a homestead under existing law, or who made entry under what is known as the commuted provision of the homestead law, shall be qualified to make a homestead entry upon said lands: And provided further, That the rights of honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors in the late civil war as defined and described in sections twenty-three hundred and four and twenty-three hundred and five of the Revised Statutes shall not be abridged: And provided further, That each entry shall be in square form as nearly as practicable, and no person be permitted to enter more than one-quarter section thereof, but until said lands are opened for settlement by proclamation of the President, no person shall be permitted to enter upon and occupy the same, and no person violating this provision shall ever be permitted to enter any of said lands or acquire any right thereto." "The Secretary of the Interior may, after said proclamation and not before, permit entry of said lands for town-sites, under sections twenty-three hundred and eighty-seven and twenty-three hundred and eighty-eight of the Revised Statutes, but no such entry shall embrace more than one-half section of land." "That all the foregoing provisions with reference to lands to be acquired from the Seminole Indians, including the provisions pertaining to forfeiture shall apply to and regulate the disposal of the lands acquired from the Muscogee or Creek Indians by articles of cession and agreement made and concluded at the city of Washington, on the nineteenth day of January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eighty-nine. Vol. 25, p. 1005, open to settlement Now therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, Creek lands declared by virtue of the power in me vested by said Act of Congress, approved March second, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, aforesaid, do hereby declare and make known, that so much of the lands, as aforesaid, acquired from or conveyed by the Muscogee (or Creek) Nation of Indians, and from or by the Seminole Nation of Indians, respectively, as is contained within the following described boundaries, viz: Beginning at a point where the degree of longitude ninety-eight Boundaries. west from Greenwich, as surveyed in the years eighteen hundred and fifty-eight and eighteen hundred and seventy-one, intersects the Canadian River; thence, north along and with the said degree to a point where the same intersects the Cimarron River; thence, up said river, along the right bank thereof, to a point where the same is intersected by the south line of what is known as the Cherokee lands lying west of the Arkansas River or as the "Cherokee Outlet," said line being the north line of the lands ceded by the Muscogee (or Creek) Nation of Indians to the United States by the treaty of June fourteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-six; thence, east along said line to a point where the same intersects the west line of the lands set apart as a reservation for the Pawnee Indians by act of Congress approved April tenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, being the range line between ranges four and five east of the Indian Meridian; thence, south on said line to a point where the same intersects the middle of the main channel of the Cimarron River; thence, up said river, along the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point where the same intersects the range line between range one east and range one west, (being the Indian Meridian), which line forms the western boundary of the reservations set apart respectively for the Iowa and Kickapoo Indians, by Executive Orders, dated, respectively, August fifteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-three; thence, south along said range line or meridian to a point where the same intersects the right bank of the North Fork of the Canadian River; thence, up said river, along the right bank thereof, to a point where the same is intersected by the west line of the reservation occupied by the Citizen Band of Pottawatomies, and the Absentee Shawnee Indians, set apart under the provisions of the treaty of February twenty-seven, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, between the United States and the Pottawatomie tribe of Indians, and referred to in the act of Congress approved May twenty-three, eighteen hundred and seventy-two; thence south along the said west line of the aforesaid reservation to a point where the same intersects the middle of the main channel of the Canadian River; thence, up the said river, along the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point opposite to the place of beginning; and thence north to the place of beginning, (saving and excepting one acre of land in square form in the northwest corner of section nine, in township sixteen north, range two west, of the Indian Meridian in Indian Territory, and also one acre of land in the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of section fifteen, township sixteen north, range seven west, of the Indian Meridian in the Indian Territory; which last described two acres are hereby reserved for Government use and control), will, at and after the Open April 22, 1889. hour of twelve o'clock, noon, of the twenty-second day of April, next, and not before, be open for settlement, under the terms of, and subject to, all the conditions, limitations and restrictions contained in said Act of Congress, approved March second, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, and the laws of the United States applicable thereto. No other lands in Indian Territory .open. Warning against entry before April 22, 1889. And it is hereby expressly declared and made known, that no other parts or portions of the lands embraced within the Indian Ter-ritory than those herein specifically described, and declared to be open to settlement at the time above named and fixed, are to be considered as open to settlement under this proclamation or the Act of March second, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, aforesaid; and Warning is hereby again expressly given, that no person entering upon and occupying said lands before said hour of twelve o'clock, noon, of the twenty-second day of April, A. D. eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, herein before fixed, will ever be permitted to enter any of said lands or acquire any rights thereto; and that the officers of the United States will be required to strictly enforce the provision of the Act of Congress to the above effect. 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 Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and [SEAL.] eighty nine, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirteenth. By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State. BENJ. HARRISON. [No. 3.] BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. A hundred years have passed since the Government which our forefathers founded was formally organized. At noon on the thirtieth day of April, seventeen hundred and eighty-nine, in the city of New York, and in the presence of an assemblage of the heroic men whose patriotic devotion had led the Colonies to victory and independence, George Washington took the oath of office as Chief Magistrate of the new-born Republic. This impressive act was preceded, at nine o'clock in the morning, in all the churches of the city, by prayer for God's blessing on the Government and its first President. April 4, 1889. Preamble. The centennial of this illustrious event in our history has been declared a general holiday by act of Congress, to the end that the Vol.25, p. 980. people of the whole country may join in commemorative exercises appropriate to the day. Centennial of inauguration of the first In order that the joy of the occasion may be associated with a deep thankfulness in the minds of the people for all our blessings in the past, and a devout supplication to God for their gracious continuance in the future, the representatives of the religious creeds, both Christian and Hebrew, have memorialized the Government to designate an hour for prayer and thanksgiving on that day. Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States of America, in response to this pious and reasonable request, do recommend that on Tuesday, April 30th, at the hour of nine Tuesday, April 30, o'clock in the morning, the people of the entire country repair to to be a public their respective places of Divine worship, to implore the favor of God that the blessings of liberty, prosperity and peace may abide with us as a people, and that His hand may lead us in the paths of righteousness and good deeds. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed. Done in the City of Washington, this 4th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and eighty{SEAL.] nine, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and thirteenth. By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State. BENJ. HARRISON. President. holiday. [No. 4.] BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. November 1, 1889. A highly favored People, mindful of their dependence on the Dounty of Divine Providence, should seek fitting occasion to testify Preamble. gratitude and ascribe praise to Him who is the author of their many blessings. It behooves us then to look back with thankful hearts over the past year and bless God for his infinite mercy in vouchsafing to our land enduring peace, to our people freedom from pestilence and famine, to our husbandmen abundant harvests, and to them that labor a recompense of their toil.} November 28, 1889, set apart as a day of National Thanksgiving. November 2, 1889. Preamble. Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States of America, do earnestly recommend that Thursday, the twenty-eighth day of this present month of November, be set apart as a day of National thanksgiving and prayer, and that the people of our country, ceasing from the cares and labors of their working day, shall assemble in their respective places of worship and give thanks to God, who has prospered us on our way and made our paths the paths of peace; beseeching Him to bless the day to our present and future good, making it truly one of thanksgiving for each re-united home circle as for the Nation at large. 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 first day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and [SEAL.] eighty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States: the one hundred and fourteenth. By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State. [No. 5.] BENJ. HARRISON. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas the Congress of the United States did by an act approved on the twenty-second day of February one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine provide that the inhabitants of the Territory of Dakota might, upon the conditions prescribed in said act become the States of North Dakota and South Dakota; And whereas it was provided by said act that the area comprising the Territory of Dakota should, for the purposes of the act, be divided on the line of the seventh standard parallel produced due west to the western boundary of said Territory and that the delegates elected as therein provided to the Constitutional convention in districts north of said parallel should assemble in convention, at the time prescribed in the act, at the city of Bismarck; And whereas it was provided by the said act that the delegates. elected as aforesaid should, after they had met and organized, declare on behalf of the people of North Dakota, that they adopt the Constitution of the United States; whereupon the said convention should be authorized to form a constitution and State Government for the proposed State of North Dakota; And whereas it was provided by said act that the Constitution so adopted should be republican in form and make no distinction in civil or political rights on account of race or color, except as to Indians not taxed, and not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United States and the principles of the Declaration of Independence; and that the Convention should, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent of the United States and the people of said States, make certain provisions prescribed in said act; And whereas it was provided by said act that the Constitutions of North Dakota and South Dakota should, respectively, incorporate an agreement to be reached in accordance with the provision of the act, for an equitable division of all property belonging to the Territory of Dakota, the disposition of all public records, and also for the apportionment of the debts and liabilities of said Territory, and that each of said States should obligate itself to pay its proportion of such debts and liabilities the same as if they had been created by such States respectively; And whereas it was provided by said act that the Constitution thus formed for the people of North Dakota should, by an ordinance of the Convention forming the same, be submitted to the people of North Dakota at an election to be held therein on the first Tuesday in October, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, for ratification or rejection by the qualified voters of said proposed State and that the returns of said election should be made to the Secretary of the Territory of Dakota, who, with the Governor, and Chief Justice thereof, or any two of them, should canvass the same; and if a majority of the legal votes cast should be for the Constitution, the Governor should certify the result to the President of the United States, together with a statement of the votes cast thereon, and upon separate articles or propositions and a copy of said Constitution, articles, propositions and ordinances; And whereas it has been certified to me by the Governor of the Territory of Dakota that within the time prescribed by said act of Congress a Constitution for the proposed State of North Dakota has been adopted and the same ratified by a majority of the qualified voters of said proposed State in accordance with the conditions prescribed in said act; And whereas it is also certified to me by the said Governor that at the same time that the body of said Constitution was submitted to a vote of the people, a separate article, numbered twenty and entitled "Prohibition," was also submitted and received a majority of all the votes cast for and against said article as well as a majority of all the votes cast for and against the Constitution, and was adopted. And whereas a duly authenticated copy of said Constitution, article, ordinances and propositions, as required by said act has been received by me: North Dakota ad Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States of America, do, in accordance with the provisions of the act of mitted as a State. Congress aforesaid, declare and proclaim the fact that the conditions imposed by Congress on the State of North Dakota to entitle that State to admission to the Union have been ratified and accepted and that the admission of the said State into the Union is now complete. In testimony 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 second day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty[SEAL.] nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and fourteenth. By the President: JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State. [No. 6.] BENJ. HARRISON. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas the Congress of the United States did, by an act approved on the twenty-second day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine, provide that the inhabitants of the Territory of Dakota might, upon the conditions prescribed in the said act, become the States of North Dakota and South Dakota; And whereas it was provided by said act that the area comprising November 2, 1889. Preamble. |