3 Indian Terr. 712 | Ct. App. Ind. Terr. | 1901
Lead Opinion
The appellants have filed 14 specifications of error, but discuss the same under three heads, as follows: “First, all that portion of the record which relates to lands or lots not described or embraced within the original petition of Napoleon B. Moore; second, rulings of the court upon evidence;. and third, the constitutionality of section 15 of the Curtis act. ”
Under the first head the appellants assign for error the refusal of the court to strike out on motion of appellants certain allegations in the petition of the Creek Nation relating to other property than that in which Moore, the original complainant, was interested, as shown by his complaint, for the reason that it was a misjoinder of causes of action. Under th e law as it existed prio r to the act of Jun e 28, 1898 (Ind. T. Ann. St. 1899, c. 3a), an Indian tribe could not institute suit in the United States courts. Said courts had no jurisdiction of such suits. See Cherokee Nation vs Georgia, 5 Pet. 1, 8 L. Ed. 25; Crabtree vs Madden, 4 C. C. A.
Under the second head appellants’ counsel, in his brief, ably discusses the alleged errors of the court in sustaining the objections of appellees to the admissibility of certain testimony. But, in our opinion, the more important, as well as the controlling, questions are raised under the assignments of error discussed under the third head, and the three following propositions are all that we deem it necessary to notice: (1) What is the relation of the Creek Nation and its citizens to the United States? (2) Has Moore, plaintiff, any vested interest in and to the lots in controversy? ‘ (3) Has congress power to set aside lands of an Indian tribe for the purpose's of a town site (a) under the doctrine of parens patriae; (b) under the doctrine of eminent domain?
Second. Has Moore any vested interest in these lots? The lands in the Creek Nation were conveyed to the nation
Third. Has congress power to set aside lands of an Indian tribe for town-site purposes? Under section 15 of the act of June 28, 1898, the appellants are expressly authorized to exercise the power that the injunction in this case prohibits them from exercising. Can this injunction stand? It cannot be said that the act is unconstitutional, because the supreme court of the United States has settled that question in the case of Stephens vs Cherokee Nation, when they affirmed the judgments in the citizenship cases by declaring, “We hold the entire legislation constitutional.” This is probably all that is necessary for the reversal of ■ this case. But we infer from the able discussion made by appellants’ counsel that the court was of the opinion that without a treaty giving the consent of the Creek tribe or nation congress had no power to enact this legislation. By article 10 of the treaty of 1866 it is provided: “Art. 10. The Creeks agree to such legislation as the congress and president of the United States may deem necessary for all better administration of justice and protection of all rights of person and property within the Indian Territory: provided, however, [that] such legislation shall not in any manner interfere with or annul their present tribal organizations, rights, laws, privileges and customs.” If section 15 interferes with the proviso contained in this article, it is only necessary to state the established rule. That it has been frequently decided that any provision of treaty may be superseded by a subsequent law, see In re Cherokee Tobacco, 11 Wall, 616, 20 L. Ed. 227; In re Head Money Cases, 112
These lands can be sold under the exercise of the power of eminent domain. Eminent domain is the right of the government to take the property of an individual, and appropriate it to public purposes. Judge Cooley says it is the right “to appropriate and control individual property for the public benefit, as the public safety, necessity, convenience, or welfare may demand.” Cooley, Const. Lim. *524. The supreme court of the United States, in U. S. vs Jones, 109 U. S. 519, 3 Sup. Ct. 346, 27 L. Ed. 1015, quotes approvingly Vattel’s definition of eminent domain to be “the
Who determines the question that the use is a public one? That the legislature is the sole and exclusive judge whether the exigency exists which calls on it to exercise and delegate the power of eminent domain no one will question. Courts cannot inquire into the necessity or propriety of the exercise of the right. U. S. vs Jones, 119 U. S. 513, 519, 7 Sup. Ct. 283, 30 L. Ed. 440; Tied. Cone, of Pers. &
There is no complaint that the appraisement made by appellants is not satisfactory, and the legislation of the act of June 28, 1898, amply provides for compensation as the property to be sold has been made valuable by the owners of the improvements, and the Creek Nation gets the proceeds of the sale. It is too late for these tribal governments or their individual citizens to obstruct and render nugatory the legislation of congress that has for its object the education and civilization of these Indians, and the making of them good and worthy citizens of the United States, and their country a rich and prosperous state of the union. Neither the complaint of the, plaintiff nor the petition of the Creek Nation stated a cause of action. Neither has this court any jurisdiction of the questions here presented, and the demurrer of the appellants on these grounds should have been sustained. The case is reversed and remanded, with directions to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the bill, with judgment against appellees for the costs.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting) I concur with the majority of the court as to the conclusions reached in this case to the effect that the Curtis bill, relating to the matter in controversy, is constitutional, and that the cause should be re