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Obligations to individuals - first branch commission under the 17th article.
few observations upon the operations of the commission and its co-adjutors, the Cherokee Committee.
The commission in question was nominated by the President, under the 17th article of the Treaty, and approved by the Senate. Its decisions were not only to be final, but it appears to have had almost unlimited powers. It commenced its operations in September, 1836, & closed them on the 5th of March, 1839. In order to facilitate its proceedings, a committee of Cherokees was appointed by the twelfth article of the Treaty, to look into the claims presented by their countrymen. But some of the leading men in the Cherokee Nation refused to accept the nomination to this Committee & never attended any of its meetings.
By the returns of the Commissioners, I am informed that their allowances were ranged under the following heads & sums:
For Spoliations 416,306:82
" Reservations 159,324:87
" Claims of individuals among
the Cherokees against
their own nation} 19,058:14
" Improvements abandoned 1,683,192:77
2,277,882:60
I am also informed that the commissioners paid certain citizens of the United States, who preferred claims against the Cherokee Nation, under that clause of the tenth article of the Treaty, wherein the United States names an appropriation of sixty thousand dollars to pay such claims, but which has not yet been made by congress 51,642:25 Making the entire expenditure under this commission $2,329,524:85
All important as are the results of this commission, to the character of the movements under the Treaty of 1835, I must ask leave to pause here for
the