Heirs of Garland v. Choctaw Nation

54 Ct. Cl. 55, 1919 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 194, 1919 WL 1051
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedFebruary 17, 1919
DocketNo. 30252
StatusPublished

This text of 54 Ct. Cl. 55 (Heirs of Garland v. Choctaw Nation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heirs of Garland v. Choctaw Nation, 54 Ct. Cl. 55, 1919 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 194, 1919 WL 1051 (cc 1919).

Opinion

DowNet, Judge,

reviewing the facts found to be established, delivered the opinion of the court:

Congress has directed this court to adjudicate the claims of “ Samuel Garland, deceased,” against the Choctaw Nation, and to render judgment in such amounts, if any, as may appear to be equitably due, said judgment, if any, “ in favor of the heirs of Garland ” to be rendered on the principle of quantum meruit and paid out of the funds of the nation.

The record is very unsatisfactory in many respects, and as to some questions involved leaves much to be desired. The [56]*56duty of the court to make such specific findings as will present every feature of the case has therefore been a difficult one, impossible of discharge in form entirely satisfactory, but met as the circumstances seemed to require.

The Choctaw Indians during the period involved in this transaction were a “ nation,” having a constitution, executive and administrative officers, a legislative body of two branches, and a judicial system. Entertaining the belief that they had valid claims against the United States, and particularly, so far as this case is concerned, on account of lands east of the Mississippi River theretofore ceded by them, the general council, by resolution approved November 9,1853, appointed P. P. Pitchlynn, Israel Folsom, Dixon W. Lewis, and Samuel Garland delegates to institute a claim against the United States and settle the same by treaty or otherwise, the resolution providing for the appointment of a successor in case of the death or resignation of any of the said “ delegation.”

Deaths, vacancies, and appointments occurred at different times, and seven men, during its life, served as delegates. Beginning with the full delegation of four, there were for a time three, then four, then three, then two, then one, then one, a new delegate, and finally two. There was no provision as to compensation when the delegation was created, but an instrument purporting to have been executed November 2, 1855, by “ the undersigned chiefs,” provided that the delegation, naming the then members, should receive 20 per cent upon all claims arising under the treaty of 1855 for their services in negotiating that treaty and for other services to be rendered thereafter at Washington. Following the last of these signatures are the initials “ P. C. C. N.,” understood to mean Principal Chief Choctaw Nation,” and a notation follows, indicating approval as required by the third section of the schedule of the constitution, October 18, 1868, which section required all contracts theretofore made and approved under existing laws or resolutions of the general council to be approved by the principal chief. It is then understood that instrument was executed by two “ chiefs,” November 2,1855, and approved by the “ Principal Chief,” October 18, 1868, although it does not appear that such a contract had ever [57]*57theretofore been authorized by the general council. How-ewer, subsequent legislation of the general council set out in the findings seems to recognize the existence of such an obligation.

The treaty of 1855 was negotiated and for more than 30 years thereafter efforts, continuous or spasmodic, were being made to secure a settlement. Action was had by the Senate, an account was stated by the Secretary of the Interior, an action in this court, an appeal to the Supreme Court, a judgment by this court for $2,858,798.62, and finally an appropriation. Just what service was rendered by the delegates during all of this time does not appear, but several attorneys were under contract who presumably attended to the litigation and who were paid large fees. All of the original delegates had died long before the consummation of the matter.

When the litigation was terminated, but before Congress had appropriated to pay the judgment, Campbell Leflore, the sixth appointee as a member of the delegation, was the sole delegate and the principal chief, by an act of the general council, was authorized, “ with the advice and consent of the senate,” to appoint a delegate “to proceed immediately to Washington City, to assist in the settlement of the net proceeds claim,” etc.; and on the same day, February 25, 1888, Edmund McCurtain was appointed and commissioned. Another act of the general council of the same date, February 25, 1888, directed the principal chief to make requisition for 20 per cent of the judgment, and a further sum named in favor of “ Campbell Leflore and Edmund McCur-tain, delegates, successors to P. P. Pitchlynn and others.” After the money had been appropriated by Congress a requisition was made in their favor; it was presented and honored and by a considerable number of drafts drawn and mailed as requested by them, they were in due time paid $638,944.36. They made distribution thereof as shown by a report set out in the findings; and to that distribution the plaintiffs except, contending that many payments made were unauthorized; that there is a large additional sum due them — viz, the difference between the amount received by them and one-fourth of the whole fund; that Leflore and [58]*58McCurtain were the “ agents ” of the nation in making sucli distribution, for whose unauthorized acts the nation is liable and by which they are not bound, and that therefore they are entitled to recover from the nation the sum sued for.

This statement of the case is but a brief summary and reference must be had to the findings for the details of the transaction there set out so as to furnish as complete a history thereof as the record permits.

There are several questions presented by counsel and proper for consideration and to which brief reference will be made; but there seems to be one underlying question, the determination of which adverse to the plaintiffs must foreclose their right of recovery, and upon which the court bases its conclusion. Were Leflore and McCurtain, when they collected and distributed this money, merely the “ agents ” of the Choctaw Nation, for whose misapplication of the fund, if they did misapply it, the nation was liable, or were they then the delegation, the successors of the original delegation, standing in such relation to the nation and to other members of the delegation or their beneficiaries that the payment made to them, as it was made, is to be held an acquittance of the nation? If they were merely the agents of the nation appointed to discharge obligations of the nation to other individuals, and entrusted with money for that purpose, and other delegates or their beneficiaries stood in the relation of individual claimants, it would then of necessity be incumbent to inquire and determine whether there was misapplication of the fund and a failure, by reason thereof, to award and pay plaintiffs that to which they were entitled.

This transaction, from the appointment of the original delegation to the issuance of the requisition to Leflore and McCurtain on which the money was paid to them, covered a period of more than 35 years. While it probably was not anticipated that such a length of time would be required to procure a settlement, the Indians were familiar with the difficulties and delays attendant upon the adjustment of their claimed rights, they were in this instance seeking to assert rights under a treaty then 23 years old, they must have anticipated that a speedy adjustment might not be procured, and to guard against contingencies liable to happen with the [59]*59lapse of time, they provided in the resolution creating this delegation for successors in the event of death or resignation.

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54 Ct. Cl. 55, 1919 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 194, 1919 WL 1051, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heirs-of-garland-v-choctaw-nation-cc-1919.