United States v. Halbert

38 F.2d 795, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 2407
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 24, 1930
DocketNo. 5922
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 38 F.2d 795 (United States v. Halbert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Halbert, 38 F.2d 795, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 2407 (9th Cir. 1930).

Opinion

WILBUR, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiffs in these cases invoked the jurisdiction of the District Court on the ground that they were entitled to an allotment of lands in the Quinaieit Indian Reservation in the state of Washington, and that this right had been denied by the Secretary of the Interior. Congress has authorized such an action in such a case. 25 USCA § 345, 28 Stat. 305, § 1, 31 Stat. 760, § 1. Fifteen cases were consolidated for trial, and on appeal several of the cases, Indians whose claims were related, were joined, so that the number of allotments involved is greater than the number of cases. Appellees base their right [796]*796to allotment upon certain treaties and statutes to which we will now refer.

In 1855-1856 a treaty was signed by Isaac I. Stevens, Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, on behalf of the government of the United States, and by certain head chiefs and sub chiefs of the Quinaielt and Quileute Tribes, and by a number of the Indians of these tribes. In the caption of the treaty it is denominated an agreement and convention made and concluded between Isaac I. Stevens, Governor, etc., on the part of the United States, “and the undersigned chiefs, headmen, and delegates of the different tribes and bands of the Qui-nai-elt and Quil-leh-ute Indians, on the part of said tribes and bands, and duly authorized thereto by them.” Article 1 of the treaty provides that said tribes and bands cede their right to the lands and country occupied by them which is described in the article, and, according to the statement in the opinion of the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior dealing with the subject, is said to embrace an area extending one hundred miles along the Pacific Coast from Cape Mattery to Grays Harbor and extending inland from twenty to thirty miles, a total area of between two and three thousand square miles. ^ Article 2 of the treaty provides that a tract or traets of lands sufficient for their wants, within the Territory of Washington (which then included the present state of Oregon), should be selected by the President and set apart for their exclusive use; and provided that “the said tribes and bands agreed to remove to and settle upon the same within one year after the ratification of this treaty, or sooner if the means are furnished them. In the meantime it shall be lawful for them to reside upon any lands not in the actual claim and occupation of citizens of the United States, and upon any lands claimed or occupied, if with the permission of the owner or claimant.” Article 3 protected the Indians in the right of taking fish at the usual and accustomed grounds and stations in common with all citizens of the territory and of ereeting temporary houses for the purpose of securing the same. Article 6 provided that the President might cause the land to be surveyed into lots and assigned to “sueh individuals or families as are willing to avail themselves of the privilege, and will locate on the same as a permanent home, on the same terms and subject to the same regulations as are provided in the sixth article of the treaty with the Omahas, so far as the same may be applicable.” Senate Documents Vol. 38, vol. 2, p. 719; 12 Stat. 971.

Article 6 of the treaty with the Omahas (10 Stat. 1043), article 6, referred to in the foregoing treaty, provides in detail for the method of the allotment to single Indians and families, and provides for forfeiture of the allotment in ease the person or family to whom it is assigned should neglect or refuse to occupy and till or shall rove from place to place.

In 1887 Congress passed an act (24 Stat.. 388, now 25 USCA c. 9, § 331 et seq.) providing for the allotment of lands by the President to individual Indians located thereon. Section 1 thereof, now 25 USCA § 331, provided : “In all cases where any tribe or band of Indians has been or shall be located upon any reservation created for their use by treaty stipulation, Act of Congress, or Executive order, the President shall be authorized to. cause the same or any part thereof to be surveyed or resurveyed whenever in his opinion such reservation or any part may be advantageously utilized for agricultural or grazing purposes by such Indians, and to cause allotment to each Indian located thereon to be made in sueh areas as in his opinion may be for their best interest not to exceed eighty acres of agricultural or one hundred and sixty acres of grazing land to any one Indian.”

The section also contains the following proviso: “Provided further, That where a treaty or Act of Congress setting apart such reservation provides for allotments in severalty in quantity greater or less than that herein authorized, the President shall cause allotments on such reservations to be made in quantity as specified in sueh treaty or Act. * 1(1 * But in sueh cases allotments may be made in quantity as specified herein with the consent of the Indians expressed in such manner as the President in his discretion may require.” It will be observed that this section requires that the tribe or band of Indians be located upon the reservation, and that the individual Indian seeking allotment be located thereon. As was said by Judge Sanborn, speaking for the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in Lemieux v. United States, 15 F.(2d) 518, 521: “No ease has been cited, and we have been unable to find any, which holds that a tribal Indian, living apart from the tribe and off the reservation, is entitled to an allotment under section 1 of the act of 1887, and the language of that act seems to preclude sueh a holding.” No one of the appellees resides upon the Quinaielt Reservation. This fact would justify and require the Secretary of the Interior to deny [797]*797their applications for allotment under the general allotment law, and would require a denial of their application by the District Court.

Appellees, however, have based their claim upon a subsequent statute enacted by Congress March 4,1911 (36 Stat. 1345), with special reference to allotments upon the Quinaielt Indian Reservation. It is claimed that this statute applies to 'the appellees, and obviates the necessity for residence. We will first consider whether or not this aet obviates the necessity for residence upon the reservation as a condition precedent to an allotment. This aet is as follows:

“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to make allotments on the Quinaielt Reservation, Washington, under the provisions of the allotment laws of the United States, to all members of the Hoh, Quileute, Ozette or other tribes of Indians in Washington who are affiliated with the Quinaielt and Quileute tribes in the treaty of July first, eighteen hundred and fifty-five, and January twenty-third, eighteen hundred and fifty-six, and who may elect to take allotments on the Quinaielt Reservation rather than on the reservations set aside for these tribes: Provided, That the allotments authorized herein shall be made from the surplus lands on the Quinaielt Reservation after the allotments to the Indians thereon have been completed.”

It is evident from the proviso above quoted that allotments were contemplated to be made to Indians who did not reside upon the Quinaielt Reservation, for it is provided that the'allotments authorized by the aet should be made from surplus lands “after the allotments to the Indians thereon have been completed.” The appellees contend that this proviso altogether obviated the necessity for residence on the Quinaielt Indian Reservation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
38 F.2d 795, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 2407, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-halbert-ca9-1930.