nd twentieth.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

By the President:
RICHARD OLNEY,
_Secretary of State_.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas in a suit between the United States and the State of Texas
involving the title to and jurisdiction over all that territory lying
between the North and South forks of the Red River and the one hundredth
degree of longitude, known and styled as "Greer County, Tex.," the
Supreme Court of the United States has decided that the title to and
jurisdiction over said territory is vested in the United States; and

Whereas the Choctaw Nation claims that the title to these lands passed
to said nation by virtue of treaties with the United States and that the
title of said nation to said lands has not been extinguished, but that
said Choctaw Nation has a right and interest therein; and

Whereas it is claimed that divers persons settled upon said lands prior
to the 30th day of December, 1887, acting in good faith upon the belief
that the same belonged to and were subject to the jurisdiction of the
State of Texas and that Congress will be asked to extend to all such
settlers suitable relief:

Now, therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States,
by virtue of the authority in me vested, not admitting in any wise the
validity of such claim on behalf of the Choctaw Nation, but for the
purpose of preserving the status of said lands intact until such time
as said claim of the Choctaw Nation thereto may be duly determined, and
that the settlers herein before referred to shall not be disturbed until
Congress shall have fully considered their claims for relief, do hereby
withdraw said lands from disposition under the public-land laws of the
United States and declare the same to be in a state of reservation until
such time as this order of withdrawal may be revoked; and I do further
warn and admonish all persons against entering upon said lands with a
view to occupying the same or settling thereon under the public-land
laws during the existence of this order.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.

[SEAL.]

Done at the city of Washington, this 16th day of March, A.D. 1896, and
of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and twentieth.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

By the President:
RICHARD OLNEY,
_Secretary of State_.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES O