After the submission of the January 4 report, the Anadarko area director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs visited the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes assembled in general council on the reservation for the purpose of discussing the provisions of S. 2744, and the differences between the bill and the legislative proposal considered and approved by the tribes on June 1, 1953. By a vote of 54 to 0, the general council approved S. 2744 provided the last sentence of section 1 is changed to read as follows:"All of the lands so conveyed shall be held by the State of Texas in trust for the benefit of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas, subject to such conditions regarding management and use as the State of Texas may prescribe and any disposition of such lands shall be made subject to approval of a majority of the adult members of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas." The tribes also resolved unanimously to request that legislative provision be made to permit the tribes "to continue to use the hospitals and schools of the Federal Government for as long as they may continue to exist but not to exceed a period of 5 years in order that there may be a transition period during which the older members of the tribes may be prepared for the termination of these Federal services and in order that the young people may be provided the necessary vocational training." The area director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs of this Department has been advised informally by officials of the State of Texas that the State would have no objection to the wishes of the Indians for the amendment of section 1 in keeping with the tribal resolution, and this Department is agreeable to the request. With respect to the second resolution requesting the continuation of special Federal education and health services, these people would be entitled to services on the same basis as all other citizens of the State of Texas upon the issuance of the proclamation for which provision is made in section 6 of the bill. In view of the fact that hearings on the bill have been scheduled for February 16, 1954, this supplementary report has not been cleared through the Bureau of the Budget, and, therefore, no commitment can be made concerning the relationship of the views expressed herein to the program of the President. Sincerely yours, ORME LEWIS, Assistant Secretary of the Interior: RESOLUTION OF ALABAMA AND COUSHATTA TRIBES OF TEXAS Whereas the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas met in general council on the 28th day of January 1954, to discuss Senate bill 2744; and Whereas lines 5 and 6, page 2, provide that the lands conveyed to the State of Texas shall be "subject to such conditions regarding management, use, or disposition as the State of Texas may prescribe"; and Whereas the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas wish to have a voice in their affairs: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas respectfully request that lines 5 and 6 be amended to read "subject to such conditions regarding management and use as the State of Texas may prescribe and any disposition of such lands shall be made subject to approval of a majority vote of the adult members of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas." I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas in general council on January 28, 1954, by a vote of 54 for, and 0 against. Attest: MATTHEW BULLOCK, Chairman of the General Council. CORA SYLESTINE, Secretary of the General Council. RESOLUTION OF ALABAMA AND COUSHATTA TRIBES OF TEXAS Whereas there are certain older members of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas who have come to depend upon and have great faith in the Federal general hospitals and sanatorium; and Whereas during the past 12 months there have been only approximately 5 persons who have been hospitalized in those hospitals; and Whereas the Federal boarding schools provide certain vocational training which is not provided in the public schools available to the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas; and Whereas during the past year there have been only two members of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas attending Federal Indian boarding schools; and Whereas this small number of patients and students created no great burden upon the Federal Government: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas respectfully request that the members of these tribes be permitted to continue to use the hospitals and schools of the Federal Government for as long as they may continue to exist but not to exceed a period of 5 years in order that there may be a transition period during which the older members of the tribes may be prepared for the termination of these Federal services and in order that the young people may be provided the necessary vocational training. I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas in general council on January 28, 1954, by a vote of 54 for, and 0 against. Attest: MATTHEW BULLOCK, CORA SYLESTINE, Secretary of the General Council. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Hon. HUGH BUTLER, BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, Washington 25, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Reference is made to your request for the views of this Bureau concerning S. 2744, to provide for the termination of Federal supervision over the property of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Indians of Texas, and the individual members thereof; and for other purposes. This bill relates to approximately 400 Indians living in Polk County, Tex. The State of Texas, in 1854 and 1855, purchased approximately 1,100 acres of land for the use of these Indians. The Federal Government assumed no responsibility for them until 1928 or 1929. Pursuant to authority contained in the Second Deficiency Act, fiscal year 1928 (45 Stat. 883, 900), the United States purchased approximately 3,181 acres of land contiguous to that purchased by the State of Texas, and the 2 areas have been treated as 1 reservation supervised by a superintendent furnished by the State. During the fiscal year 1953, Federal expenditures on behalf of these Indians, primarily for financial assistance for educational purposes, totaled $18,000. For the same period, State funds aggregating about $41,000 were spent. Under the terms of the bill lands held in trust by the United States for the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes would be conveyed to the State of Texas, to be held in trust for the Indians. The bill provides for the cancellation of the tribal indebtedness of $39,278.66, which could be collected from the Indians only by the sale of tribal land. All responsibilities now lodged in the Federal Government would be transferred to the State of Texas. It is the understanding of this office that the State Legislature of Texas has adopted a concurrent resolution authorizing the Governor, in the event the Congress should adopt the necessary legislation, to accept, on behalf of the State, a transfer of the trust responsibilities of the United States respecting the lands and other assets of the tribes, and to designate a State agency in which such responsibilities shall rest. At a general council meeting of the tribes on June 1, 1953, the council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to request the Secretary of the Interior to recommend to the Congress of the United States the enactment of legislation necessary to accomplish a complete transfer of responsibilities to the State of Texas. S. 2744 would accomplish this objective. One of these The Department of the Interior has brought to our attention two resolutions of the tribal council adopted unanimously on January 28, 1954. resolutions relates to a continuation of hospital and school benefits for a transition period of not to exceed 5 years. It is asserted that during the last 12-month period, only 5 persons had received hospitalization, and only 2 members of the tribes were in attendance at Federal Indian boarding schools. The second resolution suggests an amendment to the bill requiring approval of a majority vote of the adult members of the tribes in connection with any proposal for disposition of the lands. The amendment desired by the tribes would appear in line 5 of page 2 by striking out the comma after the word "management" and all of the rest of line 5 and line 6, and inserting the following: "and use as the State of Texas may prescribe and any disposition of such lands shall be made subject to approval of a majority of the adult members of the Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas." From information available to this Bureau, it is evident that withdrawal of Federal supervision over and responsibility for the affairs of these Indians would be appropriate. Subject to your consideration of the views of the Indians as expressed in recent resolutions, copies of which will be furnished to your committee by the Department of the Interior, this Bureau would offer no objection to the enactment of the bill. Sincerely yours, ROWLAND HUGHES, Deputy Director: 83D CONGRESS 2d Session } SENATE { REPORT No. 1322 AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO CONSTRUCT FACILITIES TO PROVIDE WATER FOR IRRIGATION, MUNICIPAL, DOMESTIC, MILITARY, AND OTHER USES FROM THE SANTA MARGARITA RIVER, CALIF. MAY 11 (legislative day, APRIL 14), 1954.-Ordered to be printed Mr. KUCHEL, from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 5731] The Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 5731) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain certain facilities to provide water for irrigation and domestic use from the Santa Margarita River, Calif., and the joint utilization of a dam and reservoir and other waterwork facilities by the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Navy, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct the De Luz Dam and Reservoir on Santa Margarita River, Calif., together with appurtenant works, and facilities to supply water to Fallbrook Public Utility District. The bill specifies conditions prerequisite to construction which include a finding of storable streamflows under water rights approved by the State engineer of California after taking into account the hydrology of the basin, and riparian or other valid rights in the drainage basin. Storable runoff in De Luz Reservoir is required by the bill to be sufficient to yield 20,000 acre-feet annually after the reservoir has once filled. Of this yield Fallbrook Public Utility District will be entitled to 8,000 acre-feet per annum, or "40 per centum of the water impounded by De Luz Dam," and "60 per centum *** allocated to the Secretary of the Navy." Rights to the use of water in con |