An Act ^A bill^ to provide for the punishment of Crimes and Offences committed within the Indian Country.

Sect. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That if any Indian, or any other person or persons, shall, within the United States territories and within any town, district or territory, belonging to any national or nations, tribe or tribes of Indians, commit any crime, offence or misdemeanor, which, if committed in any place or district of country under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, would, by the laws of the United States, be punished with death, or any other punishment, every such offend[er], on being thereof convicted, shall suffer the like punishment as is provided by the laws of the United States for the like offences, if committed within any place or district of country under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States.

Sect. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Superior courts in each of the territorial districts, and the circuit courts and other courts of the United States of similar jurisdiction in each criminal causes, in each district of the United States, in which any offender against this Act shall be first apprehended or brought to trial, shall have, and are hereby invested with full power and authority to hear, try and punish, all crimes, offences and misdemeanors against this Act, such courts proceeding therein in the same manner as if such crimes, offences and misdemeanors had been committed within the bounds of their respective districts: Provided, that nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to affect any treaty now in force between the United States and any Indian nation.

Sect. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized and required, to cause the military force of the United States to be employed in the apprehension of offenders under this Act, upon the requisition of the Governor of the Territory in which any crime, offence or misdemeanor may be committed, or in the execution of any warrant issued by any Court empowered hereby, to hear, try and punish all such crimes, offences or misdemeanors.

Sect. 4 And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this Act shall be & they are hereby confined ^in their operation^ to the country within the territories, lying of the United States, lying north & east of the Missouri and Whitewater Rivers, Provided nevertheless, that fugitives from justice may be pursued & apprehended by officers duly authorized, in any part of the Indian County south & west of the Missouri River