Peter Penet among the Oneida Indians. 299 



of nine members: two Chiefs and one Head Warrior of 

 each tribe. 1 The nomination of the nine chiefs shall be 

 by the Great Assembly of the nation. No person to ap- 

 proach in time of business, without being called for by 

 the chiefs of said council. These nine members of the 

 council shall be vested with power to act, and transact all 

 and every business belonging to the nation ; and in behalf 

 of the same, shall once in every year, call a General 

 Assembly, in which every person who is eighteen years 

 old can have a hearing ; and where every business for 

 that year shall have a hearing. 



Art. 12. All children born in the Oneida nation, shall 

 be in subjection to their parents, till they arrive at the 

 age of maturity : boys to twenty-one and girls to eighteen 

 years of age ; at which time or age, the father and mother 

 may, if they have anything to bestow, bestow it on them. 

 It shall be equal with the daughter as with the son, with- 

 out any distinction ; and in case a father dies, one third 

 of all that pertained to him, shall be reserved for his 

 widow, so long as she lives ; but, when the mother also 

 be dead, the whole to be divided among the children of 

 the deceased. 



Art. 13. If any man or woman of said nation die without 

 issue, and has not disposed of his or her lands, or goods, 

 to any friend or adopted friend in his or her lifetime, then 

 all that is found of the deceased, shall be given to the 

 orphans, if any such are to be found — if none, the whole 

 to be distributed to the nation in general, so far as it will 

 extend. 



Art. 14. The Grand Council shall also be empowered 

 to choose one man of a sober and honest character, to 

 overlook the children in town, and see that, in general, 

 they behave well to their parents and superiors : as also 

 to have strict look out that no strong liquors, by any mer- 

 chant or trader, are sold in the castle : and from this 



1 The Bear, the Wolf, and the Tortoise tribes. 



