The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-01-12
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VOLUME Is,

Total. !....:..!.I......-L. Ss74,6 3 %
The excess of the amount to be
realized from the bid of Messrs.
Smith g. Van Doren over the ag-
gregate of the highest bids on quar-
ter sections being ST., 919.05.
1t was further shown that the
aggregate number OF acres which
would remain unawarded, if the
awards should be made In accord
ance with schedule numbered 2,
would be-trust lands, 3,010 acres ;
diminished reserve, 29,723 acres ;
and attention was invited to the
probability, arising from the fact of
no bids being made, that these lands
were the poorest and least available
of those offered. for sale.
Under date Goth September last
the honorable Secretary Of the In
terror returned to this Office the
papers submitted, and referring to
the question whether the Smith q
Van Doren bid should be accepted,
inclosed opinion OF the honorable
Attorney General, dated the 18th
Of same month, answering the
question in the negative, as to ac-
cept the bid "would defeat the plain
language of the treaty." The bid
was therefore rejected.
Under date of 3lst of October
last the honorable Secretary inform
ed this Office that he had concluded
to reject all bids for the lands of the
Kansas Indians, and directed that
the bidders be notified accordingly.
The honorable Secretary also in
closed q communication from SUI
pcrintendent Hoag, dated October
oath, 1871, Qn reply to Department
Instructions in which he stated
that he had visited and counseled
with the Kansas Indians, and con-
ferred with their agent in respect
to their interest arising from the
sale of their lands and their remov-
al south; that from personal OBJ
servation and reliable Information,
he was well advised as to the char
acter and value of said lands, and
the opinion that, mas
much as the same were we'll adver-
tised and in market all summer, the
lands on which bids were made, as
by schedule 2, hereinbefore referred
to, comprise all that are salable or
that, moreover, the re-
g, 733 acres, ON which no
bids were made, would Qf the legal
bids were accepted) be in fragmen-
tary lots, scattered over large area,
that, from both these considerations,
they would not, if subjected to
forced sale within short period,
probably bring over one dollar per
acre, say $685. which amount,
added to the legal bids of S274,6
%, would give q fund to the tribe
of only 1881, 346.25, falling below
Smith s. Van Dozens bid $112,186.-
O5.
Tho superintendent further stated
that this latter amount, if saved to
the tribe, as in justice to them it
should be, would afford q fund
nearly sufficient to pay their out
standing indebtedness that he be-
Iieved it would largely facilitate the
sale OF these lands and augment the
amount realized therefrom to have
the same appraised, which could be
done in a brief period and with
small expense; and he therefore
recommended that Congress be ask
ed to empower the Secretary of the
Interior to put the lands in market
to the highest bidder or bidders, for
cash, at prices not below the ap-
praisal, and that the same be award
ed to such bidder or bidders, in
parcels or in whole, at highest ag-
gregate offers, which he believed
would not fall short of $4,000 for
the entire body of these lands.
The above statement comprises
all the recent action of the Depart
ment and of this Office relative to
the sale of the lands referred to in
the memorandum OF the honorable
Secretary.
Very respectfully, your obedient
servant, +. A. WALKER,
Commissioner.
The Hon. SECRETARY OF THE In
TERROR.