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Show Ivi FIFTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF ing inCougress. The necessity for this legislation has bceu repeatedly set forth in the annual reports ofthis office. BLACK BOB SHAWNEE LANDS, IN ICANSAS. In his i~unual report for 5886 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs stated that on October 30,1585, twenty-five deeds from members, or de-scendants or representatives of members, of the Black Bob band of Shawnees had been filed in this office, by the terms of which converance had been made of certain lands that had been patented to members of said band sitnated on its reservation in Johnson County, Kana.; t,hat, in consequence of representations made to the Uommissioner rela-tive to the methods by which these deeds had been procured, and the apparent insufficiency of the consideration, the appro~atlh ereof had been suspended until an investigation coold be had ; and that on De-cember IS, 1885, Special Agent B. White had been iustrocted to make full investigation of the subject. From the report of the investigation made nuder these instructions, it appears that the twenty-five deeds referred to above were made to Thomas Carney, the consideration named in each being $3 per acre. In his report for 1887, theCommissioner stated that, in his opinion, this consideration was grossly inadequate; that the special agent, after ulak-ing investigation, had estimated the value of the lands io question, ex-clusive of improvements thereon, at from $10 to $35 per acre, the arer-age value being $19.50 per acre, aud the average value of the land and improvements being $29.40 per acre; and that in viow of the inade-quacy of the consideration, and other circiim~tances, the subject had been submitted to the Department February 25,1887. In thus sub-mitting the matter the Commissioner gave a full history of the Black Bob Shawnee lands, and made the following recommeudations. I n m y. op.i uion tlle lands embraoed in said tweutr-five deeds. and all other lands 1,atented to i ~ ~ e o ~ l , o r ~ obiusondi -~clo nvpyi~nre~ofn lliril 11.1d ,.dl been derliirctl valid 1)g drcreo uf II~oI'oited 5mwr Circuit b u r r for tLuU~stricr uiKn!wa*, under theJuiur resolution a-p -p roved March 3, l8i9 (.LO Stat... 48d).. . or the title to whioh had not nassed by spprova,l of the Seoretary of the Interior-and also the improvements thereon, shollld 5e appraised separately and the lands sold (with the oonaent of the Iudiaus severally to whom the same were pataotcd) to the highest biddsr, the boa fida set-tler to have the prcfemnce right to purchase the traot resided upon and improved by him; an6 in Oa8B a settler sbonld fail to p~rrohasew ithin a specifled time and theland should be sold to any other than a settler, the porchwer to pay the set.tler the ap-praised value of hie improvements ; the proceeds of the sale of the lands to be for the benefit of the Indians severally entitled thereto, subject to refundment therefrom to the grentae in said twont,y-live deed8 (Xr. Cnrncy) of the cousideration money paid by him, if, in the opinion of the Attonley-General, he shoo!d be equitably clltitled t.hereto. With this co~uulunicatiou mas iuolosed a draft of a bill corering the points indicated, and copies of all papers beariug upon thesubject; and recommendation was made that the matber be laid before Congress with a reqiiest lor favorable considerstiol~. The Department concitrred, and |