The Arkansas advocate., 1831-02-23
SURVEYS OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.

IiousE OF REpREsENrATIvEs-- I2, 1881.
 The amendment, adopted in Committee of the Whole on the preceding day, to appropriate Sl3o, 00e for the surveys of the Public Lands, and ss COG for surveying private land claims, coming up for consderaton-
 Mir. SEWER, of Arkansas, said, he had wit messed with regret the opposition manifested hs the geDtlemaf from Virginia to the approprla- ton for surveying the public lands. am one, said Mr. S., who believe the appropriation for this object should be increased, rather than di- minishcd. We are told by the Commssionerot the General Iand-ofiee that the surveys of the public lands have not advanced to the extent de- sired, in consequence of no appropriation having been made at the last session of Congress. We arc told, from the same quarter, that, to meet the expenses of the surveys made in lS30, and those which siii be required in 1881, an appro- pration of Sl50,000 will be necessary. With this information before us, am at a loss to ae- count forthe gentleman's opposition. The De 1partment, humbiy conceive, should be given the funds required. The Department should have more than is required. Why do think more than is asked should be given? take for granted the Commissioner has formed his esti- mate for those surveys, which he considers are demanded immediately; and in this estimate discover he has said the surveys in Missouri, H. linois, and Arkansas, have heen made 10 an ex- tent equal to the present demand. itis not for me tn attend to the interest of Missouri and H. l lInois: those States have their representatives npon this floor, who can answer for themselves. l But ot my own country profess to have so.I7e 1 Ettle know ledge. hope the Commissioner will pardon me when tell him, the surveys of the 1 public lands in Arkansas haue not teen equal to the present dentand. l hope he will not persist 1 in this opinion when iassure him, that there are 2 many counties containing thousands of inhabi- tants, which l have the honor to represent, 1 in which not one foot of the public lands have ever been surveyed. l trust he will forgive me when tell him, that the surveys of the very land bordering upon the capital of Arkansas, and the most valuable of any We have, are yet ipcom- plee. My constituents conceive that their in- terests in this particular have been grossly neg lected; and for this neglect they have complain- ed, aaj do vet complain, of the Commissioner of our Land-oflicc and our Surveyor General. am far from attributing any sinister motive to the worthy Commissioner do not believe he nisheS, by the mismanagelneut of his office, to retard the growth and settlement of that coun- try. must attribute his report to a wofll ie- ] norance of our wants. must believe he has been too much engaged in his office to learn
 with sufficient accuracy the map Of that distant and neglected country.
 ] By examining the report of the Commissioner
 we discover that smaller quantity of the pub- 1 lic land has been sold in ArkaEsas than i'll any other section of the western country; that, iil- cludHg all of the public sales from I822 to lS30, there has not been S6O,000 paid to the Govern ment. Why has such an insignificant sum been
 received from the sales of the public land ih that country? Tine Commissioner himself ought to be able to answerthe question. itis because
 there has been butlittle good land surveyed and l in market. In what manner, sir, have the sur veys in Arkansas been conducted! You haze given us no Surveyor General to reside among us. He resides in St. Louis, a0G miles from our capital. He knows nothing of the situation off our country; is governed entirelyin letting out
 his contracts by the representations of deputy surveyors. These deputies know their own in- terests. Their engagements to survey are ge- aerally in the prairles and in the poor and bar ren sections of the country. Sir, do not blame them. They could not afford to survey the rich lands of Arkansas, covered with cane, ,and almost i iimpenetrable forest, for three dollars mile.-l 10 provide against this evil, at the last session of Congress, an act was passed authorizing the Surveyor General to allow his deputies for sur veyng the good lands in Arkansas four dollars a mile. When such lands as these are survey ed, lands like these, upon which our settlements are almost entirely confined, you will perceive'I a very great increase in the income to the Go vernment from the sales of the public lands.
 1 At the last session of Congress an act was passed granting, for a limited period, the right 1 ofpre-empton to settlers upon the public lands.
 That act is about expiring, and but few of the Icitizens of Arkansas have ayailed themselves of ] its provisions. And why? because the lands upon which they live have not been surveyed. They petition Congress at this present session to continue the act in force for a longer period of time. And why! because the land upon which they live has moi been surveyed. Aad