The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-23
FoR THE MADIsosIAN
THE LAND sYsrEM.--No. Q.


SURVEYING BUREAU AND SURVEYS.
II must be acknowledged by all acquainted with the
details of the land system that Mr.. Commissioner
Brown in his report submitted Congress early in 1886
upon the necessity of reorganization ofthe General
Land Office printed Senate Doc.l2l LIST session
Gath Congress- did not exaggerate the Importance Of
the subject when be said that 'the surveys the
base of the land system and should be directed by the
most efficient supervision" and that there was wanted
upon that branch of tho business, IAN officer posses
sing the peculiar talent and requirement expected in
a Surveyor General" and one qualified for the per-
Torrance of "labors that will demand discriminating
Judgment devoted and almost exclusive attention and
great industry"
1t was then observed that correct statement could
be made Of the in that branch of the business
that when Mr.. Gallatin was, as Secretary Of the
Treasury the immediate head of the system (and long
anterior to the establishment of the Land Office, he
directed the practice of constructing district maps
Suitable SCALE from the official returns Of survey
from which district maps state maps could be readily
formed when required" and that such practice was
continued up to 1929 when it was ''unavoidably dis
continued not without regret" for the want Of aid
and that "ln the fall of 1888 it acert lied that
six hundred township surveys then remained to be
protracted in the connected maps of the Land Dis
tcts The returns since received added to those due,
and which may shortly be rendered, will more than
double that number"
BY the act Of july 1886, the required assistance
was granted, and shall as briefly as possible inquire
how far the just expectations Of the public have been
realized by this reorganization and the business at
tended to as then proposed and thought necessary.
By the statement quoted il that as far back as
February, 1886, there were. least 200 Township
maps then in the Office not reduced and plated upon
the district maps. ! have means of ascertaining
the precise number since returned but judging from
the quantity of new lands brought into market, and
the amount since appropriated for surveys, it will not
be too much to estimate the annual receipts 400 maps
1000 during the last five years. Thus unless this
branch of the business has been attended to- there
must now be at least 1900 township maps on file,
which have not been entered upon the connected dis
trict maps These maps, it has been SEEN so inn
portan that at very early period Mr. Gaatin direct
ed their preparation, and they afterwards found
80 useful to the Office that they only unavoida
bly, discontinued and "not ,ritout regret" for the
want Of aid in 1929
practice is that if individual either out Of the
Department should wish to examine and ascertain the
natural features of the country as revealed by the
public surveys, the exact relation Of different por
tons of the district to each other provided the
surveys made prior to 1922 hc could Immediately
and at single glance of the eye, by inspection Of
the District map obtain the information desired and
have before him the representation the most minute
divisions ofthe surveys; but if unfortunately the
veys are of a subsequent date, then, he must either
have recourse to the detached orgna township maps,
orto mere rough diagrams constructed upon scale
small that he cover whole Township with the
end of one finger.
One of the objects for which the increased force was
desired was to bring up and continue this desirable
work-the force given, and, therefore, it is per-
fecty proper to inquire if any part Of this work has
been performed-and if So how much, and what are
the arrears2 An answer can only be given by those
who have the means Of doing at their command
Perhaps it may be said that the place Of principal
draughtsman has never been filed, because the pccu-
liar qualifications required for such position
ly to be found and less likely to be secured for the
compensation allowed This may be all true, for
portion of the time but then the question may be ask
ed whether has not been in the power of the Depart
ment to command the peculiar talents requred2 and
whether the Of the Department, for not avail
ing itself Of the opportunity thus presented have not
been based fully as much upon considerations with
which the UNREASONABLE professional abilities Of the
individual referred to have connection whatever
and the necessities of the oflicel
Another important duty which was to be performed
by the surveying bureau upon the granting of the
qured assistance, was to continue the book of guam
titles, Con the plan long since commenced, but un-
avoidably abandoned by indicating the amount o.
public land and private land claims in each township
in order that accurate statements may at all times be
rendered official calls, to the quantities of land
surveyed in the respective districts" The importanc,
of this book must be apparent when we consider tina
many of the townships contain not only public lands
but confirmed and unconfirmed private claims, ndar
reservations ans grants and reservations made for
rious other purposes and that unless these severa
items separated from each other and enter
ed into the books the plats come in it will Away
be impossible to give important information upon man
matters of inquiry whenever necessary. Ii an in
qury should be made whether this branch Of the bus
HeSo h"s We'll nePe WAT thc uooks nov
show all the information afforded Ly the plats received
it is apprchended that the reply could be in tn
affirmative.
As akin to this branch of the business OF the burea,
much stress was laid in the report of 1896 u,on III
fact that many of the township plats had been take
out Of the books in which they had been previousl
filed, and bound up in other books. The arrang,
ment of the pats into books not only greatly facilitate
reference, but tended to preserve them during the
constant use and had that plan been uniformly pu
sued up to the present time the delays of bushes
sometimes incident TO the mispacing of loose plas