The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-12-30

part Of the Jackson land di.tie, in Missouri, and
Was offered for sale in June 1885, under the p oclA-
nation Of the President Of the March pieeeusooeei
md portions of il were sold ia 1885, 1886, aud 100 =
la November 1887 this office advised, Tor ,ho
first time, that the Stale OF Kentucky ciai'heo '''
island being within her jurisdicuoni ana ,n"s ="
the Bib OF the month"; pnder special ACT oil no,
legislature, passed in the winter OF 1850 y she nAu
actually sold IT, As the question OF jurisdiction De-
tween The States, and of properly between ,is o's'
OF Kentucky and the Genera Government, depehooo
upon The locality OF the main channel OF the h'ef al
that place, instructions were given 10 the survey
general TO have the proper examinations made 70 as
certain this fact, and also proper inquiry wns a
the channel had undergone any change since i'oo'-
The report of that officer has been received accom-"
panied by map and sundry statements 10 rus'ai"
from which II appears that the channel oil the h'e, 10
the side Of the island, and OF course 'ha'
the latter is not within the jurisdiction OF heptuohy
As is desirable however 10 avoid % much as posi-
BILE all OF irritation have thought u oe'' .na'
the sales should continue suspended until Inc question
could be settled in some mode, ~ be determined on ny
the parties interested.
In Arkansas, one-fourth of the territory has mol
been offered for sale In addition IL what mas ueen
the present year. 1856 600 more would nave oeen
proclaimed for sale if the plats, which only reacheu
this office the last month, had been received III ,ie'
About ll3 600 acres Of other lands 10 the nor'hs'h
border of the State, and south of White rWef' arc
embraced by the mineral region, and awan tue hna'
action of Congress; and the balance consists o DO
dies of land in the north, between Whiie anu ar
kansas rivers on the St. Francis, in The northeast
on the Ouacha and Saline rivers IN The SCUM anu
10 the district of country contiguous TO the "es'sih
boundary of The State OF the lands SET apart LOT
The satisfaction Of Spanish claims there remain nnio
Gated about As 600 acres and the time has elapsed
for the presentation of them by innocent purchasers
by law provided there does not seem to be any ne
cessiiy for the continuance of The reservation mere
is also the Hot Springs reservation OF o6o acres
" thin the limits of which attempts have been MADE
by various persons TO acquire an Interests but whose
claims have been, In all cases rejected by inns ONCE
These springs it is presumed reserved upon me
supposilion of their peculiar value and as, IRON the
lapse of lime this have been fully tested, me
final disposition Of them might now be made win
safety the public interest and If restored to the
mass of public lands, the question would arise, whe-
Their they should be disposed of IN like manner, or by
special sale
In Louisiana, although there has been as much
money expended in surveys as in any other OF me
States containing the PUBLIC domain, nearly lhlrd
of the territory is still out Of the market The pup
lie lands situate in the Opeousas ana southeastern
districts, along he gull coast and Sabine river ;
and east Of the Mississippi south OF lakes borghe,
Ponchortrain, and Maurepa5. Ii will be recolleced
that in this State there numerous and extensive
private land claims which from time to time nave
nterposed to keep back the regular action oil ths
Office, and occasionally caused it great embarrass
ment In such struggle for individual rights, Pur
porting to be on grants which had passed IRON gov
eminent government, and through successive gene
ratons an uncertainty sometimes obtains which oil
itself has the effect 10 uDhnge any settled plan oil ope-
ratons. TO this may well be added, that IN one en-
tire aud district frauds IN the public surveys we're
detected OF such magnitude as to require thorough
resurvey. This (the Greensburg dstricD will, IT IS
hoped, soon be in condition to be opened again TO
MIR lie hein af 4
fort is making with the meas specially appropriated
at the last session Of Congress to place il upon that
footing Applications for repayment IN this district
as authorized and directed by the act OF 18th Au-
gust, 1912 account of the difficulties alluded TO-
Gall Of which Of many years standng,) have
been made this office 10 the amount of sl1l 49,
and reports submitted to you in every case; lew
suspended defective excepted, Of which the par
lies have been advised. In many OF them, the EVIL
dence was volunnous and complex-ihe paite
claiming under Judicial sales, transfers, and other
proceedings peculiar to the laws OF LOUISIANA !;
and the adjustment, therefore, has been attended
with great labor and difficulty at this office, and
of itself, has given rise 10 extensive correspon-
dence
In Mississippi, there some lands in the Gren-
ada and Columbus districts, and also south of the
thirty first degree Of la tlde, (n all about 90 town
ships,) where the sales now suspended-the for
mer await the decision Of the board Of commission
OF private land claims and these are the only lands
which have not been broue into the market in that
State And in Alabama there are about three town.
ships lying south Of the thirty first degree Of latitude,
also suspended for the location of private land claims,
which make the entire balance of public land within
her jurisdiction which has not been brought into
ket
In making this reference to the States having por-
tons of the public domain within their borders il
will be perceived that II is intended 10 give a general
idea OF their present condition in that respect dem
onstrating that the policy alluded TO has been OBJ
served. II will not be inferred that the public sales
which must have frequently taken place to have
brought such immense masses Of public land into the
market, succeeded each other in consequence Of the
lands beng sold which had been previously offered.
On the contrary large quantities of public landlwere
al each time still IN the Market and up 10 this day
continue to be in all the States mentioned. And |
may add that, apart from other considerations the
present established policy Of the Government, in sell
ling the public lands by pre-empon, to require
that they should be brought into market progressively
with the settlements; for, unless this is pursued
conflicts IN title, combinations among bad men, and
complaints among ALL the inevitable conse-
quence.
In the Territories Of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Flor.
ida, every necessary attention has been paid with
the means furnished, to provide in season for the
swelling tide OF emigration Extensive sales were
held in Wisconsin in October last and are now I'D.
,ersed in Iowa. TO take place there in January and
February next This office has received continued
representations from lis officers in Wisconsin, in
commentator Of the soil and general advantages of
that country and that extensive tract situate in
Iowa south Of the Neutral Ground and stretching
westwsrdy to the Indian boundary is represented TO
be very fertile, and TO be settling with 'unprecedent
ed rspidty" The latter will be put under survey at
the earliest day after appropriation is had and il
IS believed that, m order to meet the public demand
the surveys should be kept up with as little ntermis-
sion possible in both Territories. During the sur
yeys Of the last season. valuable discovery Of cop
per made in Wisconsin, between the Kici-
spoo and Mississippi rivers.
In Florida, the sales have been very crcumscribed,
as 1t was thought probable her citizens had not
sufficiently recovered from their Indian troubles TO
be prepared for them, end II might have had the
effect Of throwing her choice lanis into the bands If