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

In the State Of Ohio ali the public lands have been
brought into market with the exception Of the Wy
sndot In the northwestern part OF the State,
containing l04 81 rcres some small Islands IN the
Maumee, Miami, and sciota rivers and a lew de-
tached tracts containing altogether only few hun
dred BY treaty, concluded l1th March, 1872,
the Wyandots ceded that TO the United States
with this stipulation among Others that they should
be paid the full value of their improvements; and
the act OF Congress of Sd March, 1913, directs That
the amount paid shall be included IN the price OF The
| lands, when sold by the general government. These
lands would have been SO Disposed of, and for that
purpose we're actually proclaimed for sale, III com
panoe with the wishes Of the citizens of that portion
of the State but the valuation, required by treaty
not having been delinitvely arranged aud communi-
Gated TO this office, the intended sale necessarily
postponed. 1t is not known TO this office that there
exists any other obstacle TO this sale, which, is ex
pected, will take place whenever II is removed, with
out any further delay In this land district there
exists conflict with the State authority which seems
to require legislative nterposilion and 10 which the
citizens of Perrysbug and Croghansville are partc-
uarly and deeply interested By act of Congress OF
18th February 1923, tract of land granted TO
the State for the location OF road from the lower
| rapids of the Miami of lake Erie, TO the western
boundary OF the Connecticut western reserve, l2O
feet in Width, and additional quantity of mile
on each side thereof, for the construction of il and
in that portion Of the land within said lateral
lines, so granted, should have been previously sold
the proceeds OF the sale to be paid for the
same object. II SO happened that of the lands
within these limits had been previously sold under the
credit system which had obtained up to 1920; and the
payments, required by law not being made, they be-
came subsequently forfeited and thereupon the State
took possession Of and sold them and executed deeds
TO the purchasers This Office has decided that these
lands reverted to the United States and that the State
OF Ohio had no right TO and dispose Of them
and in this they have been fully sustained by the de-
csion of the supreme court Of that State. As, how
ever this matter is Of long standing and in the
mean time the purchasers from the State have made
valuable improvements upon the premises, and to sell
them would be attended with an immense sacrifice to
individuals, the sale has been postponed until
action can be had, which Will do Justice 10 all the
parties interested. The purchasers have recently ad
dressed communications TO this office, very naturally
manilesting the lveliest soIictude in the and
the legislature Of OHIO, duly approaching The difficult
ty has called to their aid her representatives in Con-
gress, by the adoption of utons Of instruction
Ii is very desirable to this Office that it should be
brought to close, as it peculiarly Of nature to
increase In inricacy and yexaton
In the State of Indiana in Ohio, the only
siderable body OF land remaining to be brought into
market is in an Indian reserve. The Manies of the
Wabash entirely disposed of this the gene
raj government by treaty of 25th November, 1910,
reservng to themselves five years from that time
remove; and consequently, by this restriction it
not he kept much longer out OF the market 1t con-
aed, and should be attached some land district at
once, that steps may be taken by This Office, in due
season, to place It the possession of those who will
cultivate and improve it. The Wabash and Erie
canal passes through the northern portion Of ia
work, will be recollected which has been sustained
alike, and now nearly consumnated by the liberality
OF the general government and the enterprise of that
stale. mere remains, however, a considerable ba-
lance claimed of the former, under the stipulatons
between them. BY the act Of Congress of ID March,
a. 49,.
derived by the general government, the half Of five
sections is granted to tue State on each side OF the
canal from one end thereof TO the other to be taken
10 alternate sections. 1t that when this grant
was set aparl, the allowance made was from point To
point, on straight line between The extremes with
out calculating for the sinuoses Of the canal which
would make II about 100 900 acres more. This of
hce has been written 10 the subject by the officer
OF that State having charge of the work, and who
has been advised that nothing be done with
out further legislation.
10 Illinois, all the public lands have been brought
into Market except some suspended tracts chiefly in
the Quincy and Dixon land Districts some small
Islands IN the same not yet surveyed and the lands
IN The mineral region-the latter amounting to 242,.
400 acres. The mineral lands so far as they have
been reserved by the War Department are of course
under It's control and supervision; but there is a
branch Of the subject entitled to very earnest consd
GRAFTON, which has claims upon the Treasury Depart
ment also. Mineral lands have, in some instances
been sold, which were not reserved or known Is such
TO Tins Office at the Time, and the purchase money
paid IN and upon this office being advised that their
mineral properties discovered previous to the
sale, the law imposed the duty of suspendng the pa
tents. numerous patents Of this character are now
and Tor years nave been lying in othce-an incum-
brance which 1t has not the power in any manner to
get rid Of The law prohibits the issue of the patent
and the purchaser refuses TO take back his money
and the land cannot be re-otiered for sale because it
minerals and thus is that this office can make no
progress IN any direction, and 1t III continue 10
be until some mode Is adopted for settling the rights
OF the parties. In the mean time, the purchasers
are IN many cases, occupying the premises, and
laustng their mineral resources, doubtless much TO
the annoyance and injury of those who were lessees
under the General Government, and, in the same
proportion diminishing the value of the tracts which
are leased.
In Michigan, provision has been made BY law to
prevent the recurrence Of this evil by authorizing
the prosecution OF geological survey, thus devel-
oplng the mineral resources of the country as the
Desl surveys progress. In pursuance Of the act of
Congress on the subject, contract has been entered
l into with Douglass Houghton Esq, the State geolo
gist of Michigan, TO make survey, in this manner
Of about eighty townships Of the public lands south
Of Lake SUPERIOR region where, 1t is believed
lead and copper may be found and according TO
the reputation of II, both in abundance Time has
not yet sufficiently elapsed for this Office TO receive
any returns from this experiment. Great confidence
Is entertained that IL will be attended with success
but as the time and expense II takes greatly be-
yond those Requirements IN the ordinary linesl SUR
vey. it can only be recommended where the indica-
tous afford certain promise that mineral will be
found. regret 10 communicate hat the error, and
frauds in the surveys in this State which occurred in
1887 and 1888, in townships north and west of Saga
NAV bay have not yet been fully corrected An Inc
means at the disposal of his Office have been 40
piled TO that object and It is believed there has been
every practicable prompttude compatible with the
discharge of other duties in that quarter Il must
have been as much source Of vexaton here az TO
the citizens there, that these trouble. should have IN
terrupted their onward course; but they are not
such as can al ali lines be guarded ar,insi heinz