The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-01-27

VI 'enui e4ud' so SIKH part OF TIE land
csdod by tho Chiekasaws, October %, 1882 va. re
served from saic In The State Of Mississippi for H.,
ure OF schools IN said State TO be selected under tn.
Direction OF the Secretary ofthe Treasury, and when
so selected, 10 vest in the State and III virtue OF this
ac', Io4 Oo2 acres have been regularly selected and
vested Ia the State. BY the act OF June 49, 1912
passed since tho selection made, the authority 10
make eel ciions in the has been transferred 10
TIC Executive OF Mississippi, who has caused them
To be lpade anew, irrespective OF the selections by
the Treasury DEPARTMENT under the former act
II u very apparent that the effect of this pre-
ceeaing !. TO give TO The State of Mississippi
mole land Than the principle ia the act warrants or
than ,uid have been intended BY and The selec-
ons, therefore, reman Enacted upon by This Office,
except SO far an 10 give Instructions 20 The local land
once not TO recognise them for the present presu-
my that some supplemental legislation will be deemed
necessary, either TO limit the selections und.r the
latter ACT to the balance To make up the orignal
complement, or TO annul aud store to the General
Government tho selections made under the former
one.
The lands from time to time granted 10 Virginia.
under the compact with that State, 10 enable
her TO redeem the pledge made 10 her citizens
who rendered military service in the revolution
airy struggle, have long since been disposed Of,
ana also the scrip subsequently authorized for the
same object Numerous unsatisfed claims Of this
character still remain fife and the parties in,e-
rested frequently make app cation respect ng the
means Of payment and the prospect OF future appro
prati'ns.
The lands granted to the Polish exiles, who, after
The disastrous conflicts 10 Il cir own country, sought
refuge IN The Austrian dominions, and were thence
expelled and landed upon shores in state OF
restitution, have not enured TO them They were To-
Gated by agents appo inted out Of their number
but, owing To some csuarty in making the the
entries, by act of Congress of April Ii, 1912,
cancelled, and the lands otherw lie appropriated blu,
the right, under the original law, was recognised
and Reserved As these individuals have now become
sega ated, and forced by circumstances into various
and remote commu mites, il is hardly presuma-
Bile that they can be Brought together again to
'elt'e down in body as agr.cuhurisis, and thus
consu inmate what seems 10 have been the origi-
nal design | take the liberty, therefore, of sug-
costing that land scrip be issued upon application, TO
each Of them, IN due proportion; so that each ana
oil may avail themselves Of the Intended liberia iy OF
the Government in their own way--an alternative
which would doubtless exonerae the Govern
ment, Wills, it would certainly realize every just ex.
pectation.
The alleged pre-emption frauds in the Columbus
land district IN Mississippi, are undergoing nvestga-
ton, in compliance with the authority Of law given
at the last session OF Congress and by reports lately
received from the agent, il will have been completed
by the first of January next.
The general pre-empion law needs some amend
ment, respecting the declaratory statements re.
quired. At present they are frequently made, and
the lands specified consequently withheld from sale
for year from their date, when, in fact, they are
not settled upon or improved; but in the mean time,
the persons making the decaratory statements, by
contrvance turn them over 10 others, or, after de
spelling them Of their timber, forfeit them. Top pre-
vent this mode Of speculation, and do justice TO the
Government, persons making declaratory statements
upon lands subject to private entry should be required
to prove their right OF preempton within thirty days
from the alleged settlement, leaving the time OF pay
ment as at present is deeply TO be regretted that
those who are receiving such favors from the Gov
eminent should be so much disposed to abuse the in
diligence. Frauds Of this kind, in OF the land dis
trcts not less than two thousai d.
Annexed hereto will be found the annual reports
of the Surveyor General containing detailed state
ments of their operations their respective districts
during the past year. and their calculations for the
next They are documents characteristic OF the line
Of duty ~ which they are engaged and are made TO,
and for the information of this office but deem II
due to the public interest this occasion, to lay
them before you. They show, among other things,
the necessity for the estimates have submitted for
that branch of the service. Aud must here remark
that although these estimates appear much larger
than they were last year. the sum TO be actually ex-
pended the ensuing year Is not larger than IN The
last, (after deducting the special survey for the
Greepsburg district, in Louisiana j apd that this
seeming difference IN the expenditure 10 be made is
owing TO the unexpended balance on hand when the
former estimates were submitted, which is not the
now. The utmost care has been taken to reduce
the estimates in this branch Of the ,er ice 10 the ab
TO state, that unless they granted 10 the extent
desired, will be out Of the power Of this office TO
afford the desired satisfaction in the removal of old
difficulties, and, al the same tine, keep up the regu
lar, progressive lion Of the Office upon its present
scale, TO the general expectation Of the
country.
You will also fnd hereto annexed various tabular
ments prepared in his Office, showing, in n con-
denced FORM the quantity OF land sold, and the re-
cepts thereirom, IN the States and Territories sepa-
-. a - No.
exhibits Of entries made al them, respectively, under
certain heads which will give some idea OF the char
scter and extent Of the duties Incident to those
numerous Offices. OF the amount Of work done
IN this office, (Which has had TO give the first
impulse and keep these sixty-one Offices in proper
motion, holding them To strict accountability IN all
things and " Inch ha, in charge many other COM
plicaled duties,) believe | may speak without any
pprehension OF In addition 10 the bureaus
established in The Office by law, IT has been found
cessary for the despatch Of business TO establish by
ofeisi regulation, several Others; and, besides the
bureau OF private land claims, and the bureau OF sur
yeys, there recognized IN the office one OF pre-
emj tons, OF patents and miscellaneous cores
poudence, and Of revolutionary a Virgin mil
Itary land caims The accountants and book keepers
have another sphere OF action and designated by
the names of the States and Territories assigned
them In all tHese branches Of the Office the public bu
sine has been pushed forward with great zeal and ef
hciency. The accounts have been settled up to the
last cxpir quarter of the present year. inclusive
thing unpre cedented In the office before and
know Of no arrears of work which may be laid the
door Of any ofth the proper subject Of charge
In cases TO be there are suspcn,ions, which
as before stated will always exist Ia sone exent and
N the bur, Of private Ian caims~here the nature
Of ,hs business requires The closest scrutiny and judi
cial invest aton-wheie the claims under British,
Spanish French grams and the treaties respecting
them and the rraiies with the Indian tribes, ADD the
proceedings OF the various boards Of commissioners
,nd the acts of Congress upon the subject, all come
under constellation and where the deciSons Of
the courts must I've increasingly watched, and the
patents must BE- in manuscript drawn 10 al inati1n 10
e. Oh paItic ulat case laior power OF intellect
can, fJr years, bring up the business
There are W, TO bo mentioned Two other bureaus IN
IN. nice,l At Of The recorder and of the solicitor.