The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-11-11
VIM. COLLINS.
Your obedient servant
nj. ST CLAIR CLARKE.
WASHINGTON, November l. Is47.

| WASHINGTON, November l, lSi7.
SIR According your request, have examined, with
Treasury Department. and its various fiscal bureaus &c.
which relates the public domain, acquisition by our
government and the various laws and ministerial func
tons connected with the surveying, sale and management
thereof.
The land system, in all its original blockings out" (he
old feature of credit sales exceped is OF interesting
simplicity and harmony but which, in lapse Of time has
become much mared nutilated and mystiied, by pro
gessve Legislative patccork i'll may be allowed the
preston Such however, having been called forth by the
exgences varying pdy expanding and growing
people, must be regarded having been inevitable Certain
il is that from great variety of causes mutations
tended the system throughout all its progress The
size OF tract OF puchasabe land has varied sundry peri
the minimum prce) have changed from complex system
of credit dme repeatedly prolonged under numerous
supplementary laws, to simple cash payment since June
1920 This change tended vastly improvement but the
old credit SYSTEM when arrested by law in 1920, after
lars, under it, demanded in 1871 a new and still more
complicated machinery, adapted the convenience of the
away before that winding up could be piishea
Meanwhile '.Indan affairs in active progress,
and treaties of territorial acquisition raugh
with matters fruitful of effects the SYSTEM peculiar
kind and the "prvae land claims" of foreign origin
during their difficult and tedious but progressing pro
cesses OF adjustment, have been abundany produc
tive OF pernrbatons to the general SYSTEM ways all
variety peculiar to themselves.
In the lapse of me the annually accrung legislation has
swollen TO cumbrous volumes of land enactments large
number OF them Ito use Aomey fgure) tending
fasten to the simple, easy, and harmonious ma
chnery, and popular Wheel cog or fixture eli.
thero general or local interest until the of tn
system as whole liable to be materially embar
sed clogged, and retarded, from dscernbe only
to careful, intelligent, and elaborate scrutiny.
Yours has been the AIM / perceive to develop the
original groundwork OF the SYSTEM and indicate the de
viatons from, and additions to that original, during il
progress Of nearly half century Your expositons and
suggestions have interested little; and my late as
ISOLATION with the subject enables appreciate the
claim to consideration before the legislative authorities
In reference to the other portions of the work. would
not become me to speak decidedly; but were enabled
from experience its value Il whole, by the
estimate placed the portions with which circumstance
have made me more particularly familiar should deem
that your expostons and suggestions likely prove
OF much practical utilyas interesting the curious
they will prove valuable the business inquirer
furnishing key index (admraby methodized) to al
the extensive fiscal operations of this government in al
their varied relations and multiplicity of Details with lucid
definitions and explanatory notes. rendering easy
prehenson every attentive reader subjects
themselves native attractions and which therefore
but partially and inperecy appehended beyond the pale
of the public Departments.
Your work have been of laborous and intricate
and to be properly appreciated be studied
whole in connexion with your and suggestions
My impression is that as it be scrutinzed it
hardly fail to be regarded desderdfn by all pubfic
nncttonaries and likely elicit attention and discus
sion as to suggested Improvements tending
sistent, harmonious, and simple action of the fiscal ma
chlnery--at least in many of its subordinate relations
JNo. M MOORE
Late Chief Clerk of the General Land Office
To RoBERr MAYO, M. D., Washington City.
We dismiss this article without again calling
the public attention 10 this useful work. which furnishes
the key to the whole financial department of our govern
ment