New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-05

Since the last Annual Report, over six millors
Of acres of lands have been brought into market,
and about seven millions are now prepared tor
sale and will be offered early III the ensuing sea.
SON. Various opinions have been formed and eH.
pressed of the cost Of the Public Lands, and OF
surveying, selling and managing them, IN compa-
rison with the revenue derived from them
That this matter may be correctly understood,
and the value Of those lands as q source of reve-
nue. be properly Appreciated, beg leave to state,
that by careful examination, it is ascertained
that the outire area OF the public domain, eHciu.
3ive Of the lands in Oregon, California New Next
co, tab the Indian, and Nebraska Territories,
was 424, 1903, 80 acres
About oue.fouih of these lands has been sold,
and the purchase money received for it,-,-.,
The pl cost ofhe whole lands,
including the amount paid to
France for Louisiana, TO Spain for
the FioTidas, and amount paid for . 80
extiuguishng tie ludan Title, was 'S6l. III III
a potion only Of these lands has
been surveyed, tie cost OF which,
including salaries of Surveyors
General and Clerks aud expenses
attending the surveys, was. 65bl,6os
Less than hat lie land surveyed has
been sold. AID the whole cost of
selling and managing the same,
inClu Ting every expense not pre-
yiOusly charged, is. .,.......,... 7,4bo.3l4
Aggregate outlay oreyery kind. 7,579
Net profit to The Government .S8o38l, 2I8
Or an average of nearly one million and quarter
ofdollars annually for the last fifty years.
II to this should be added, the value at 81 25
per acre of the land granted in bountes Tor mill
taly services and for internal improvement, DO
nations &c it would amount to nearly double
that sum This will be more fully appreciated
nhenit is understood that the average cost to the
GUvcrpmento of acquiring title to the Public lands
including the eXtinguishment OF the Indian title,
cents per acre
Do ofsurvey ....,,.,...,.,. 20I
Do ofselling and managing 532 "
Total average cosl.........2l 4-5 cents per acre,
while for each acre sold the Government gets
81 25.lOO, or a net profit over and above every
cost and expense, OF 81 03 5-100 per acre.
The whole force Of the Office has been actively
and vigorously employed in discharge Of the oner-
Gus duties growing out of its current business.
The quarterly accounts oil the Receivers of Public
Moneys both as receivers and dsbursing agents,
have all been adjusted to, and including the third
quarter Of the current calendar year The sales,
selections locations, &c. have nearly all been al
iusted posted and entered up to the same period ;
and the issuing Of the Patenta for Sales private
grants. donations, and Military Bounty lands, has
been pressed forward rapidly as the means
placed at cur disposal for that purpose would per
nit Numerous suspensions of land entries IN
nearly all the divisions OF the office, some OF which
for wears have produced much difficulty aud cor
respondence have been taken up and disposed OF
and the current duties have been discharged with
commendable diligence.
There has been a material increase in the gene
claims to lands for military services
This increase arises not only from an eXamna
ton of the warrants and assignments and the car
rying of the locations by EngrossiDg Clerks into
patents, but from the additional duties connected
with those claims, which are devolved upon the
accountants ana bookkeepers of the several divis-
ions of the office in charge of the sales OF public
lands. In those divisions all Military Bounty and
locations are compared with the Tract Books of
Sales in order to determine whether they are cor
rect in designation and free from interference al.
ter which there is 4 permanent registry made in
those books such locations, in order show the
manner in which the located tracts have been dis.
posed Of and to arrest hereafter further disposal
of them, and thus prevent conflict of title.
During the past year 1915 Mexican Bounty
Land Claims have been examined and carried
into patents, the whole Of which have been for
warded direct to the parties entitled and several
thousand more are nearly ready for trans mission.
The whole number OF Mexican warrants issued
and transmitted to this office is rs, $50, of which
J29G9 have been located covering $40 200 acres.
The act granting Mexican Bounty Land claims
! was construed to authorize their assignment
which opened door for the commission OF exten.
sive frauds, well upon the soldier and his heirs
as the Government. Numerous discharges have
! been forged and warrants obtained thereon and
assigned and passed into the hands of bona Gde
/ purchasers by individuals personating the soldier
Persons assuming to act as agents in procuring
! bounty lands have, IN many cases, imposed upon
the soldiers by obtaining sgaments of their war
rants, duly acknowledged before a magistrate or
notary having blanks for the number, date of war
j rant and cate o assignment and acknowledgment
! These blanks were filled up after the issue of the
/ warrants, SO that the assignments appear on their
faces to be tar and regular. and executed after
! such issue. w arrants thus assigned are passed
into the hands otnnocont purchasers, and in such
cases the soldiers generally derauded of his land
asl Is difficult, not impossible for him to ain
I or controyert the assignment.
| Transfers are frequently made under and in vir
tue OF blank powers OF attorney surreptitiouslv
obtained from the soldier before the adjudication
OF his claim and hlled up afterward. There are
also numerous cases where the soldier has lost his
warrant or 1t has been stolen, and afterward put
III circulation by simulated assignment
Some estimate may be formed Of the extent of
! these frauds, from the fact that about three humid
| red w orrants have been Cancelled on the ground
OF having been obtained on false or forged papers
and about two hundred and seventy FIVE have been
suspended upon allegations OF the same character,
| made by counter claimants. Fourteen hundred
caveats have been fled in this Office by indiyidu-
ais contestlng the issue OF patents to the assign
ees, cniehy on the ground that the assignments
are ialse and counterfeit in fact executed prior
10 the issue OF the Warrants and the dates sub
Sequenly inserted.
The decision OF these suspended and cavcsted
cases, imposes much labor and patient investiga.
ton upon this office. In cases where there is
great conflict Of evidence the parties are referred
to the Judicial tribunals to decide the controversy
! by Bill IN Chancery or otherwise
1t would have been far better if these warrants
| had NOT been made sssiguabe, and that the patent
should in ali cases have issued to the soldier dead
or living and Injured TO the benefit of his heirs or
nssisnees The Court of Justice would be open
to all persons claiming by, through. or under the
soldiers TO assert their titles, where they could
yesuGaton of all the facts
Much embarrassmeuthas also been experienced
IN closing the grants made the States for Inter
nal Improvements by the Act of 4th September
1871, aud by other similar grants made to particu-
lar States by Special Acts Of Congress The fol-
lowing table exhibits the present condition Of the