The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-09
OF this quantity there have been
sold, up to 3Oth September last, 1897 ,5SS 81 d.
Leaving unsold at that date. 49,. 299, ,3l7.4t d,

been dsposed OF 10y the land othcers IN the cesson
80 ,0O5. 6S acres of Orphan reservations" under
| the Sh article of the treaty of 1884
Tie whole of this cession has been brought into
market, with the exception Of one section reserved
| for the Of the local offices.
! The unsod lands, under the operation of the gra
duation system, have reached the minimum price
fixed by the treaty, Of ~ cents per acre, except
few tracts which are now subject TO entry at 81
| cents per acre.
| There have been issued
For public lands in this cession %, 43O patents.
| for rcserVauohS' '''.'''.''' 2'Zoo = FL.
Total. .................... .29.b5O
All Of which have been duly recorded in this Office,
and the accounts ofthc receiver have been adjusted
| up to 3Oth Septemer 1850
| II may afford some idea Of the amount of labor
which has been required and perforated III cotiduc,-
ing thus far the laid operations in the Chckasaw
Cesslon, by reporting the fact that the records in
this office, in conncxion with this particular busi-
| ness, comprise ninety three folio volumes.
In the annual report OF 1919 from this office, in
consideration of the gradual winding up Of the
Chlckasaw operations, the dmnufion OF sales and
the comparative small amount of business now
qured to be transacted in the cessiou, suggested
and recommended Legislation with view to corre-
spending reduction in the expenses. To that re-
port in the present matter beg leave to make spe
cel reference, and 10 reiterate my recommends
ton in tile prerfiisea unless indeed should be the
pleasure OF Congress TO pay the Indians for the resi-
due OF their lands at the minimum price of III
cents per acre, investing the amount in United
States stocks, and deVoting the interest TO the en-
dowment OF schools III the Chckasaw nation. The
lands thus purchased could be attached the next
adjacent United States land district.
The pre- emption business has been progressing
in very satisfactory manner. Nearly all the
claims under the acts prior TO 1871 have been finally
disposed OF, many OF which were very important,
from the value of the property at issue and the com
plexity of questions involved.
The act of ith September, 1871 prospective in its
| character, has been beneficial in its operation
curing, as does to every settler who desires it, the
right TO enter without competition the land im-
proved and settled on, and generally enabling him.
by ordinary industry TO realize from the soil sutf
cient means TO pay for the same, before he is re-
qurcd TO DO 80 by law. The operations under this
act have been reduced, far practicable, to a
system, and proceed with harmony and efficiency.
In fact, the only modification that could, in my
opinion, he made of it, with advantage to the pub
iic Is to require Settlers In addition 10 the present
notice OF settlement, pre- liminary step TO make
oath of their intention enter and prove that they
have, in good faith, made the settlement and i'm
provement contemplated by law. This provision,
1t is believed would remedy any existing abuses
and afford every requisite facility to bona fide set
tlers
The bounty land and scrip business under the
of the Revolution, and that of 1912, is being
wound up as rapidly as possible, pursuant TO the
Legislation of Congress.
Many vexed questions still arise under this branch
and new cases daily presented for the action of
the office.
Under the act passed by Congress on the 2Sh
September, 1889, ''to enable the State OF Arkansas
and other States TO reclaim the swamp lands within
their limits,' IT was decided, with your approba
tion 10 charge the surveyors general OF the several
States in which their Offices existed, in the first
place, with making out lists of the lands granted to
those States by that law, and, where those offices
were abolished, To devolve that duty on the land
officers OF the respective districts.
ullnstructions have been made out, and trans
mittcd for this purpose, and by those instructions
the act Con gress will be carried outthe right TO
all the swamp and oyerhowed lands, unfit for cult.
vation secured to the States, and the interests Of
| the Government protected.
The State of Louisiana having made the noces
sary arrangements 20 defray the expense of select
ing the swamp lands therein, under the act Of 81
March, lS49, the necessary instructions Tor that
purpose were issued; and, at the instance OF the
delegation from that State, special agent
dcred there to arrange and determine the princi-
Piles on which that grant should be adjusted, who
discharged the duty entrusted 10 him, and made
his report, which was laid before Congress. In
accordance with the instructions thus issued, and
the principles established, the Stale proceeded 10
make the selections, and has made considerable
progress therein.
The law recently passed embraces Louisiana,
and increases the grant made by the act of ls49
Instructions have also been prepared for all the
district land officers, under the act of 2sth septeIn
bcr 1850, granting bounty land TO certain officers
and soldiers who have been engaged Ia the military
service OF the United States"
la order that the liberal views Of Congress, in
passing this law, should be fully carried out, and
All possible expense saved inc DfdFt
citizens. Tor whose benefit il enacted in locat-
ing. their lands and at the same time 10 protect
the Improvements of the hardy and industrious pi-
Onccr settlers, IL has been determined, with your
approval, 10 waive the affidavit heretofore required
that there is improvement on the land proposed
O. be located, but TO publish notices for all setuers
upon The public lands 20 come forward and notify
the land officers Of their Improvements; and TO re-
quire that the warrants shall remain forty days in
the local Offices after they have been located. This
will give the settlers full time 70 Sic notices Of their
settlements and improvements, as now required by
law. During the time n warrant IL thus retained
n the hands Of tho land officers, II II IL found hatit
hhs been located upon the improvement Of settler
that location will be anuullcd, and a new one made
lur the warrantcc. Arrangements have also been
made for locating all warrants that may be sent 70
THE Office iYr that purpose.
The instructions for the surveyor general Of Ore
gou required n combination Of the geodetic with
the rectangular system, as explained in tho pre-
coding part of this report and a. required by the
act OF 21th September 1850, establishing the Office
Of surveyor general Of that territory.
The geological surveys OF the northern parts Of
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, authorized by the
acts oi 4 aud 81 March. lSI7, have been brought
to close and IL il expected that the final reports
uf The geoogists Will be received la time 10 bc laid
before Congress at an early period of the session.
II not TO accompany this report. From the scicnti
c character Of those gentlemen, the care taken by
them in the execution Of their work. and from the
synopsis presented, am satisfied that their reports
on those interesting regions will be among the
most valuable WORKS OF inc klhu ever Tft-tntcds
aud materially advance the cause Of science ia
thcse particulars.
Immediately after the passage Of the act Of 20th
Soptembcr last, granting the right of way, and
making grant of land 10 the States of Illinois,
Mississippi, and Alabama, in aid Of the Consiruc.
| ton OF a railroad from Chicago ~ Mobile" in.
sent TO the land officers Of the dis.
trics through which that road will pass, directing
them CD from sale or entry oi any kind and
all thc ands within suitable dlstanceOn each side Of
that road, until the grant is adjusted.
! This measure wac adopted 10 prevent the lands
along the route from being located by spectators,
thus securing 10 the States the bepefits cOntCm-
plated by the law and preserving for future dis
pOsal By the Government the lands in the alternate
sections along the road, the minimum price OF
which doubled by that law.
| Under the act OF 26th September, 1850, "to re-
duco the minimum price OF the mineral lands IN
/ tae Lake Superior district, in Michigan, and in
the Chippewa district, in Wisconsin" the whole OF
the mineral land, in thOso districts which have
| been surveyed, will be brought into market az
early az practicable next season, at the reduced
minimum, arrangements having been made for
that purpose. Earlier action could not be had, Tor
the reason that the notice Of the sale requisite
der the law before the lands be offered, If given
this fall, would have brought the sales into the
middle Of the winter, when bidders would have
Il b~eu Drcvented from Attending in CoDscouence Al