Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-20
II E r NJ s
a EXTRACTS
From the Report of the Board OF
Public Works.
Office of the Board of Public Works, !
Ottumwa, December Q. 1850.

lands belonging to the Des Moines River
Grant, commencing on the 1lih day Of
October, 1S47, when the Land Office
was first opened in Fairfield, for receip:
of proof Of pre- emp,ions, TO the 2sih
day Of November, 1850, inclusive, as
shown by the accompanying statement
of the Secretary of the Board is $2l L.
500 s58-l00. The total amount of land
sold, as exhibited by same statement, is
l69,l53, 27-100 acres, of this portion Of
the grant, there yet remains unsold l52,-
7I5 6-l00 acres, which, at 81 % per
acre, amounts TO Sl90,S93 So. That
portion of the grant lying north OF the
Raccoon Forks, and extending from
thence to the source of the river, is esii-
mated 10 contain at least 100000 acres,
which, added TO that portion lying south,
makes l,052,7l5 6-I00 acres; estima.
ting these lands at the minimum now fix
ed by law, they amount TO Sl,3l5,S93 80.
Here follows an examination of the
different decisions made by officers of
the General Government, which decis-
ions having heretofore been fully discus.
sed, by the various newspapers in the
State, we deem j, unnecessary to fill up
our paper with.-EDs. COURIER.
.'rhc receipts in the Land Office, for
the months Of March and April, il will
be seen, fell more than one half short of
; that Of any similar period since it was
opened for The sale Of these lands. This
was owing in part TO the fact that Militia.
~ Land Warrants could be obtained SO
ms to locate United States lands a, cost
of from rs cents 10 one dollar per acre
, but may be attributed mainly to the im-
nensc and extraordinary emigration
from the portion of the State where
these lands are located, to California
The average receipts Of the Land Office
for six months, commencing with April
and ending with September, was 49,
S3S 81. TO have prosecuted the work
actually under contract and in course of
construction during these months, would
have required at least $4,000 dollars
per month. The receipts from land a
boye the Forks, first from pre-emption
sale. as far up as the surveys might be
completed. was confidently looked to TO
supply the deficiency which was accru-
ing between the regular receipts in the
Treasury, and the largely augmeniing es-
Inmates on the works. The survey had
been made from sixty TO eighty miles a.
hove Fort Des Mones, and settlements
h,I laI b,,r
With this source of funds in view, in
addition to the receipts from the lands
which had already been offered, the
Board felt, during the past winter and
early portion Of the spring, every conf
dence of being able to prosecute the
! work under contract nearly, if not quite,
10 completion during the pas, season."
"An appeal was immediately made by
our entire delegation in Congress, under
date of April 10th, last to the President
!. of the United States, against The decis-
ion of the Secretary of the Interior of
the 9Th of that month. The President,
with prompiness that evinced every
disposition to 60 justice TO the State in
the premises, Immediately referred the
whole malterto the then Attorney Gener-
al Of the United States, Hon. Reverdy
Johnson, who under date of the 10Th Of
July last, gave an opinion in which he
fully and iriumphanily sustained the de.
cision made by the Hon. r. ]. Walker,
Secretary Of the Treasury, of the 2d of
March, lS49-and also the construction
under which the authorities of this State
4. tt, Il
prosecution of the improvement. Il yet
remains for the Executive TO carry out
this opinion, and 10 restore to the State
these lands which it is SO clearly shown
belong to her, and of which she was de-
prived at time in the prosecution ofthe
public works, SO disastrous and unfortu-
nate TO her best interests.
Since the lamenied death of the late
President. several changes have occurred
in the head of the Department of the In
terror, which it IL fair to presume has
operated against the further and favora-
ble actionon this subject. It's reason
able 10 expect that, ere long, the State
will be put in possession of these lands,
and that the full benefits of the entire
grant will, another year, be realized; as
fast as they can be made available by
sale, or otherwise, in the vigorous pros
ecution Of the great improvement for
which il was donated"
- m 49, g.
.The decision of the Secretary of the
Interior, of April the 9th, together with
the unexpected diminution in the receipts
from the sale Of such lands as were sub
ject to private entry, made apparent the
impossibility of paying the large esti-
mates as they became due. In view OF
this fact, it was deemed expedient and
proper to suspend for the season, or un-
ill after the meeting OF another session Of
the General Assembly. that portion Of
the work from st. Francisville to the
mouth of the river-beipg the ten miles
of steamboat canal including the locks.
&C., connected with it. Previous to this
determination being arrived at, the En-
gineer had taken the estimates upon the