The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-04

AOlll1Nbl lOlNs w IDltLOI
sought to make the necessary arrangements insure its
prompt and efficient execution Forms have been pre-
pared with ample instructions, TO guide applicants IN pre-
sen,ing their CLAIMS and assurances given that every
proper facility will be afforded for the establishment of
just demands under the law
Plates have been ordered to be engraved for printing
the warrants and every Precauuon has been adopted o
guard against fraud and forgery These plates VIII
be completed, and there need then be no delay IN
commencing the issue OF warrants regret 10 say. how
ever that the law contains provision for the employ
ment and compensation of the clerical force necessary
for Its own execution.
Under the terms OF the law, as have been constrained
to consirue them, the warrants not asslgnabe The
holders OF them cannot therefore, make them available
until they have been located and patented will
necessarily require considerable time and il is there.
lore peculiarly proper IN order 10 insure the enjoyment of
the bounty by those tor whom il intended that no
unnecessary delay should be encountered To avoid this
evil, the Commissioner recommends that provision be
made for the employment OF two efficient clerks, with
salary OF 700 each competent TO investigate the claims
of applicants. This recommendation Except 10 regard
10 the amount oil salary, which is unnecessarily large)
meets my cordial approval, and the only doubt have is
whether two will be sufficient To guard against all con-
tingencies would respectfully urge the propriey OF
authorizing this department. in the event that two clerks
should prove insufficient 10 keep pace with the business,
to employ one or more in addition, and such temporary
assistants as may be required from time to time Unless
the department has The of adjudcang the claims
fast as they presented and Of ssung the warrants
when they allowed dissatisfaction and suspicious Of
IayOHtSm Will ineVltaDly arse.
Should Congress concur in these views Of the subject,
shall esteem less privilege than duty to see that
their beneicent policy IS carried out with all practicable
despatch and economy
PUBLIC LANDS.
The report OF the Commissioner OF the General Land
Office exhibits some very interesting facts. The sur
veys OF the public lands have been pressed forward with
commendable activity, and, having been completed IN
several States the archives connected with them have
been delivered to the State authorities required by
law:
Acres
The sales of public lands in the year
ls49 amount to 1899, ,so2 II
Area located in that year, in satisfaction
of Mexican war bounty land warrants 3.4055 $40 90
State selections under the act OF 4th
September l541 25e,so6 90
Improvements oil rivers, sc. i35246 81
Choctaw certificates 33935 80
Total acres thus disposed Of 5,ls4.4lo 81
During the three quarters Of 1850 there
have been sold ss9,os2 80
Located BY Mexican bounty land war
rants during the LIST and I'd, and part
OF the 81 quarters l52O,l20 90
State selections uuder the act of 1s4l 379s05 5s
Choc,aw certificates 46 800 50
Aggregate thus disposed OF in the ls
3D. and part Of third quarters OF 1850 2Sl5,36s AZ
II il, shown by The Commissioners report that the pub
lie lands have been rich OF revenue to the gov
ernmen averaging about and quarter millions OF
dollars per annum tor the last fifty years, over and above
business of the land Office is actively progressing The
accounts of all the receivers OF public moneys have been
adjusted TO the 30h September last speedy consuin-
nation anticipated Of State selections under the grant
OF the 4h September, ls4l and Tor various internal i'm
provements under other laws. Measures have been
swamp lands to Certain States Of the Union BY The ac,
OF Congress oi the 2sth September, 1850.
The Commissioner recommends an extension OF the act
OF 81 August 1885, order 10 remove suspensions which
arise and accumulate in the administration of that office
under general laws. He also suggests slight modhca.
ton of the preempon provisions OF the act OF 4th Sep
ember lS4l and the delegation OF authority to the Gen.
era Land Office 10 sell abandoned military sites. such
tracts as had been appropriated 10 public uses and after
wards relinquished
latiop, will be productive OF beneficial results.
Amongst the first and most prominent subjects claiming
the attention OF Congress the necessity OF making pro-
vision BY law for speedy and complete extension oil the
land machinery possessions on the Pacific. At
present there is mode by which good title be
obtained to any part oil the public domain in thai great
extent OF territory
Nohng contributes more to retard the Improvement OF
country than uncertainty in relation TO the title to its
soil Great Inconvenience has already been experienced
from this cause in California.
Grants alleged to have been made for large tracts
OF land IN that State by authority OF the Spanish or
Mexican governments Many oi these are OF very ques
onable vadity but until they shall have been examined
and settled by tribunal OF competent jurisdiction, they
will continue TO throw cloud over the tile to valuable
bodies Of land, and seriously affect the settlement and
prosperity OF the country 10 remedy this evil It would
to be proper 10 make provision By law for the
pOlntment oil commission 10 inVestigate
this character, with view TO ther final adjudication
But the extent OF The powers with which 1t should
be invested is subject worthy Of the serious considera.
tion OF Congress. The Commissioner of the General
Land Office has discussed the question fully and his
report contains much valuable information in regard TO
IT,
MINERAL LANDS.
The proper disposal OF these lands is subject oil much
intrinsic difficulty, and one which great diversity of
opinion exists among jndicous men.
Three different modes OF disposng OF them have been
suggested. each OF which has advantages, and all
OF which liable TO serious objections The report
from the Department Of ihe Interior which accompanied
the last annual message of the President TO Congress
recommended that the mineral lands should be divided by
actual survey into small PARCELS and leased out Tor terms
Of years, reserying to the government by way oil rent
per cenage the products Many persons, whose
opinions entitled TO respect haveurged the grant OF
licenses 10 Individuals at fixed prices, to mine within
particular districts, with or without machinery the
license may prescribe. Others, OF equal judgment and
experience, insist that the only way TO avoid difficulty,
and make the mineral lands available, is to lay them of
into small tracts, and sell them out al auction.
The arguments in favor of leasing them are certainly
entitled TO great respect But careful examination Of
the subject, and reference TO experience OF the
operation OF that system in regard to the mineral lands
other parts Of the Union, have induced me TO doubt
whether the evils insepaable from il would not more
than counerbsance its advantages II would create
system OF feuds which would become odous TO the
people. The relation of landlord and tenant being esab
sbed between the government and the occupants OF
the mines the jealousy and irritation which that relation
too often engenders would soon arise The lessees
would regard the government an exacing and oppres
sve landlord, and strong feeling opposed to the pay,