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

could be attached Ia the next adjacent United
States Land District
/ The PRE ENPTIoN business has been progress.
ing in q very salts actory manner Nearly all tho
claims under the acts PRIOR 10 lS4l have been
finally disposed Of many OF which were very i'm,
pottant from the value of the property st issue
and the conn leS3ty OF questions involved.
! The Act OF 4tb Septt mber, 1911, prospective in
Its character bas been beneficial in its operation
securing as it does to every settler who desires it
The right To enter without competition the land i'm,
PROVED and settled on, and generally enabling him
oy Ordinary INDUSTRY to realize from the soil sutti-
+ clent means to pay tor the same before he is re.
CURED to do SO by law
The operations under this act have be a, "a
duced, as lar as practicable, to systep and mo.
/ coed with harmony and efficiency -~ ~
In fact the only modification tt,st co,,1 :; 49,
opinion be made Ct It. with az eantarc tn M ,,,S
lie is to require settlers in addition to the nressnt
/ notice Of settlement, as a preliminary stem Ia
make oath Of their intention to enter, and prove
that they haze in GOOD faith made the settlement
and improvement contemplated by law. This pro-
/ vision, it is believed would remedy any existing
abuses, and afford every requisite facility TO bons
| fde settlers
The county land and scrip business under the
war of the Revolution, and that of 1872, is being
wound up as rapidly as possible, pursuant to the
| legislation OF Congress-
MANY vexed questions still arise uader this
I branch 2IlG new cases are uHIy presented lOf llS
/ action OF the office.
Under the act PASSED by Congress on the 2sth
! Sept. 1850 "to enable the State of Arkansas, and
! other States to reclaim the swamp lands within
/ their limits it was decided with your appro.
/ baton 10 charge the Surveyors General OF tho
several States in which their otfces 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 deYolye that duty
Oh tie land Offices o tht respective districts
Full instruction have been made out, and trans
mtted for this purpose. and by those instructions
the act Of Congress viii be carried out-the right
to al the swamp and oyerdowed lands unit Tor
cultivation, secured to the states and the inter
ests OF the Gov eminent protected.
The State of Louisiana having made the neces
| saTy arrangements tudetray the expense OF select
iug the swamp lands therein, under the Act OF cd
March, 1892 the necessary Instructions Tor that
purpose were issued and lit the instance OF the
DELEGATION from that State q special agent was
ordered there to arrange and determine the prln-
ciples on which that grant should be adjusted,
Who discharged the duty entrusted to Inn, and
/ made his Report which was laid before Congress.
In accordance with tine Instructions thus issued,
and the principles established, the State proceed
ed 10 make the seectious, and has made consld-
cradle progress therein.
The law recently passed embraces Louisiana
and increases the grant ma3e by the Act OF ls49'
Instructions have also been prepared Tor al tue
! Sent 1870, granting Bounty Lana 10 certain
! officers and soldiers who have been engaged IN
the military service Of the United States
In order that the liberal views OF Congress, in
passing this law, should be fully carried CUT, and
( ali nossible expense saved 10 the brave and pa
| triotic citizens for whose benefit it was enacted
| in locating their lands and at the time to
! protect the improvements OF the hardy ami In
dustrious pioneer settlers it has been determined
with your approval TO waive the affidavit hereto,
fore required thatthere is 10 improvement on the
land proposed 10 be located; but TO publish mott
ces for all settlers upon the pubic lands, to come
forward and notify the land officers OF their i'm.
proyements and 10 require that the warrants
Shall remain forty days in the local Offices after
they have been located This will give the set.
tiers full time to file notices OF their settlements
and improvements as now required by law. Dur.
| ing the time & warrant is thus retained IN tue
hands of the land officers ii is found that it has
! been located upon the improvement OF a settler,
! that location will be annuued, and new one
made for The Wsrrantee. Arrangements have also
! been made for locating all warrants that may be
| sent to this Office for that purpose.
The instructions for the Surveyor General OF
| Oregon required combination ct the geodetic,
with the rectangular sy stem, as explained in the
preceding part OF this Report, and Us required by
the Act ot 27th September. 1850, establishing the
Office Of Surveyor General of that Territory.
The geological surveys of the Northern parts OF
| Michigan, W scolsin and Iowa, authorized by the
acts Of LIST and 81 March, ls47 have been brought
| to a close, aud It is expected that the hnal he
ports of the Biologists Will be received IN time &c
! be laid before Congress at an early period OF the
| Session, if not 10 accompany this Report From
| the scientific character OF those gentlemen, the
care taken by them III the execution OF their work,
! and from the synopsis presented l am satisfied
fhat their Reperts on these interesting regions
will be among the most valuable works OF the KIND
! ever presented, and materially advance the cause
| Of Science in these particulars.
| Immediately after the passage OF the act OF 2VIh
! September last granting the right OF way, and
making grant OF land 10 the States OF ILLINOIS,
| Mississippi and Alabama in aid OF the conBtruc-
ton of abroad from Chicago to Mobile, instrac-
tiops Were sent to the Land Officers OF the Dis.
trcts through which that road will pass, directing
them to reserve fom sale or entry of any kind all
the lands within suitable distance on each side OF
| that road until the grant IS adjusted.
This measure was adopted to prevent the lands
along the route from being located by Spectators
| thus securing to the States the benefits contem
plated by the law, and preserving tor inture DIS
| nosal by the Government, the lands IN the alter
nate sections along the Road, the minimum price
of which was doubled by that law.
Underline Act of 26th September 1850, p" 70 re-
"duce the minimum price Of the Mineral Lands
| Sin the Lake Superior District 10 Michigan, ana
Al in the Chippewa District IN Wisconsin, the
| whole OF the mineral lands IN those DlssrctS
| which have been surveyed WA NC pfo'sus 'uto
market as early as practicable next season az tue
r l.5i,c minimum, arrangements having been
Earlier action could not be had for the reason
| that the notice Of the sale requisite under the
law. before the lands can be offered II given this
| Fall would have brought the sales ntothe middle
of the Winter when bidders would have been pre-
| vented from attending in consequence OF the se-
verity Of the weather. The ordering Of these
lands into market will of course, FINELY close the
emnioymept of Mineral Agents in those regions.
The appropriations for Surveying and %arkln ING
the Northern boundary Of Iowa. and the Eastern ea
ooanuai 3y me service to be performed the past
f FaIi All the necessary instructions have been
nrenared, and the work will be completed early
ne Tnder the act of Sd August 1916, for the settle