New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-04

10 alOrd tame icf Tie completion Of the Location 81
tie route, aud Toe selections under The grant. At
the lSies AZ wees II MAS understood TIA. the route
OF the road in Illinois lad been entirely ana de-
fnitely dee Cd throughout al is extent but tha.
the work was progressing. an %ond soon be finally
determined aad ~ that eOd al the facilities sought
OF this Office have been af0rcei :. In Alabama and
MISSISSIPPI u IS understood thai the route de-
lev mined on 4th September last, and the selections
mace Tor the grart by the agents aPpoiniej Tor than
oDJee BY rose states respectively, and hsts Of the
same deposited with the disnci land officers On
receipt al tais ONCE, from tae proper authorities, Of
the appropriate maps and lists duly anthe ntc afed
the proper steps viii be tAAea Tor the anal aiiutica
ton OF the grant the princpes heretofore adopted
in similar cases, and a'ieTward for restoring %
market the lands HlthdraVn 80 lar as unclaimed for
the purposes OF the road.
SWAMP LANDS.
The execution ofthe Law granting the swamp and
oyerfowe lands unht for cat walton, 10 the States
respeciively. Is occupying great attention. So far
those lands lie within the districts over whico the
Surveyors General exercise JuTlSdicton Deg leave
to refer 90 their reports Ia regard 20 the aoa thus
far In numerous instances II - found dlihcun ac
curately detect from the plots and neld notes OF
survey, the precise lands aSsignaoie TO the state
under the grant and those subject 10 periodical
overflow 50 rs 10 prevent their cultivation, where
the same were survey ed IN the dry season, cannot
be assigned, without special examinations In the
he,d anu at the expense Of making such exam
nations set forth by the reports OF some OF the
Surveyors General. In those States wherein the
Office OF Surveyor General has been abolished the
Nltv OF mAAlnS the required NtteCNOHs h1s, iItul
necessity, dcyoytd on the DISTRICT land olcers, VINO
have to a considerable extent reported the se.ec-
tons which have been made. Whenever the seiec-
tons IN any one land district shall De completed and
closed and he lists finally approved and not before,
IT designed to issue the patent required by the act
and any lands previously sold or otherwise disposed
Of PRIOR 10 the date OF approval ot the LISTS vii De
rejected or excluded. IN accordance with the views
recently expressed by this Office and which have
received the sanction OF the Department
STATE SELECTIONS.
The business of closing up tae selections TO watch
certain States are entitled tor Iuternal Improvements,
under the act OF 4h September. 1871, and by other
special enscments Is progressing as actively as Is
consistent With The numerous details OF duty which
press upon the attention OF the office. | beg leave
again to advert 10 certain land suits decided against
the United States, under the act I'm June, 1874 but
which has been dismissed by the Supreme Coart for
non-conioUnily 10 as, IN taking the appeal, and IN
which The decree of the court below is claimed by
the parties 10 be absolute and 10 renew the sugges
ton, heTetOOT made, that the subject shall receive
the consideration OF Congress. so that, n deemed
proper. there may be an expression OF the legisla
tive Will for the government Of this Office IN new OF
apple atoms that have been preferred for patents
for claims OF this class deem It proper, also, TO
draw attention to the fact thai occur IN which,
the survey and location OF the Old grants, 10 Is
certalned that sales selections junior have
been made and to recommend that authority OF law
be conferred for the compromise aud adjustment OF
such eases, by allowing the conhrmees OF such old
grants when willing, To take other lands, and con-
hrmng the junior grantee in their titles.
The services demanded OF the District Land on
Gers In the location Of military land warrants, under
the ACT of 2s,h September, 1880 equal n not exceed
IN each case those connected with selling tract OF
land. IL is earnestly recommended that reason
able allowance be authorized by law for such spe-
Cial duties and that such allowance be made for the
services which the land officers IN Florida may rem
der in the loo alton of the Aedondo IS grant
in State, under certain judicial DEGREES Of connrma-
ton.
In regard TO thus particular case the officers at ST.
sin that the labNr ATT ri nd
making locations under and by virtue OF said olaim
and for which they receive no compensation, IS, at
least, ten times as much as IS required 10 make
cash entry. And they suggest the accommodation
of " an allowance OF the same commission 10 the
land officers in Florida, for making locations under
and by virtue Of the said AIfedondo claim AS tney
are entitled to on cash sales
The act of the ID Of March, 1919, deyolyes on the
Department of War the duty Of selling abandoned
military sites including bodies of land once reserved
for military PURPOSES 10 pIessie unW N tns
that such duty In regard 10 abandoned RESERVATIONS
formlitary and naval, other puolic uses, be de-
yolyed, by law, on the General Land once, unuef
OF the lands ordered TO be sold for the benefit OF
the Chickasaw tribe of Indians IN the session made
by the treaty of 1882, the larger portion OF which
lies m Mississippi, and the Iesldue IN Alaoama, tne
great body mas been sold Unless Congress should
conclude TO treat with the Inllans, giving them
consideration for the unsold portion rs recon-
mended that the duty Of selling the residue be de
yolyed upon the Land Olfico OF the adjoining dis
trict thereby saving the Indians the salaries and
expenses OF the separate Office now existing.
The act OF 81 August, 1916, providing for the ad
ustment of all suspended preomption land claims"
&c, cOnfeTs on the Secretary OF the Treasury NOW
Interlor,) the Attorney General, and the Commits
sioleT of the general Land Office, conont author
ity TO determine, on principles OF equity and JUS
ice, In what cases, OF the anomalous character al
luded to by the act patents ought To be issued. That
act proved highly saIutary IN It's operation but rs 1t
has expired, ana as numerous cases OF similar char
acer have since accumulated, suggest the propriey
Of revival OF the act.
Some modification in the provisions OF the pre-.
emption law OF the ith September 1871 seems 10 be
Iequued.S renew the recommendation made In
my asst Annual Report, that IN addition 20 the pres
ent notice prescribed by Law 10 be filed within
taH period after settlement settlers be required TO
make oath Of their intention 30 enter within the Pc
Rod limited by the law, and 10 prove that they have
IN good ialth MADE the settlement and Improvement
contemplated by ID. | would also recommend that
when a settler by reason OF sickness or other in
FIRMLY may be unable 10 appear at the Land Once
10 take the afdayts before the Register or Receiver
at the time OF entry as now prescribed oy law, Mat
upon satisfactory evidence 10 that effect being fur
nshed TO those officers, they be authorized 10 per.
NIT the entry subject to the future confirmation OF
the Commissioner Of the General Land once, upon
his being furnished It'll affidavit of the claimant
OF the tenor OF that now prescribed taken before
Justice Of the Peace, or other officer authorized TO
administer oahs, and sho wing that the facts required
TO be'swon to, existed al the date when the entry
was allowed.
The Access TO the mining region OF Lake Superior
Is at present ,dnilcuI ana expensive nc WatSfs OF
that lake ali flow through the st. Mafys River, and
around the falls (saut Ste Marie) there Is portage
OF about mile, across which PROVISIONS copper ore,
&c, have 10 be transported and vessels destined
for navigating that LAKE, already bum, have also 10
be transported across that portage, at great COST
there being no timber fit for shIpbuldlng found near
the lake. Were ship canal cut across the portage
fresh impulse would be given to the mhing opera
lions as TO copper and represented that the IRON
ore of that region promises to be equally attractive
both as 10 abundance and purity deem duty
TO invite attention to the subject WIN the suEges-
ton that should Congress see 1T to grant TO The STATE
Of n ichigan a quantity OF land TO aid IN construct
ing such canal, the mining interests would De pro-
NOTED by IT, and the sales Of public lands In the up
Der peninsula OF Michigan much be Increased
The duties OF this Office intricate and labonous.
Public and private surveys claims and sales, indian
reserves and locations are intimately connected,
alike in lei slation and in ministerial action and n
is often difficult TO determine where one branch OF
duty terminates and another begins Concert and
harmony OF proceeding hr oughout all the branches,