The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-09

mills found in those regions there is every rea-
son to believe the new lands will command ready
sale.
Since the publication Of the lite decision OF
the Supreme Court of United s ates on the
boundary ques ions between the States of Mis-
souri, and Iowa, Instructions have been given TO
the respective surveyors general for those States
to close and connect the lines OF the public sur
veys with that boundary on both sides OF it.
The work will be accomplished at the earliest
practicable period.
The execution Of tie law granting the swamp
and overlooked lands, unfit for cultivation, TO the
States respectively, is occupying great atten-
ton.
A resolution of the Senate was passed at its
last session, {" That the forthcoming report OF
Doctor David Dale Oven, United States geolo-
gst, on the geology of Iowa and Wisconsin and
also the forthcoming report of Mes rs. Foster
and Whitney, United States geologists, in rela-
ton to the iron region of Lake Superior, IN
Michigan, be ordered to be printed, together with
the maps diagrams, sketches Of scenery, and
illustrations, which will accompany the sane,
respectively; and that the work be executed
during the recess of Congress. under the.specal
direction of the Commissioner of the General
Land Office, in time to be presented To Congress
at an early day of the ensuing session." The
omission in the resolution to make an appropri
alton for those works, or to indicate the extent
of the required publication, imposed serious
limpediments to their publication.
| The access to the mining region OF Lake
Superior is at present difficult and expensive
/ The waters Of that lake Ill flow through the st
Mary's river, and around the falls (Sault Ste
/ Marie) there is portage OF about mile
across which provisions, copper ore, &c, have
| to be transported, and vessels destined for ma
vgating that lake, already built, have also to bt
transported across that portage, at great cost
there bling no timber fit for ship bulldog foun'
near The lake. Were a ships canal cut across
the portage, fresh impulse would be given to
the mining operations as to copper; and it il
represented that the iron ore of that region pro-
misses to be equally attractive, both as to abnnd
ance and purity. The commissioner invites at
tenton TO the subject, with the suggestion thai
| should Congress- see fit to grant the State o.
Michigan a quantity of land to aid in construct
ing such canal, the mining interests would bt
promoted by it, and the sales OF public lands il
the upper peninsula of Michigan much in
creased.
| Some idea may be formed of the extent o
the Official operations of this bureau, when it il
considered that the archeves of tn, Genera
Land Office consists Of seven thousand three
hundred and eigh y.three folio .manuscrip
volumes; that about one million two hundred
and twenty one thousands patents OF dltferen
kinds, all duly recorded, have been issued AM
that, as preliminary to the preparation OF thes
patents, the examination of about two million
nine hundrel and fifteen thousand five hundre,
title papers We're necessary all OF which are Of
file" ..... ~. .... ,s.. ,@.'' ..