Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1851-12-18
Report OftIle Commissioners Of
the General Land once.

the Land Office is one OF the official doc
umcnts accompanying the Presidents
Message. We CLEAN from it tie slow
ing interesting facts, respecting the
public domain and other interests in
that connection:
The minimum price of the public land
is one dollar and twenty five cents per
acre; aud while the quantity offered is
so immense that it is placed beyond the
reach and power Of monopoly, the price
is at the same time so small, that every
man of ordinary industry has the ability
to provide himself with homestead
and go long as Government offers hun
dFeds Of millions OF acres for sale, at the
price of about one days labor for each
acre, every man able to till the ground
will have it in. his power to become a
ireeholder.
The sales of the public lands since
3Oth June, 1850, and to 3Oth June, 1851,
amount 10 l,S46,s4s 59-lOO acres and
the purchase money tc $2,370,9 ,9i7 45.
I he amount of land sod during the
first quarter of the fiscal year, commen-
cling July lst, 1851, was ALB, ,l4O 65-lCO
acres, for which there has been received
the sum OF S6Ol, ,69l Oh. The amount
Of land sold for the corresponding quar-
Ter of the last fiscal year, was 266.S79
66-lO0 acres, for which the sum Of $3i0,-
SIG 90 was received. The sales thus
appear to be largely on the increase.
The locations by mi lary bounty land
warrants during the fiscal year com
mencing July |, 1850, cover an area OF
2,45I 600 acres, making an aggregate of
cash sales and locations by warrant,
during that period, Of 4,300,S47 10 100
acres, which, at the minimum prize.
would amount to $5,37G,O59 36. The
sales however, exceeded the minimum
price by $62, 3Ss 90. The whole num-
ber OF land warrants issued To the lst
November, 1851, under the Mexican
Bounty Land act of llth February, lSl7,
is 80, ISL OF this nu mber GG,9lS have
been returned to the General Land Ol-
fee as located; and those of these To-
ca'ed land warrants GO 200 have been
patented. The Who'll number Of land
warrants issued up to the same period,
under the General Bounty Land Law Of
29ih September. 1850. is 5l,2Ol. OF
this number, 3,70S have been returned
TO the General Land Office as located;
AMI of the located land warrants of this
class, |, $50 have been patented.
Since my last annual report there
have been issued and transmitted TO
their respective destinations, upwards of
scvenIy-fivc thousand letters patent for
public land titles of all descriptions, and
the labors OF the accountants and book
Keepers have been diligently prosecuted.
The quarterly accounts of the Receivers
of Public Money and those OF the Sur
veyors General, including California
and Oregon, am gratlied to be able
to state, have all been adjusted at this
Office, to the Both Of September last;
and the accounts OF Deputy Surveyors,
as far as received, are all adjusted to
dates more recent with the exception Of
two suspended cases.
Thequanlity OF public land proclaim
ed for market since the date of my last
annual report, amounts TO 773!, ,53S
acres and tie estimated quantity avail
able for market during the coming year,
will not be less than ~ 100000 OF acres,
as shown by the tables submitted.
Late in the spring the District Land
Office at Defiance, was destroyed by
fire. and the records all consumed
This office promptly supplied the Reg
isler and Receiver with lists of the lands
YET remaining unsold in that district,
and the duties of that office were shortly
afterwards resumed.
Every precaution has been adopted
by official regulation and system, TO de-
tect and arrest any attempts TO impose
upon the office fraudulent assignments
Of warrants under the Mexican Bounda-
ry Land act Of February l. 1917, the
warrants in that class having been held
to be assignable. Measures have been
adopted to secure accuracy and neat
ness in The engrossing Of all the patents,
and subjecting them to a proper tcst, by
a careful examination Of Board and
the business generally, in its muItila.
rious details, is satisfactorily progress
ing.
oo-Thc Louisville Journal says. that
Kentucky will be strictly impartial in
the division OF her iavors, both to North
ern Abolitionists and Southern Disunion-
lists. She VIII assign halt her hemp 10
one and the other hall TO the other
They will find it first rate article
they may depend upon it.
NJ There are IN the United States no
less than two hundred and seventeen
colleges and professional schools.
Mr.. Thrashcr was allowed 10 90 TO