The New York herald., 1851-12-03

osr Lands and confirming the junior grantee in thar
titlee.
The services demanded Of the District Land oosrs in
the location OF military land warrants under the cot Of
18th 6sptenbsr 1850, equal II not exceed In each case
nsstly recommended that reasonable Allowance be su-
thorsed by Law for such special duties and that such
allowance os nsas for the services which the land on
dondo ss GOO scre grant In State under certain judicial
In regard to this particular case the oicers at st.
Augustine rsprss that the labor attendant upon max
ing under and by virtue Of said claim and fer
which they receive no compensation Is at least ten
And they suggest the recommendation Of an allowance
of the Commission to the land ofcsrs in Florida
Arredondo claim as they are entitled to on cash sales
The act Of the Sd Of March, 1919 devoves on the De-
psrmsst Of War the duty Of selling abandoned military
purposes To preserve unity In the system Of selling public
lands, 1t is recommended that such duty in regard to
abondoned reservations for military and Davs other
public uses, be dsvoivsd BY law, on the General Land
Once, under suitable restrictions.
or the lands ordered be sold for the benefit of the
treaty Of 1882 the larger portion Of which lies in Mss
sppi and the residue in Alabama, the great body has
been sold Unless Congress should conclude to treat
with the Indiana giving them confederation for the
unsod portion it recommended that the duty Of SELL
ing the residue be devoved upon the Land Once Of the
rss and expenses Of the separate oce now existing.
The act Of Sd August 184o providing "for the adjust
msnt Of ell Suspended pre- enption land claims" sc,
the Attorney General and the Commissioner of the Gene
raj Land Office conjoint authority to determine,
prnsipss Of equity and Justice in what cases, Of the
ought to be issued That proved highly sslutary in
its operation but it has expired, and numerous
gest the propriety of revival of the act.
Some modification In the provisions Of the pre- emp
tion Law Of the 4th September 141 required
Irenew the made in my last annual re-
port that In addition to the notice prescribed by
law to be fled within dertain period after settlement
ha lnkor *
enter within the perisd limited by the law and to prove
that they have In good faith made the settlement and
improvems mt contemplated BY I would also recon-
mend that when settler by Of sickness other
take the before the Register or Recsvsr at the
time Of entry prescribed by law that upon salts
factory evidence to that effect being furnished those
officers they be authorised to permit the entry subject
the future Confirmation of the Commissoner Of the Gene
raj Land Office, upon his being furnished with ada-
Wit Of the claimant Of the tenor Of that prescribed
taken before Justice Of the Peace other ocer sutho
rzed to administer eahs and showing that the facts
required to be TO- existed at the date whea the
try was allowed.
present difficult and expensive The waters Of that lake
ell flow through the st. Mary's river, and around the
fas (sault Ste Mare) there Is portage of about mile,
ported: and vessels destined for navigating that lake.
areaey built have also to be transported that
building found near the lake We're ship canal AM 1 cut
the portage fresh impulse would be given to the
mining operations as to copper and represented that
tive, both as 70 sbundan and purity. deem It duty
toinve attention to the subject with the suggestion
Michigan quantity Of land to aid In Constructing such
canal the mining interests would be promoted by 1t,
and the sales OF public lands in Ne upper peninsula Of
The duties of this Office intricate and laborous
Public and private surveys, claims and sales Indian
and locations are Intimately connected alike
in legislation and in ministerial action and it is
often difficult to determine where branch of duty
terminates and another begins: Concert and harmony
NJ in0 0hnttf tba
fore, necessarily demanded.
Besides the important duties devolving the prin-
cipal clerks Of public lands" private land claims .
and surveys the labors Of the Office are dist rbuted
amongst accountants and bookkeepers, with THAR
assistants engrossers Of patents for purchased lands
Of military bounty land patents.
Into g. tract (" and I" sales books" numerically
arranged In advance, for such purpose according
range township !ecton and minor legal subdivisions
the minutes Of sales Of tract Of land sold by the
government are entered and these with the plsts Of
survey constitute the practical and effective checks
all the operations Of the district land Offices. In
the same books also indicated all locations and
purposes; and these volumes thus arranged form 50
many indices to all the public land titles Of the
country.
Some idea may be formed of the extent Of our ocis
operations whe is considered that the archives of the
General Land Office consist Of thousand three
hundred ard eighty-three folio manuscript volumes
that about one million two hundred and twenty one
thousand patents Of different kinds ell duly recorded
have teen issued and that preliminary the prepa
ration Of there patents the examination Of about
million nine hundred and nfteen thousand i've hundred
title papers we're necessary all of which files
quate conception Of the compexty and multifArious
Of duties and details connected with this branch
public service where the field Of operations becoming
so enlarged co-exensive is with the country
between the great lakes the Atlantic and the western
The statistical and ether documents annexed to this
Report designated in the following schedule and al
phabete:.iy arranged, from A to inclusive
With great respect, your obedient servant,
J. BUTTERFIELD Commissioner