Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-06

IN auouon 10 the changes poPoSea ny the Conmissnl
Pension Once respectfully recommend that
made by lew for T. appointment Of an Assistant
fisb MA nj occupation and repdsr !, JnsSiutely i'm
poesible MN 10 authenticate and trapomit the lass
2, warrants and certificates issued frorac-
OF q ana perform the other duties of ministerial
- "ncn ne IS now required by law dischaie compen
= aiso recommend that the law regulalbe Department
sefAs ce 50 modified as to EMO the nature and
value Of the salaries respectively At
present no temporary clerk a 0 ~ .aia.
per day This is Of Tie sarrcs and 4 more than
enough for others My proposition would involve in
crease Of the agate compensation Of the clerks but
only more equitable apportionment Of it.
Public Lands
The report of the Commissioner of the General Land
Ose viii exhibit much activity in the operations of that
bureau and the various branches Of the public service
connected with it.
The quantity of land sold during the fiscal year was
S46 S47 49l acres for which the of So As
received The quantity sold during the first quarter
Of the present fiscal year 473 pro-
ducing S60l 69l The quantity sold during the
spending quarter of the last fiscal year 6600
acres, the proceeds Of which amounted to $349S7606
thus showing considerable increase in the sales of the
present those of the last fiscal year. The quantity
of land located during the last fiscal year. with bounty
land warrants, 2, 454, 900 acres, which, added to
the quantity sold for cash, makes an aggregate Of
4,3OO, 847 49-1OO Had the quantity located with
warrants during the fiscal year been disposed Of for
cash at the minimum price, the aggregate of from
sales of the public lands would have been So 49, As.
Inc whole number OF warrants issued to the ls OF No
Of 18th February s s " essnS aea w
been located and returned to the General Land Office and
Of this latter number &C 200 have been patented The
whole number OF warrants issued, to the period
under the general bounty land law of September g. 1850
is 2O and of the 3708 which have been located and
returned the General Land Office 1850 had been pa
tented on the LIST umo.
Surveys, authorized by law, have been commenced
in Oregon and California but restricted as yet to the
foh nfnYfh
which are subsequently to be projected the township and
subdivisiona surveys
The Surveyors General Of Oregon and California deserve
great credit for the which thus far characterized
their labors Pats have already been received at the
General Land Office showing the meridian lines
in Oregon and commendable progress in the establish
ment of those in California
In conducting these surveys the object has been to
profit by the suggestions of past experience to this
end manual of instructions in detail prepared for
the of the Surveyors General and their depu-
ties, calculated, it is believed to facilitate their field
operations.
The law authorizing the extension Of the surveys into
the Territory of Oregon provided for the introduction Of
what is known the Geoiec method, should the De-
partment deem itexpedento do so; butt for
signed by the Commissioner, it not considered ad
vsabe to adopt it, further than to combine with the rec
tangslar surveys system Of rangulatons to prominent
objects observable from the legal stations the main
lines Of the survey between the Cascade mountains and
the coast In the instructions to the Surveyor General
has attention specially drawn to the provisions OF the
treaty concluded the 18th Of june 1885, between the
United States and Great Britain respecting the rights of
the Hudsons Bay and Puget Sound Agricultural compa
Mes and OF other British subjects and steps had
been taken by the United States with view to the
QUESTION of the lands in the occupancy these companies
as provided for by said treaty. and had been
provided for ascertainng and defining the particular
lands the rights to which were by the terms OF the trea-
t to be respected became necessary to require that
the claimants should to the Surveyor General the
evidence of the rights claimed by them and the Surveyor
General directed to avoid, far practicable any
sectional other minute subdivision Of the lands covered
by such claims and merely to extend the township lines
over them SO as to indicate their relative position and
extent The Surveyor General is required to report his
proceedings in the premises and it is recommended that
provision be made by law for the prompt ascerainmen
ana hna adjustment Of all the claims coming within the
purvieW of the treaty .ee
Pursuant to the act Of Congress approved Sd March,
1891 to ascertain and settle the private land claims in
California commission has been organized, and will
at San Francisco on the 8h day of December
proxlmo. With view to facilitate their operations they
were directed to organize in this city the 10th of Sep
TENDER last when instructions the material subjects
contemplated by the law given to them, which it is
believed will be advantageous to the claimants and the
Government by ascertanng in the outset the particular
parcels of land claimed and thereby avoiding
and embarrassment in disposng Of the public domain
The archives Of the former Governments Of California have
been delivered to the Surveyor General who is
thorzed to employ competent person arrange classify
and index them so that they may be rendered available
in the examination of land titles.
1t is recommended that general land system be
tended over California in such details as the wisdom
OF Congress- may be deemed best adapted to the peculiar
condition and character Of the country and that the actual
settlers the agricultural lands may have such prefer
ence in becoming purchasers thereof in accordance
with the general spirit of our pre- emption laws.
Mineral Lands IN California
In my last annual report stated my objections to
leasing the mineral lands recommended by my prede
cessor then expressed the opinion that they should be
divided into small parcels lots and sold at public auction
Subsequent information and reflection however, have led
me to doubt the proprety of that recommendation The
public sentiment of California be opposed to any
individual appropriation of the collaborating lands and
the present system of leaving them common, open
the enterprise of oil citizens and subject only to such
regulations the miners themselves adopt and to
the State laws for the Of the peace seems to
have worked well in practice, inclined to think that
the wsest policy not to interfere with it the present
but to wait until time and experience shall have pointed
out some less Objectionable mode Of dsposng of them
would to be better to submit the temporary incon
venience Of imperfect system than incur the hazard
Of adopting one founded in principles, under
which rights might be vested in Individuals and the evils
become irremediable by the Legislative power
The report Of the Commissioner contains many valua-
BILE suggestions and recommendations with regard to
tain lands the titles to which have been adjudicated in
suits against the United States authorized by the act
of June l7th 1874 the interference Of sales and Local
the empton portion Of the act Of 4h September
the revival and continuance Of the powers conferred by the
act of Sd of March, 1876 for the of suspended
entries as to the mode of dispong Of abandoned militia
y reservations and the unsod portions Of the Chickasaw
cesson of 1882; and with respect the districts from
which the Jurisdiction of the Surveyors General has been
withdrawn their Offices abolished and the archives trans
erred to the authorities of the States the proprey of
allowing certain fees to the Registers and Receivers for
their services in locating bounty land warrants and the