The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-15
Making an aggregate for TIE


During the past year % 900 letters were received
and answered, ,49l accounts were adjusted and
reported to the Comptroller, 81 ,5O3 certificates of
land sales, 1926 bounty land warrant locations,
9.sls declaratory statements, so 900 swamp land,
internal improvement, and other selections were
posted, about 10 900 cash, bounty land and other
patents were written, recorded, and transmitted,
1854 5l9 acres of swamp land and other selections
were certified to the States, and upwards of 5000
pages of letters and accounts were recorded.
Among the accounts adjusted rs above mention
ed those of the land officers, under the act of
22d March, 1852, ITO make land warrants as
officers were entitled to the same per centage for
the location Of warrants since the 18th of Febru
airy, l647, as for cash sales. ~. ...
As the law provides that all such fees for loca
tions made prior to it's passage should be paid out
Of the treasury most Of the accounts therefor were
made up at this Office, from the returns of the sew
eral Offices, and involved great amount Of careful
labor, and an entire revision Of all the accounts
settled since lst january, l847.
The whole amount thus paid out of the treasury
to 18th November, 1852, was $40 BIG 81.
This law which was an act Of simple justice to
the district land officers, and only reasonable
compensation for faithful services, limits the
amount of fees paid to each person from every
source to $4,000 per annum, and requires that
those for the locations of land warrants made after
the passage of that law should be paid by the per-
sons who made those locations. The consequence
has been, that in several instances the aggregate
of fees paid in for military locations exceeded the
compensation
the excess has gone into the public treasury; and
therefore the Government, to that extent, has been
reimbursed on account of the above mentioned ex
penditure in the first instance. "
The survey OF the northern boundary of Town has
been completed, required by the act Of Sd March,
lS49; the monuments have all been erected, and O
| full report of the whole work, with maps OF the
boundary showing the topography OF the country,
the ensuing session of Congress. .
The proDptness, energy, and efficiency with
which this work has been executed, rebounds to
the credit Of the able and efficient surveyor gene
raj and astronomers charged with It, and in fact to
all the persons employed on II.
The condition Of the public lands in each State
and Territory will be found Get forth in table E.,
| accompanying this report, in which the entire
area OF each State in square miles and acres is
given; the quantity surveyed and unsurveyed; the
number Of acres offered for sale; the number OF
acres sold; the amount embraced In donations,
grants for schools, universities, asylums for the
deaf and dumb, internal improvements, to ind
viduals and companies; for seats of government
and public buildings; for military services; re
served for salines; for the benefit of Indians; for
companies, individuals, and corporations; the
covered by confirmed private claims; the amount
Of swamp land granted to the several States; for
| railroad purposes, and the total area unsold and
unappropriated OF offered and unoffered lands
From the last column it will be perceived that
there large bodies of land in all the States and
Territories, extending from the 25h to the 49th
parallel Of north latitude and from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, including every desirable variety Of
soil and climate, mineral and timber, and capable
of producing in the greatest abundance not only
the neceesaries but the luxures of life, and afford.
ing the widest field for enterprising industry.
Under resolutions of the two Houses Of Congress,
the valuable report of DR.. d. D. Owen the geolo.
gy Of Wisconsin, Town, and Minnesota, (and Incl
dentally Of the 'Mauvases Terres" in Nebraska,)
is now being printed under direction OF this office.
The report is voumnous, and will constitute, with
lite index quarto OF about $50 pages, with scpa.
rate volume of maps. With an eye to economy
ordered, it was concluded to adopt wood engrav-
ings for the illustrations which accompany the text;
and am happy to state that while the work tself
reflects the hig beet credit on the scientific attain
menis Of its author, the execution Of 1t is in style
likely to do credit at home and abroad to the ar.
tistc skill of the country. The mode pursued has
been very economical. involving much Ices OK
| pense than any other known to the Department
| The work OF printing has progressed with IN
wearying diligence and IL 10 expected thai thos-
sand copies will be ready for delivery shortly after
| the meeting of Congress, and subsequently the
progress will be at the rate of 500 copies per week
In this connexion beg leave to invite attention
| TO a paper from DR.. Owen, herewith submitted,
setting forth the utility of geological survey in
| Oregon, and manifcsting strong desire that n
special geological reconnaissance be ordered in the
region of country in Nebraska which lies near the
| head waters of the Moreau, White, and Cheyenne
rivers, and in the region OF the Black Hills, de-
| nominated the 'Mauvaiscs Terres. ;" This ia re-
garded rs the tertiary formation, Astounding with
the fossil remains Of extinct species OF animals,
each combining the distinctive characteristics of
several existing according to the decisions OF
| comparative anatomy This region will be found
| alluded to ON page lq4. in the 9th chapter Of his
report. The field referred to seems likely to be
one Of peculiar interest to the geological world, in
reference to which DIR. Owen states that "it is not
too much to assert that since the disc losures bf
| G the opening of the gypsum quarries of Mont
martre, in France, that mnde us first acquant ted
with those singular extinct fossil races entombed
: in the Paris basin, no discovery in geology has
| divugcd such extraordinary and interesting re
| suits in paeontolgy." He further remarks, that
"hcre in the bad lsnds' Of Nebraska do antici.
| pate the removal Of the sbroud OF oblivion that
| 6 has 30 long concealed important events in the
past history Of this earth, that must form deeply
| interesting chapter in lite geology. With such
prospects Of enrichiug the fields Of science from
a further exploration Of this attractive region.
! you will understand my anxiety for prosecuting
those geological researcher" Reasons other than
the foregoing are also urged by Dr. Owen for this
undertaking, ...
Last year when starting the public surveys in
| Oregon the Department yielded to the wishes OF
! the late delegate, who urged, in compliance with
the desire Of his constituents, geological recon
! poissance to some extent in the Oregon Territory,
and particularly to the west of the Cascade Noun