Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-12-14
Report Of the Lana Once.

WAsH1NeroR, December 6, 1853.
In submitting the annual report of the General
Land Office, the commissioner (John Wilson,
Esq.,) deems it expedent to restrict the state
ments in it to the close of the third quarter of the
current Calendar year except where necessary to
exhibit the results of certain legislation by facts
uscertained since that time.
During that period 9,819,411 acres were sur
veyed, principally in Missouri, Louisiana, Michi-
gan, Florida, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota,
and of these and others previously surveyed, 10,-
80S, ,S91 acres were brought into market under the
Presidents proclamations, exclusive of the land
heretofore reserved on account of railroad grants,
and which have been for sale subject to the double
minimum. a--.s.l "a bfe.-, :, ,,.,-.-s .,.-f.
In the fiscal year ending the soth June last there
were sold for cash, l,083,495,2l acres.
Located with military war
rants, a. e,142, 1860 Is hid
Located with other certif- s~ r,ss szas
Gates, -,.r.-..ir ;e., 9,426,66 ,rs.s
Making total thus disposed
of 1885, 2sI.s7
In addition to these there were .#.'s <t.. t-t}t
reported under Swamp Land ioaGsa .Ei,
grant rz-#E z-t- 1864, 1885, ,26 acres.
And for Internal Improve ..-,.. ........
ments Railroads, &C., Lag, 7,457,6s !"
Making an aggregateCof 25,s46,4e2,8l ="
For the Quarter Ending Sept. 81, 1853
There were sold for cash, l,295,185,36 -
Located with bounty Land ..
warrants 1,148, 8,280 ""''
e.'' "@@ esga~i= er = ----- n,.a
.as-.af .% 2,443,465 SO a'.
Reported under Swamp Land :, ss .sa
grant :, /. .. -. 2,527es4,2o
Railroads grants 70,II6
Making an aggregate of 5,04l,276,56
This shows an increase for the a-,s .r.s
Il last fiscal year, compared arr r
with the preceding in sales
and locations of no 2,s65,2l5 acres
And including swamp land Sc E1- ~
lections of 12,231,s1s -
The increase for the third - ......
quarter of current calender,
and the corresponding quar-
ter of the previous year, of S67,562 &c
And including swamp land -r
sections, is -...-.t- 910,123 -" " .
These statements have reference only to tht
lands east of the Rocky Mountains, for although
land districts have been established in Californi;
and Oregon, and extensive surveys have beer
made there, which have added materially to thu
correspondence of the Office, lands have ye
been reported disposed of in those Districts
! This great increase in the disposal Of the publ,
domain, the cause of which will be explained in .
subsequent part of this report, has produced
corresponding increase in the duties of all the di
visions of this office. Some idea may be enter
| Ldlueu Ol Ln0 Ol tdUOT pOTIOTHGu
the past year, from the fact, that there has beer
issued 78, Ala patents of every description, nclud
ing cash sales, bounty lands under acts of 1912
l847, 1850, and 1852, for swamp lands, reserva
tions under Indian treaties, land private land claim
derived from former governments, and confirmed
by Congress and the courts, some of which occu
py many folio pages of closely written manuscript
For the same period '.t
1896 certificates for cash sales:
6,181 declaratory statements, and
79,75l warrants were posted, and 3D.
1OO,6lS selections for internal improvements
railroad grants, and for swamps and overfowe
lands, were entered in the tract books
Besides 361 receivers accounts were adjusted
292 accounts of disbursing agents; 4o3 Of survey
ors- general and deputy-surveyors; 253 ofpublish
ers Of newspapers; Is for locating land warrants
and 3O1 refundng were settled. 1857 pieces o
scrip for Virginia revolutionary claims were is
sued, embracing 129,669 acres, and 29S of thos
| claims were examined. .=iE .-H
There were 1917 letters recorded, occupyin!
$4,000 folio pages, equal to "a volumes; 1886
letters registered, occupying 3,2O4 pages equal t.
6 large volumes; 1876 manuscript patents, 80
pages; 1910 accounts recorded, 1895 pages
over large volumes. tsg