Washington sentinel., 1853-12-22

grant. <,o- I;b9f<u =
Railroad grants ....,..... 70,l17 :"
Making an aggregate of. SOIL, ,276.56 g
This shows an increase for the last fiscal
year, compared with the proceeding, in sales
and locations, of 1865 2l5 acres and including
swamps land selections, II, 2,23l ,slS acres. The
increase for the third quarter of the current
calender year, over the corresponding quarter
of the previous year, of sales and locations, is
SCI, ,562 acres; and including swamp land Sc
lections, is 9l0,023 acres.
These statements have reference only to the |
lands east fthe Rocky mountains; for although
land districts have been established in Califor-
MIA and Oregon, and extensive surveys have
been made there, which have added materially
to the correspondence of the Office, no lands
districts. This great increase in the disposal
Of the public domain, the cause Of which will
be explained in a subsequent part of this report,
has produced corresponding increase in the
duties OF all the divisions of this Office.
Some idea may be entertained of the amount
Of labor performed during the past year from
the fact that there have been issued 7S,4l4
patents of every description, including cash
sales bounty lands under the acts of 1912,
lS47, 1850, and 1852; for swamp lands, reser-
vations under Indian treaties, and private land
claims derived from former governments, and
confirmed by Congress and the courts some
of which occupy many folio pages of closely
written manuscript. For the same period,
1886 certificates for cash sales, G,lsl declar-
atory statements, and 7975I warrants were
posted, and l00,6lS selections for internal i'm
provements railroad grants, and swamp and
overfowed lands, were entered in the tract
books. Besides, 36l receivers accounts were
nH, faI 80 nf l.,lx.,
406 of surveyors general, and deputy surveyors.
253 of publishers of newspapers, Is for locating
land warrants, and 302 refunding accounts
were settled. 1861 pieces Of scrip for Virginia
revolutionary claims were issued, embracing
1860 acres, and 298 Of these claims were
examined.
There were 1917 letters recorded, occupy.
ing $4,000 folio pages, equal to "a volumes
23,86I letters registered, occupying 3,204 pages,
equal to 6 large volumes; l35 manuscript pa
tents, occupying 301 pages l,61O accounts
recorded, occupying 1886 pages, over three
large volumes. In addition to these, about
10000 packages of monthly and quarterly re-
turns, letters, lists, abstracts, &c, have been
received, and II, 100 packages of patents, blank
forms, and circulars have been packed, sealed,
directed, and transmitted from this Office during
the passed year and the official seal has been
affixed to upwards of 100000 patents and ex.
emplifcations.
Nearly all this, as you are aware, may be
considered as merely manual labor, and is ex- |
elusive Of the complicated and difficult duties
incident to our general operations, and which
require great deal of time, and a thorough
knowledge Of the land legislation of Congress,
OF foreign and Indian treaties, the decisions
of the courts, the precedents established, and
the laws, usages, and customs of the foreign
governments which preceded us in sovereignty
In connection with this subject it is gratify
ing to state, that notwithstanding the extensive
ramifcatisns of our land system, and of the
large amount of money collected and disbursed
under it, by receivers of public moneys and
surveyors general, no loss has accrued to the
treasury, nor is any apprehended. All accounts
of receivers of public money, in their several
capacities, have been adjusted up to and in
Guiding the third quarter of the current calen-
dar year, and the sales locations, and selec-
tions have generally been posted to the same
period.
The accounts of the surveyors general, depu-
ty surveyors, &C., have in like manner been adj
iusted to the latest period. The surveys have
been pressed forward in the several districts
with the utmost energy, so that the settlement
of those districts may be promoted and the
lands sold.
The recorders division has been actively and
zealously employed in the preparation of pa.
tents, exemplifcations, &C., and the same may
be said of the several bounty land divisions.
The statement at the head of the next col
umn exhibits the number of warrants issued
under the several laws granting bounty lands,
the number located, and the number outstand.
ing, with the number Of acres in each class.
The onerous and responsible duties Of the
chief clerk, in the superintendence and direc-
tion Of the accountants, &C., and the regulation
and direction of the police of the Office. have
been faithfully and efficiently discharged.
A Just and equal division Of labor has been
carefully observed, and system gradually in
troduced bv which the exact disposition of any
case can readily be ascertained; and although
the duties of each division are extremely one
rous, it is believed that they can be discharged
by this system, without an increase of force, if
each faithfully discharges his duties, and no ad-
ditions thereto are made.
The delivery Of patents has been retarded to
a considerable extent, by the adjustment of the
swampland grant, in which much difficnIty has
been experienced, owing to its great extent.
the imperfections Of the feld-notes of the early
surveys, the numerous conflicts that have
arisen, and the complexity of the questions in.
volyed. These difficulties are being overcome
by the regulations prescribed for the adjust
ment Of that grant, the promptitude and energy
of the governors and other officers of the seye-
raj States, and the able and efficient action Of
the surveyors general and district land officers
That the States may obtain oil the benefits
contemplated by these acts, as heretofore con-
strued, the regulations require that such Of the
public lane, at the passage ofthe law, as isshown
by the feld.notes, or proved by competent testi-
mony, to beof the characters specified inthe grant,
shall be certified to the States as their property.