Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-12-09

ma,ed) e,saI 500 90 Z"
Located with bounty land warrants SIS, $4,000 +"
Reported under swamp land graut l.I96.96s57 f"
Msk;ng an aggregate of i7I9,6sSs7
From this it appears that the sales tho year ex-
ceeded those for tho proceeding by esq SO
double those for tho qurr in the last year. thong
the aggregate amour: If aud disposed Of great
Tor tho that the gsus for bounty lands swamps
&c., had mostly been disposed ,f
Tho clerks In the Office have actively and dlsen.
y employed, judging from the of work reported
about 10000 patents having been writer, 900
accounts adius ed, PSI ga fos,ed cntSre
with the other business the of, c filling e6S 10
o volumes, This, however,d convey full idea
OF tho duties discharged mauy OF them being exceeding
ly intricate aud complicated In this rcpor, ho rever
uli credit il giving tho employee, in tho Office all Of
whom receive his commentator tor their excrtons and
services.
The statement Of the condition Of tho bounty lands bu
sincss shows that under the of iSiI $40 warrants
have been s'ued embracing $50 acres; OF which
53S warrants have been located covering 1874 Osu
acres and leaving .lil outstanding. aud Calling for
S6l 700 acres.
Under the act Of 1889, 1915 warrants have been
issue embracing l2SSl,66 acres; llilsl OF these
warrants have beea located Including 10 llOl6 acres
and Al are outstanding caling for e,i7, 400
Under the act of 1850, ll,5SS have been
Issued, embracing $50 $40 1o5 Of these warrants
hale been located covering Ssl6io acres aud 1883
outstanding c,llrg for ga. $50 acres.
The aggregate OF issued under these several
lsws, is 2SsSu9, embracing 20 54S 100 acres snd Of
these, 2:5isl have been located, covering $50
acres.
The grant Of 900 acres made to the States by the
act OF ih September lSil has beer pcsry closed except
en- the Pacific.
The grant Tor the Central Railroad in lrois has been
adjusted that for the Hannibal aud ST. Josephs road Ia
Missouri, nearly completed aud that for tho South
western road, in the State IL In process of adjust
Nothing has yet been done towards adjusting the
ants for railroads in Arkas,, tbs having
been fixed by the Legal Ut that Safe. with wncp
alone, the power is vested by law tor that purpose
The gran; for the SAINT S. Marie cLua in Michigan
1t ia expected will be adjusted by the Of
a. session of Congress All lin Is wthdsawn fr cuuic.
plated railroads, in anticipation OF grants TO
about thirty millions o; acres, have restored To
market
Tnc Interference Of the swamp land Gran, with the
prompt dischag, Of the duties ofhc iii e. il sta
ted with un that p.,el;s issue Tor all sale.
and ocaons and they couh with the claim #
he States that authority be given to pay the pur-
chace for such lands TO the several States per
nit other locations satisfactory proof the laud Is
ithc character granted by the sw mp land act.
The recommendation in previous report FOR further
Legislation in relation TO the Virginia revolutionary bguuy
and claims is revoked in OF the liberal
to the act OF 1882 in the Attorney General. op-
ION, anu instructions oil the Secretary under whch all incr
i;orious claims be allowed. The imp condition OF
part OF the records in this DIVISION made prior 1885
noticed, with suggestions to the remedy and the suses
ton is made that the SMALL detached and tract
remaining the government in the Virginia military DIS
rat in Ohio be granted that State purposes
The given for this recommendation s. that thu
O abDut
$4,000 wouli probably ccs: the government more
than would be realized from them. TIE suggestion is
also made that the priv ege Of purchasing these lands at
f!ei price, be given 70 the owneri oiai ung tracts
avoid the conflicts andi at that would probably grow
out Of an attempt TO retrace ancient boundaries.
The increase OF business under the graduation law
the reduction of the compensation TO the land officers
consequent on that graduation, referred 10 with
ommendation that the allowance per aunrm hereto
fore be made 10 these officers without reference to the
graduation, within the present maximum of 81 500 per
H. r.. -.
materially exceed that sum, and also for office rent that
the government require the district ires be kept
in safe and secure buildings.
One hundred aud forty don alton claims in
Oregon have been received very few Of which, however
where accompanied by tho pa,s Of survey required by
the Instructions. These suspended but patents will b.
issued for others practicable
The surveyors gent raj Of Kansas and Nebraska, New
Mexico. and Washington Territories have repaired to
,he fields Of their respective duties with full instructions
for their guidance and direction copies Of which ap.
pended TO the report.
The land officer for Washington and Oregon have also
repaired to their land Districts with all esary ustruc
on records, forms, &c. Those for Kansas and Nebraska
appointed. there nothing further TO do
till the surveys had been made.
Special attention is requested to the able and lucid re
ports Of the Surveyors General brief synopsis Of
Of which is given showing the condition of the surveys
in each State and Territory the progress made
With the prospect Of closing some Of them at early
day.
The defects in the law graduating and reducing the
res,ion, II be determined inga this principle per
nanenty the land s,em extend the right enter
nc the reduced prices to a limit IL pre- emptCrs
The frauds practice under that law are stated with
synopsis the instructions that have been issued pre-.
vent those frauds, as far practicable 1t is shown that
lapse time. the basis OF the graduation Law ere-
rcn by which to determine the value Of lands that from
10 IL millions of acres have been annually brought into
market. while the demand has ranged from TO 900 QUO;
that our people, being social in their habits, naturally
coDgegate IN settlements for muuaaid and convenience;
ttak n.o H. ~
proportion Of every quality except tho swamps which
disposed Of by the of 1850, leaving like proper
tion oil those remaining unsold that lands originally Of lit
tie value for cultivation, by increase Of eetcnent become
valuable for stone land gravel & because Of acili-
Ties III transporting its pr ducts to Market and hence that
laps oftme renders land Desirable Instead OF redu-
cling its value.
shown that cor plants heretofore made ofthc par
til working Of the land system gtoundles: that this
system devised by Jefferson aud his compiiriots Il
tie revolution hen the ADVANCEMENT Of tho public inter
est was the only object sought.
The bIs assumed that the average Of tho popuaon
of the old States has been three oli
tho new; that the tariff as tax bsirs mOreI qrly upon
The whoe popu'tion than any other that far he
tGfl has been relieved by the proceeds OF the public
lands tho benefits have flowed in ks equals to
MI. As consequence, the old Sa,cs have been benefit
bv three fourts OF the proceeds OF the public Ian
that the bounty lands Tor services in tho revolutionary
and that OF 1872 ard one.hsl Of that Of lSi7 have
ed 70 ci'zins Of tue old States, who alo bcnc
hy the amount actually pad to ,hi old States the SUI
plus fcvcndc under the aH Of 1851,
hat ihe new ates have been bcUhtted by grants for
schools college,, public buildng'. Internal improvements
a., by the 2 g. and per fund. aud by the portion
81 the surplus revenue actually pid them. On these has
III. shnTn ihat The di 3tges ss6 beon bcnehcd lands
'hd money estima,ng tho land. at ~ IS pei acre. to the
amount OF fli6 1854 and henew States to tho
thus showing that the proportion Of be-
n's has been abou: equal or ftleFe yes any ad,anag'
II was no, sufficient, dios DISCUSSION between sres aud
son', as IL was all In the one great fairly.
Ii' suggested that the policy Of the government
TO encourage the settlement, Of the public lsnds by eE
tending every ciy - preemptors TO secure their homes
IN reasonable time without competitions aud to aid In
the construction Of railroads. and other Of
citon, by gars ofaernstv sections with Judlcous
sircons where applications ore made for such giants b,
the States.
is shown, that since July, 1852 hero have been soil
In Illinois, along the line ofths Central Railroad, 2,3T,e9
acres for yh!oh there Sprq received 10 warrants, sa,
ted at 81 90 per acre, equal TO $90O5,sO
| and, 10 cish l,98I,i29
aud hence that this system Is alike beneficial 10 the gov
| eminent, tho States, sud the people.
The report winds mp with reference to the Pacific
road and the suggestion that IL only be constructed
this vayfor THO reason that IL 10 o! too great msgnud
for individual enterprist aud that State accomplish
II IA one can go usidi oil It's limits.
The report also refers TO tho accommodations mad
las, year, and tenews them In general terms.
III. A H. r. InuI Il.