The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-07
AFT AIRS At HOME.
The Annual Report or the Secretary Of the
Interior.


Interior.
THIS ia an able statesmanlike and interesting paper
for which it Is sufficiently extended TO present review
OF years operation OF the numerous diverse and
pcstcd interests committed to his manage ment and
peryision; Il is al the time well arranged and
condensed to be within the reading opportunities Of
During last fiscal year there have been IL 07O ss5
acres the public lands surveyed and 100 OFT
brought into market. Within the same period ,035 735
acres sold for cash and 50 2s5 533 So received
therefor-beng e52, 240 than sold for
cash duEng the proceeding During the last fiscal
gear s02 located with bounty land war
rAna IL 033 Sl3 acres for the States government
lands and ,75l s62 railroads. &c Thus show
ing while there been large in the mum
OF sold for cash, sibe dmnuton is felt in
the various other modes In which the lands are DIS
posed of.
The quantity OF lands sold during the first and second
quarters Of the present fiscal 6l9 scres and
the money received therefor S3642 4eb "a more than
during the corresponding period OF the last hsca year
The quantity of land located in satisfaction ID bounty
land claims for services rendered in the various wars
since $780, is 81 427 6l2 TO satisfy Virginia bounty
land warrants under the act Of August 81 1892 scrip has
issued calling for s37 800 acres and to satisfy the re-
manning warrants II supposed that about 600 acres
will be required
public land system, sngrats upon IL and impor-
liant feature The Secretary considers the law very Diff
calf OF execution, and that fully to accomplish the OBJ
ects contemplated by It's passage material notifications
must DO made. The Secretary adheres TO his previous
OF land aid of the of great leading
highways when such works likely 10 be undertaken
and completed in good aih, and prove beneficial TO the
public and not merely to alyentnrers and speculator
TO throw the necessary guards aud restrictions around
such grants the Secretary makes some general sugges
lions but submits the ter 10 the wisdom Of Congress
The applications to Congress at its last session $50 far
they would be brought to the attention OF the depart
Dnept by The committee contemplated the
vi about o5G miles OF road which, allowing six section,
y The mile, would have required about twenty mil
lions OF acres.
In anticipation that some Of these grants
would be made, and knowing which the Depart
Naent pan the urgent solicitation OF the delegations in
tnnoFc-. a. land
III the roads to an extent approxinatng to thirty mil
Lions Of acres. The department has carefully recon
the policy Of this course, and has to the
determination not to make such reservations hereafter
until the grants shall have been actually made by Con
gress The for this determination in part
that such reservations OF doubtful legaty-that
they retard the settlement of the countryside difficulty
of ascertaning in what ii is likely the grants will
be made and the fear OF nurng the section OF country
in which the improvement is contemplated by turning
thence the tide OF emigration
The Secretary reiterates his recommendation that
connected with the survey and sale OF the public
domain be prohibited by law from becoming interested in
ns purchase.
After the passage Of the act September 1880 granting
abe government lands to the state, in which they lie
agricultural land. me act of 1880 being grant an
presesG 10 the States, the United States cannot make
title TO the individual purchasers or ocators and many
difficulties have grown up under this head to settle
which and afford relief, the Secretary recommends
The Secretary recommends, ndspensably necessary
to the completion Of the vast amount OF business before
IT, continuation for another year the commission to
settle land claims in California The commissioners
have, by their great assiduity, accomplished great
deal and there is yet much them to do They have
adjudcated sq7 claims which i about half the number
presented. OF these 24 confirmed for about 736
leagues of land and lo3 rejected covering about
The Secretary adverts to the irregularities and in
easslites produced by the numerous and diversified
pension laws and recommends important modifca
lions with view TO restore the system somewhat TO
the original design Of its projectors and to increase its
and leg tmetely deserving objects OF government favor
and protection. He reviews his recommendation
Of biennial examination of invalid pension
ers, and cites the singular fact that while APP
pLcstons are numerous, and constantly presenting
creased disability, but two Instances have occared OF
voluntary acknowleds ment OF diminuon Of the dis
ability for which the pension granted.
The department has been ngularly successful in fer
retng out and bringing to the perpetrators
of frauds the Pension Bureau Up to the 30th Septem
Der last and since the 4th March, 1885, thirty persons
have been ndcted-o these eleven have been convicted
nine forfeited their recognzances and fed died.
committed suicide have euled the officers, and six
Rwait their trial
We surprised to learn that in large
and important a department as that of the In
1eror, no appropriations ledgers were kept therein
by which the financial condition of the department
could b. sscertaned until present Secretary
charge OF IT, 1t appears thai admirable aud
economical system has been devised and in
fui operation, BY VIII Oh uniformity, proaptitade and
intelligence is secured in the disbursement OF the pub
lie moneys and advances 10 disbursng agents regulated
by The Of the public service and the Of the
Department TO meet them On the 31st of March. lsh,
of S9is AIS 80 In the hands OF pen
sion alone This financial system has enabled
of June last those agents only had hand the aggregate
Of s3eJso1 20 amount amply sufficient t. pro
vide for the prompt pay ment OF pensions liable 10 be
called for, until other advances are made.
IT was estimated that the new line of boundary be-
tween de United States and the republic OF Mexico
would be completed within the time and amount es.
imatcd at the last session Recent intelligence indi-
Gates that's further appropriation may become necessary
hut the secretary still hopes that If made its use may be
avoided.
The Secretary recommends the densrcation Of
The boundary line between the United States
and the British North American pOSsesSsous.
and particularly that portion of it which forms the
also the settlement Of the claims Of the Hudsens Bay
and Puget Sound companies before difficulties and en-
up between the subjects Of tbs two
The Secretary makes some judicious recommendations
respecting the laws and organization oil tho Patent Office
the rights of inventors and increase the
efficiency of the Office in proportion to the rapidly in
rreasing business deyotving upon II.
The Secretary also recommends the creation, in con-
nection with the office of Attorney General OF Law H
partmeut of the government the increase Of the salary
of the Judges of the District Courts Of the United States
and certain notifications Of the fee bill of 1858. The
Secretary observes that large amount of discretion is
lodged in the department in relation to judicial
Of various kinds which he thinks should be regulated
By law.
A thorough examination of the subject has resulted
showing that the expenses incident to the Office OF
Coroner FOR the District, amounting perhaps. TO some
$1,000 per annum,) not legally chargeable to the
United States end disbursements from the Treasury
this account liz 20 consequently ceased.
The clerk Of the United States courts in this district
also teen required to conform to the law regulating
the fees o clerks of the United States courts in thu
several States and Territories and considerable savisg
of public money been thereby effected.
1t appears that two hundred and twcnty three terms
f United States courts held during each year, At
eighty eight different places: and in alludng to the
causes which yearly demand increased appropriation
1o the support of the judiciary the Secretary very
IDenty suggests whether the business transacted IN
the courts iusfes these terms appears that In tne
Western district Of Virginia the courts are held ~ M
INHERENT places in the Northern district OF New nors
1t eight in California six in Louisiana, at siN ana
h. florida 81 Ave. The Secretary seems to favor the
lee eOnrug the sessions Of the courts TO one or Two
nacss in each State, and the erection OF public build
tngs al those points for their accommodation and vith
Sew to make them indepenten t of the State or other
Ioca authorities.
The census statistics, called for by separate
resolutions of the two houses of Congress at tho
lat session. are ready TO be laid before
Congress and the work having been completed the ci6'