New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-06

Snibsl 20 st. Joeephs. Is aiso cIoseo, except ieN
ssted n, the agents Of the State as swamp lands un-
5sr the set Of 1850 and which are IN process o, "a
sr.trrept The grant for the Southwest hoso,
yrov, 81 Louis Missouri, is IN process OF adjustment
and win be completed as soon as pracucap'e.
Nohpe has yet been done with the grants Tor rosas
in for the reason that by the terms oi ,oe
grant the Legislature OF the Sae vas au oorI "
Rave the routes of the road established; aud tnee
hody did not meet since the grant wa MADE th TINS
fal II s pr. sumed that the routes OF these roads
will be established from surveys areahy inaoe aui'
vben established the grant will be adjusted az speed
III g,srt for the sanlt Ste Marie Canal it is
rected will be finally adjusted by the commencement
~ the session of Congress.
A. IN ipstarce Of many members Of Congress and
tbers about 81 coo 600 Of acres in several OF tho
ianc States lad been Withdrawn from market 10 an
t;coson of grants for railroad aud other oterns in
movements. As such grants were not ma e 1t was
deemed expe6ient 20 restore these masses Of lands to
market especially in view Of the passage OF the bill
graduating the price Of the public lands and this las
been done except where the reservation was for
aIed period, OF have already been made.
The adjustment Of there grants and the prompt
dscberge Of the current duties Of this Office have
been mat rally Dtefered with by the delay in select
ing the swsmp lands
when the act of 2sth September, 1850, was passed,
granting the swamp and overlooked lands to tue sew;
sral State the Surveyors General were charged
with the selection of those lands in the States where
that Office stll existed, and, where not that daty
was devolvod the Registers and Receivers OF the
Land Offices.
The Instructions required that the selections should
be mace from the field or descrpt notes OF sur
yey whfre the States willing to accept that
ba,is but where they were not, and ealmsd other
lanes in addition TO those shown by the hed or oe-
scrpive notes TO be embraced by The law, that the
lands claimed should also be certified 10 Tue otaes
on satisfactory evidence that they were OF the charac
ter alleged. a., -,
tions are not vet completed. In the meantime, Du-
IerOus entries and locations were made OF lands SUBJ
pily claimed by the States, and in many cases
Of ibis kind where these claims have been contested,
IL has ben 70 md that the lands not embraced
by the law; and consequently the sales or Locations
were con6rmed-the cloim on the part OF the states
having originated in the Ignorance or careessness oil
some of their agents. As the matter nos stands,
however it is npossible 10 issue patents for sales
al locations with any ,aety, till the final return OF
the swamp selections has been made, returned and
ported. The parties who claim these pateats com,
nlaip apo with good Ieason of this withholding OF
the evidence Of their titles and the extent OF Toe evii
NAV be Judged of from the fact that by careful esti
maies il appears there now in this Office about
124 600 Iaiebts written end not transmitted.
To remedy this evil, respectfully recommend that
authority be given for the issue Of these patents and
that proyision be made by law that tue purchase
nor ey for any such lands be paid over TO the States
and that they be authorized TO select others in lieu Of
those located with scrip, land warrants &c on due
proof by the authorized agents Of the States, th At
such lanes were Of the character embraced by the
swamp land act OF 1850.
Further experience in examining the Virginia Rev
out onary Bounty Land Gle ms filed for scrip under
the oct OF August 1882, has fully evlnced the diff
cuIties in arriving at satisfactory conclusion ia
many Of the cases In view bo~ever OF the liberia
col ucoD given 10 the act of 3ls August 1882 by
your decision, and the opinion OF the Attorney Gen.
esl rendered sibce the recommendation ia my report
of lat year. am clearly of opinion that every claim
can he fatsfed that sh ud be allowed, and hence,
that further Legislation this subject is unnecessary
IL not inc xpedient None entertain higher estl-
mete than is held by this Office of the value of the
services for which Bounty Lands were promised by
Virginia in the revolutionary Struggle, and hence the
most liberal construction consistent with the law has
been spp.d TO claims Of this character
Tie tenton OF Congress Is again respectfully called
to the imperfect condition of part of the records of
this division. These lords are the only evidence OF
title 10 numerous bodies of land in ONO, patented
prior TO 1884 and is highly important that measures
should be promptly adopted for perfecting them, as
every year Delay increases the difficulty in accom-
plfbiDg that Ohs CT.
In connection with this subject il is suggested that
aDumber OF CENTRES" they termed, OF Viz
ginia Revolutionary Warrants, were made in the Mil
itaIy District Of Ohio for which surveys have been
executed, patents issued owing to the neglect OF
the wneIs, many Of whom, their heirs or assigns
now occupy those lands. The act of Goth February,
1850, expired on the LIST of January 1882 aud since
that time surveys could be executed Of any OF
these CENTRES however meritorious. To close this
whole matter, IL is respectfully recommended that
authority be given 10 consu all cases OF this
Character; and that the balance Of the public land,
Amounting is estimated, 10 about 60 900 acres be
donated 10 the State for school purposes.
that the lands intestitia slips of irregular
shapes, generally excluded from the adjoining sur.
veys is believed becarse they considered of
little or no value and further, that il would in all
probability cost the Government more 10 hunt up,
survey, cell, and issue patents for them thsn would
be realized from the laDdo. 1t is mportaOt however,
In finally dsposng of these tracts either by the Fed
eral OF State Government, that provision be msde
giving prsfer nee in the purchase of them to sdja
cent propIietOrs at given price and for fixed time.
This suggestion made to prevent conflict Of bound
aries and The litigation that will necessarily grow out
of il in survey ing these lands II will be necessary
for this purpose to retsce old boundaries of irregular
figure, the marks and monuments of many of which
tits probable have been entirely effaced by time
accident In fact IL would seem TO be nee ssary ia
this case 10 introduce something OF the old Maryland
system OF surveys TO take up vacancies resurveys
70 incluoe vacancies.
In view of the increase Of business consequent on
the operations of the la graduating the price of the
public lands, aud the decrease in the compensation
OF the lard Offices caused by that reduction it would
seem 10 be Just that provision be made TO recon-
pense them for their labor The measure Of com.
pepsation herr toore allowed should therefore be
hpped-hat 10 one per cent where fees allo we'd,
estimating all the lands at II 25 per acre with the
restriction that they should not exceed s625 for any
one quarter. e. SOC for the whole of off cisl
year where the sales exceed that amount, say TO
extent that would make the per centage equal $780,
when aproportionste per ceniage should be allowed
10 compensate clerk or clerks for the additional
outy Necessary TO keep up the business. Al allow
anee should also be made these officers for Different
and they should be required TO keep their offices in
cafe and secure buildings that the valuable docu-
mems IN their custody would be preserved against
every rick Of loss OF desructhn
AZ is these offices containing the Only reliable
evidence OF the foundations OF title TO the numerous
and valuable farms AL ov sr the land States ara fire.
quenuy located III frame buildings 30 situated as 10
insure their destruction in case Of fire in the vicinity
and often wholly insecure against ,re.psss by tue
miscbievoGs, designing dishonest The cost is too
slight, In comparison with the risk