The daily union., 1854-12-10
PUBLIC DOCUMENT T.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
INTERIOR.

Dor the part OF the bureau produced by Is immense
and has involved Office in difficulties that cannot be
easily or effectively surounted without the further AID OF
Congress The law be modified as to preserve Its
distinctive features relieve its provisions from the unte
ainty that attaches to them, and at the same ume
more efectualy accomplish the grand object 70 DC AZ
tained No doubt the intention was to AID ana po'ec' inc
acua settler and the schemes OF mere Secu
ators This being assumed the law according to the pa
sibe construction the latter will be found amentabiy
defective 1t could have been enacted to subserve their
interests the expense of those seeking permanent resi-
dences and yet unless it be strictly guarded is
provisions clearly defined and its objects more fy
declared it is feared such will be the result
During the last fiscal year. ll07O935 have been
SURVEYED and 81 brought into market With
in the period there were sold for
Amount received therefor $9,2s5,533 SO.
Located with military scrip and land
warrants. 34looVz1o
s,va,.,p lands selected for IL 033Sl353
Selected on donations oT roads, &c..... l75l962Ia
u.r;nc fatal of........2323s3 of 23s 3l3O5 acres
hi,in an increase of s52 24o07 acres over the pre-
vous wear of lands sold for cash and sensible diminu
ton in the amount located with scrip and land warrants
and selected for States -,
The quantity Of land sold during the second and thrd
quarters of the present year about acres pc
ing an increase of about 39266l9 acres Tin cash OF
642 96 A that of the corresponding quarters OF tue
last year. This extraordinary difference Is owing 70 ne
remarkable advance in the price OF real estate over lne
whole country and to the operation OF the law graduating
the prices of the public lands ;.
Tie quantity land granted to satisfy the warrants Is
,ad n soldiers of all since 1890 amounts to 81
aoT 62 acres Tc satisfy Virginia land warrants scrip
embracing s376 has already been issued and the
balance yet required is estimated at about acres
In INV lost annua report donations Of public land for
the construction OF great leading highways in the new
states we're recommended for therein stated Al
though nothing has since anspea 70 cnange M M Os
men vet it would be folly to attempt to conceal the iact
that through the oR1ary OF the scaems Inc appaaent M
gain has induced many projects which are totally unwor
thy of public confidence.
Il nav therefore be difficult under existing circumstan-
batNa
mid and those urged speculative purposes But
the application proceeds from the legislature OF the State III
which the improvement contemplated and upon thor
ough examination and rigid scrutiny it is found to be pro-
motive of the Development Of the country and the enhance
meut of the value of the adjacent lands mere can DC no
reasonable objection to the grant
BY confning it the land in the vicinity OF the pro-
ected thoroughfare restricting the amount at any time to
be patented TO the construction and completion OF given
number of miles of road throwing such guards around
the grant legislative wisdom may devise there can be
little danger of the donation being improperly used
plated the construction 056 miles of road Exclusive OF
The great Pacific railroad and its branches aud assuming
six sections to each mile OF road would have required IN
round numbers twenty millions of acres.
compliance with the urgent solicitations OF the repre-
senatives Of several portions Of country where these
contemplated improvements were to be made large pooes
of land estimated at about thirtyone millions OF acres,
withdrawn from market In anticipation OF the grants
being made but this not having been done the lands were
restored market Immediately afeg the adjournment OF
Congress
The withdrawal OF lands from market under such cir
noxious several objections viz Its effects IN retardng
the settlement of the country its questionable propriety
the difficulty in discriminating between cases in which 1t
should be done those which should not and the
injury that might be inflicted upon the Eecton OF country
the proposed grant intended to benefit BY turning the
tide of emigration elsewhere For these and maIy other
equally obvious reasons it determined that there
should hereafter be reservations for such purposes until
grants actually made by Congress
The department would reterate it's recommendation
that officers connected with the and sale OF the pub
lie lands be prohibited under severe penalties from be-
coming purchasers.
Such is the general rule in regard to ordinary agents
auconees and it is essential that it should be ap
piled here, Experience shows its absolute necessity
After the passage OF the of $50 granting the swamp
and overowed lands to the several States in which they
lie many of them entered at the government land Of
Gees and the purchasers claim their patents and are
equtably entitled to them Il is therefore recommended
that with the of the respective States in which
the lands situate the patents be ssned and that where
the land sold for cash. the money be paid to the State
in which the land lies and where it was located with scrip
land warrants the proper State be authorized to enter
the amount of land located from the public lands in
that State subject private entry As the lands belonged
to the respective States from the date Of the act this will
be the most equitable and perhaps satisfactory manner OF
settling the difficulty Some mode should be speedily de
vised to relieve the general government the States inter-
ested and innocent purchasers, from embarrassment
II will be necessary again to extend the time for the
completion of the work of the commission TO ascertain and
settle the private land claims in California 1t expires on
the 4th of March and the time is extended, it is
desirable it should be done sufficiently early in the session
to enable the department advise the commissioners to
continue their abors Notwithstanding the indeatigabe
due regard the public interests I've closed within the
time allotted.
The whole number of claims presented 83. Of these,
72 adudicaed by the old board which const-
tuted in September 1851 and 325 by the board a-
pointed in April 1853 Of the 39 claims thus adjudica-
ted 29d confirmed for 136 square leagues of land
and lo3, covering 3S3 square leagues, rejected.
transcripts have been forwarded to the Attorney Gene
raj in cases and duplicate transcripts in 202 to
the proper courts, as required by law. ~
The recorded deposions of witnesses decisions OF the
board original Spanish documents ranslatons and the
daily proceedings of the board in ALL 649 pages
equal about al 492 oos 1t is estimated that there is
at least much of this kind OF clerical work to be
done.
append hereto copy Of the most recent report rccey
ed from the commission
Since the classification and reorganization OF the
Pension bureau it has been conducted with much order
and regularity There is unnecessary delay in dec-
ding the applications presented and every attention is
given them that can be desired.
The fact before noticed that the pension act OF 3d
February 1853 did not the of widows OF OFF,
GERS noncommissoned officers marines and mariners who
served in the navy during the revolutionary Con-
gress Mt Its last session overlooked it, and the omission
clearly accidental is proper should be again pre-
sened for consideration. The widows seamen who die
in service in time of peace entitled pensions which
withheld from those Of officers and soldiers of the army
There is for this distinction 1t supposed by
that fund is raised for the purpose by the
themselves, when in service; but this is Both
stand upon the footing and have like claims the PEN
sion being gratuity in either
Great inequalities exist in the pension laws and in their
operation The evil is of so absurd character in many
instances to be exceedingly annoying and morying,
presumed that single one will be sufficient attract
the subject seaman a marine and