The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-07
INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE UNION.
Annual Report Of tho Secretary Of the Interior.

annual 00PVEt u tho secretary OF the lnterior
DYPARTxN The INTERIOR, Nov 90 1850
Sri have the honor 10 submit /, on my annual re-
port, giving brief history or the operations OF this De
partment whilst Under my charge
The act tor 10 organization immasureIy consider
ed other wise many subjects almoat every respect
dfsmiar would not have been united In the same de-
partment There 10 no congruity in the principles oy
which the different bureaus governed; the dec
ca upon make have little relation to other
glance at the matters entrusted TO his Will
readily show To the DEPARTMENT by the organic act
The supervision Of the Patent Office the General
lana Oflse the indian ONCE, Pension OHce the Com
Of Public Buildings, the Board OF Inspectors and
Warden OF the Pennenary OF the District OF Columbia,
The een,us ano accounts OF the marshsls clerks and
Other officers tho United States courts, ,racing
The Dstsic, of Columbia. To these have since
eurvey and The construction Of several TERRITORIAL
| roada.
menis are Gully coDsidered, wouii seem thai reor-
ssnzaon Of The whole bad become necessary, and that
suitable arrangement nan the present one could
be ceviseC shosld be ADOPTED Al all events no fur
her burdens should be imposed upon this Department,
as its abors are already sufficiently severe and Ardnous
When orgsnized in lS49 several OF its bureaus
larger than mcst OF the present departments twenty
years before and they have since been constantly m
the extension and advancement OF the country.
Notwithstanding the Indian difficulties and other dis.
iurbances IN several OF the Territories the surveys of
The public lands have progressed rapidly The quantity
Of bnd surveyed exclusive Of school sections since
last report and up to the 90th Of September last,
was lG s73f acres much OF which is nov ready for
market
The grants made by Congress at it, last session for
railroad purposes have had tho effect Of Withdrawing
from mar ket large body OF the public lands. which
notv ihsiar ding every exeTton that can be made can
not be restored in less than nine months, and perhaps
rot then rs depends great degree upon the action
of the States 10 which the grants were made and 10
many cases the legislation OF those States
In executing the graduation many grave questions
have srlsfn some Of which cannot be satisfactorily SIT
has been made TO carry il into effect. 80 as TO benefit "a
lar as practicable tho sctua settler; but the loose
ne,s %hn which some Of Us part; were drafted and the
=. rendered most Of those efforts Intellectual Many
entries under the act having been reported TO
~ ns,sra, Land Office suifabe rasS and regulations
@ been adop.ed for their correction, end to prevent
me occurrence Of others. The principal difficulty
arises rom The ct that i e many cs,s, anoaan -.
ndnS Us.n eame tide 70 perform the require
aris Immediately nssi Ss entries made of
Or oo
tries have been applied for and VIII be granted where
the land office Satisfied Of the fairness Of the tran
scon hut where reasonable grounds for SUE
picion proof win be required to be ned within given
period, to sustain the entry. 1t Is, however compe.
lands sbal pass 10 all, Unfortunately. or whether
sauactory evidence Of compliance with the spirit and
in enicn Of the law shal be first required The for
would tend most to the relief OF the Land
Office as then the ksue OF the patents would be
on Ao O % hS me srsasd snas
lie, important Il at the matter should be promptly dis
rosed Of either by fanctoning and Affirming the action Of
the CO neral Land Office directing the patents 10 be
Issued without further requirement.
Ara.
Tie quantity Of land gold for cuh during
the Last fiscal year s............... e227,S.e96
Received therefor. IS 62l Ala SO.
Located with military scrip and land war
swamp lands approved to the States e,eso ss4ss
Selected under donations for railroads, &c,
and granted for railroad purposes, (csu-
mAteol....... lo,ooooiooo
,,.,...,r % 9,e 100 a.
Making total of.... os,31o, i0o 81
The quantity of lands rold for cash during the second
and third quarters Of the present calendar year Is
2tt0ct5 to Received therefor, ST. zoe, Ss3 y.
The difficulties in executing satisfactorily the swamp
land grants still exit Several Of the States have passed
laws donating these LANDS for specific purpose and they
plain that II the selections get aside for
her faith must be violated. II Ia conts nded that
mcst Of those who contesng the rights Of the states
mere spectators ard should not BIO permitted TO defeat
tDers manent interests that thereby many OF tho
counties, ano Of their people, will BIO injured and the 60
neni not corresponoirgy benefited. Much Of tns
IL uue and although many errors have committed
yet Is worthy Of consideration whether, under a.!
The crcums snces not The best policy approve
selections 60 tar 81 they 60 not interfere with actual set
tiers
Of lard officers 50 eco each, the being made up
by the salary or $500 ana per centum commission
lands But under The ruling OF the Supreme Court toe
courrsion Is computed upon the amount actually re
otived Without regard 10 tine SO that the commission
together With pro rata amount or the salary, reaches
s. COO IN month, and the officers term then expires
the 50 eco 10 then retained by him. In lie
thus lde the OF the officer the Office
because for the remainder OF the year be would have TO
dsebtrCe lis duics without further and
where tie lands in ,be district are sometimes
Gaze, IN great demand the government might be com
ss I.r sy ,ss nesas
rectier.
The land systm, under the legislative ensctmens Of
the la four ard by the active measures taken 70
meet demands for settlement has been extended With
tire unprecedented rapidly along the whole
Pacific ope, embracrg the State Of California, the Terri
S Ksa :, sSr.sp. New Meaco and Utah ms m
meme geographical surface has beeen organized into six
new surveying departments. aud the public surveys are
and the old distrcts have the PERIOD been
extended OF nearly sixty millions Of acres,
N which the lines have been run and established
Dcrns hs period ALSO there have been sold - "a, ;,
For ~, rbeb there ha. been received 81 aicti
Located for military bounties. Iee0o Ioo
Approved under swamp land grants 3olss oss
Granted or rallro A',o"O~oN
r.,,s .gsr,,.s. 90, e7s, 779
disposed o. in psr, Tor farms by direct grants :, india
uous citizens, portion Of titles Issued ~ indemnity 70
the defenders Of tho country. in part 70 aid the pe.
Sa.es In .edteDrs f overflow and MS oonse ruencss
valuable snds an pripgng them under '.are aud the
rt,idve h, sc. supg ,vNys ana o,ercour,e ey tie eS
tension Of Ne rsssy, canal and other systems Of ma
onal rtercsnmuncaiion, thereby also largely incrcs
Ing ne v~soe OF the landed interests Of the country
gree abor ncden, 70 the accomplishment Of the opera
ups mentioned. II may be etated, however, among
ronerous heavy items, that the records Of correspond
ence cover ninety thou sand folio pages, embracing dec
siops upon intricate questions Of title. not only
derived from feresn government, but arising under
the land legislation Of Congres during The past ball cen
tury Besides This, eight thousand accounts Rave been
adjusted and four hundred thousand land patents ssued
by the government
An txsnr alton bss been made, with view 70 ncer.
tain whether the number OF cfces OF surveyors general
could rot be diminished and has been found that four
may be entirely discontinued within the next two years,
ano the iniaiory steps have been taken TO that end
The number OF applications under the recently enacted
bounty land laws 70 the 26th list was 2tb z6s those
examined, $50 TAG; OF which 1872 o79 have been allowed
and warrants issuea, covering e. oc3 2e0 acres ana
CSC have been suspended reecsd leaving 20, 5s2
original oasee not Jet examined.
/ Tfe,e hv. have been executed with all possible des
patch; and there are comparatively, few claims which
have rdergone preliminary examination. The time
umed has been less than bali OF what
| anticipated when the several scs were respectively
passed Although the labor and attention required were
trest The work has been sccemplished In very brie