Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-01-08

were selected aud approved 2US,5D3 acres, !eavl7-
u, 5U acres the same having been sold by lie p''
ernment previous to the grant. No provision iu.:-
been made for IN equivalent, the Governor ut " .
consn selected 60, 49, acres of the United Siates ~
ternate sections, which spirit of hberaIity wa;
reserved from SALE subject 10 the further as"m
Congress, for the pirims" OF supplying the resuu'"
The subsequent act Of lSJl, and the eNp":'a'"! !.
solution Of 1851, were passed 10 rmov" the u""% ~,
entertained relative To the proper coislruc'o" VI ~
act making the grant These required the nPP;,
ton to the act OF lSi6 OF the principles s"'o''-
the grunt of the State of Indiana for caai pun
The Land Office assuming these rs iis gu'ue' na
| mined, by liberal construction oil an 'ht ".'s y,
the resolution, 10 give Ia Wiscnns" n. "mI ,h.
iarce sections for the width ot the grant, an" ne
onc-haf of the sum of the actual meanGtrS" i GOV
shores of the canal the river and Inc ihkGr, VINE "'
their snuosities. including the large lake 'n"ooh
70, rs the length of the grant mus II WAS cli" ecu
10 (S1 9g acres, being increase ot l2,oio acres
over the origma! grant But the company wl'rn pur-
ports to have succeeded I" the rights "i the STATE
not satisfied with the construction given To lhe .am
by The Land Office, preferred clam Tor tie a'e!
nate sections on tho Wisconsin rtr7, from "he'o ~
| enters the Mississippi 10 Tie Portage, when "ou'u
rargc The grant upwards of 3D., con acres increasing
It rom 26o,4f} acres to l,o3G,4 urres, anu
much more, depending the rule that III sht DC
adopted. The lands On the Wisconsin ri'ef h"'.''S
never been embraced by any action q! Gong pu'
the grant being expressly restricted Ia mo f"' 't"
LakeS and P1ria.e, the claim after full exaina'i"h
by the late Commissioner o! the Land Office, ana re-
vew on appeal by mr, with every proper dlsposit'"h
| to favor the State, rejected, anu the grant nus
been confined to The enlarged limit before mentioned
The act of the 9th June, lS3l, proposed TO grant
lands to the Territory OF Minnesota amounting ny es-
innate LII 200 acres for aiding III the conSUuc-
| ton OF rail road from the northern boundary OF
| Iowa to the western extremity of Lake SUPERIOR anu
WAS Internationally repealed by tue act of i'h eu-
| gust, 1854.
| The lands which had been withdrawn from sale III
July OF the Year, falling within The probable
limits of this proposed yrnnt, were accordingly re-
stored to maIt. aud the law treated rs nu!lity III
all executive Gc:!n after lis repeal
] must repeat my recommendation TO nr"nlef "iii-
GERS connected with III" sur:cy aru sale ut the '!nhc
lands from brro:"l.5 .,..c,tscTs The evils flowing
from it, permission are obvious TINT il would only
seem necessary 10 draw attention To II To huuco l'
prohibitions.
Much difficulty has been experienced in the execu-
ton of the laws glanting the swamp aud uveriowed
lands tn tie several States in which they lie. Some
patents have been issaUd, whilst Others have been
suspended for further inquiry and Investigations
Efforts making to settle and al just all the claims,
and it is hoped this will be dune to the mutual
satisfaction of the States interested aud the Govern
meut. The acts uf Congress upon the subject not
free from ambiguity, bur they Indicate Il generous
policy towards the States. ana entitled 10 aud
should receive Il liberal construction.
The commission To ascertain and settle the private
land claims i'll California will be able to complete lis
iabors within the period fixed by law, and am
happy TO say, without making further DRIFT on the
Treasury Its conduct i'll the discharge Of its duties
has been highly credablc and given universal shts
IA 'tinu
Under the act of July q. 1854, Bonrd Of Com
mlsSioncrs was appointed. and convened at ' lti-
ceunes, in the State Of Indiana, TO and adj
just the titles ~ lands in that State under the several
acts Of Congress making, and confirming grants to
settlers: but the sixth section required il 10 close H.
session The LIST "f September last. 1t unable
finish the business cuuidcd to it, and it therefore
becomes necessary to revive The Old board or create
u
The latte- ia perhaps the better course, and il is
supposed that ohe commissioner will be sufficient,
who should be appointed for limited period, with
authority 10 decide upon such claims from any
cause have not been acted upon.
New an! districts frequently carved out Of old
ones, and the acts made take effect from their
passage. The officers in the old districts canEnt
celre timely notice, as To prevent sales at their OIL
fees Ut lands IL the districts. To obyutc Tins
difficulty und not withdraw unnecessarily from the
market The lands in the districts prev"u, {" ic'
thorough organization, 1t is proper To provide by ~"
neral law that the offices shall not go tn opera
ton for six months from the passage ui the law es-
tHbshng them, unics III the jud uc III The Presi.
dent an earlier period Is necessary.
PENSIONS.
The affairs If the Prl!,ui! Office have heen con-
Quoted with great efficiency aud signal ability. Its
business has largely increased, and rendered the IL
5ors of the Commissioner HI!d his sub"~diaicr ardu-
Gus and severe. Most Of Tie difficulties iCre been
o, crcomc, and every branch i, up Ia date, except
that having charge If bounty lands granted by the
recent act OF Congress IL certain officers and soldiers
who have been engaged in the military service Of the
United States. Strenuous and unrcinttinS efforts
have been mate promptly to execute this act. Some
complaint arose from the apparent want Of prompts.
tude of the Pension Office; but the facts 50 lucl.y
stated III the accompanying repor. OF the head ut that
bureau clearly show there the slightest tnun
datlun tor It. The amount ut preparatory lEb"r was
very great, to perform which with desirable dispatch
was beyond the power of the force III the Pension
Office, and had to detail in aid at 1t many at the
clerks from the Land Office. Such has been the
Gam, mi ssuRr lay Dsli
into more efficient effect than any nt like character |
ever was before. The whole work will he completed |
in less time than anticipated. The number "i |
applications to the twentieth ultimp 29o,9ll |
thGs. examined, number Si,n vi which ~. Ssr2 have
been allowed 246OS suspended ar rejected; and the
number OF warrants issued JJ,9l' covering boiS,}2o
acres.
In the outset the Department directed the mp lea
tons 10 be taken up on examination in the order i'll
which they presented, 50 ~ to protect those
at a distance who could neither COME nor employ |
agents here. The same rule prevails i'll regard to
pensions.
The Commissioner Of Pensions upon his bein. sat |
sied ni the cessation Of tn. disability OF an Invalid
pcnsoncr and after the latte" has had am ic oppor-
tunity to show its continuance, aud fails ar ncSrcts
10 do so, should have the power 10 suspend the pay
nent of the pension strike the pensioners name
from the roll. No doubt can DO entertained that
many whose claims based upon this ground are
drawing their pensions na''nuny' although SINCE
the allowance they have entirely recovered. HE
nature nf the disease contracted i'll III. Mexican war,
aud which las 50 much heightened the r" indicates
this Certainly some Of them have been restored to
GOOD health, but failed TO communicate the fact To- the
Pension Office. A thorough investigation Of this
matter would prObubly Pruuce strange develop
ments and lead to some singular and Interesting dis
closures.
The pension laws crude, undigested and con-
hictin! tina, 1t is morally impossible ~ execute them
satisfactorily. They possess neither uniformity cqua'-
itv or justncsS. Their defects are obvious and
:aring that curSnry examination will sniisfy the
.,ust ekcpfical of the necessity of revision. III
wurd be- II hard task to devise more incongrunus
or perpeximg systeG than the present complicated
one.
Ii may become advisable to fal! bsck upon the
old principle If inriiyruce, which every hay-
ng any claim 10 humanity would cordially subscribe
IL It were resumed, and the ncritOrious and needy
sndicr, his widow n:':or children could receive
enough to supply their necessary wants, u one would
raise the slightest objection to such manifestation vi
the public gratitude. Now they are in receipt of
lew dollars Il month, which all know Is entirely IN
sufficient Tor the most ordinary pIp"ses. If pensions
were confined Ia this class, and their grauties pro-
perly enlarged, Tie system would meet with univer-
sal approval.
beg leave again 10 bring to your notice the statute
limiting u years prosecutions for perjury aid for
gerry committed in pension md and-warramt cnses.-
Many criminals have set mp thus plea, aud eSc"rh Tue
vigilance OF the Jurrau aud the prosecuting oflrtrs
In il is hard Ia Gccc. the culprlf before
the time for the institution Vi criminal proceedings has
expired. There were nine convictions during the
ia-t wear, and Ike u:nber % prosecutions are now
pending.
The numier Of pensioners on tie rolls of the seve-
rel agencies for paying rc''s!"us was, onhe thlr-
;irth day "f June lns:, li,''j and the amount dis
burScd during The as fiscal year was 81 5Cl, liz 81
The sums i'm the ba,,;!s 1T pension agents have at
length! been reduced 10 wa; s required for the semi.
! annual payments allowing small margin, having
been reduced in The aggregate from s9iS,173 ~
on the ;Slst March, 1885, 10 S2m,O99 IS nn the 9th
June last.
In my last report remarked that, from the large
amounts il had been customary for them TO have "m
| huud, it not doubted that they hnd been fully