Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-12-25
Report OF the Secretary of the
Interior.

The Hon. r. McClelland, Secretary Of the Inte
rior, has well written and interesting report
From which we CLEAN the following facts and fig
ures:
The quantity of land sold for cash during the
last fiscal year is 9,227,s7s acres, for which the
of $s s91 ,414 was received; the quantity loca-
ted with military scrip and land warrants is 1892
$50; the swamp lands approved to the States c.
036SI that granted for railroad purposes $780,
s75, making total of Sc, ,32s, ,l0s acres. The Sec
retary remarks that the difficulties in executing
satisfactorily the swamp land grants still exist
In reviewing the land system for the past four
years, the report states that it has been extended
with entire success and unprecedented rapidity
along the whole Pacific slope, embracing Califor-
mia, Oregon and Washington Territories, and into
Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah.
This immense geographical surface has been
organized into six surveying departments-
During this period there have been sold for cash
30 935 ia acres for which there have been recei-
we'd $27 $40 ISL located for military bounies l5-
SOC .26O. approved under swamp land grants 30,-
19a 056, and granted for railroads II ,036, ,2S2 ma
king the aggregate of 93,976,772 acres, disposed
ofin part for farms by direct grants. As one il
lustration of the great labor incident to the ac-
compishmt ut of these operations, it is mentioned
that the records Of correspondence cover ninety
thousand folio pages. Eight thousand accounts
have been adjusted, and four hundred thousand
Government.
The discontinuancc of four Offices ofSurveyors-
General is recommended and initiatory steps have
been taken to that end. The number of applica-
tions under the recently enacted bounty land
laws, to the 25th of November was 265, ,2GS: those
examined 1926, of which lS2,O7O have been
allowed, and warrants issued covering 90 O93, ,290
acres; 57,656 have been suspended or rejected,
leaving 2j,542 original cases not yet examined.
The report recommends that further power be
given to the Commissioner of Pensions to suspend
diminish or discontinue pensions when the reason
for granting them has partially from experience
and reflection proven that the only true principle
upon which to base pensions is that of indulgence.
In the opinion Of the Secretary there distinc-
tions and determinations between army and navy
pensions which are unreasonable, and should not
be permitted longer TO exist On 30th of June
last there were ,932 pensioners, and the amount
disbursed for their benefit during the fiscal years
vas Sl,360,694. The continued pcrpetration OF
frauds in connection with pensions is noted.
The field work of the Mexican Boundary Com
mission has been all accomplished as stated in
the last report. The Mexican Commissioner, ac-
cording to agreement, with the American Commits
sioncr, repaired to Washington about the 1st OF
July last for the purpose of constructing the maps
required by treaty TO show the boundary, and
three maps VIII be furnished by the 1st of March
next. The first part of the report is already in the
hands of the printer, and nothing retards its pub
lication but the necessary delay in engraving the
maps.
The report again calls attention to the extraor-
dinary expenses of the Judiciary, and urges the
absolute necessity for a radical change or modifi
cation of such of the laws relate thereto.
In regard to the insane Asylum, the report says
that the goth of June, 1856, there were within
the same 60 0patients, and during the fiscal year
there were received Al; died: were discharged
and there were left on the 30th of june 1856 o.
patients. The institution is in a lourishing con-
dltlon and bids falr TO be the nrst IN the cOuDtr
The number of convicts in the Penitentiary Of
the District of Columbia is y. Thirty-five were
admitted and 2S discharged during the past year
The expense of managing it is nearly equal
led by the income, and the excess is being yearly
diminished. The estimated cost of the conten-
plated new Jail, at or near the penitentiary, is
$500 The site, however, is not altogether
unohjectionable.
The report draws attention to the want of suit
able accommodations for the Criminal Court of
the District of Columbia. The Bridge across the
Potomac will not be finished this winter, but q
full report on the progress made may be expected
in February. The report notices that the i'm
provement of the grounds south of the Executive
Mansion has been completed; and, the public
grounds in the city of Washington have beer
considerably improved.
The report enters into some interesting statis-
tics respecting negotiations and dealings with the
Indians, and closes with bearing testimony to the
able manner in which the Chiefs of Bureaus and
the employees of the Departments have dischar-
gcd their official duties.