Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-01-31
Report of the Commissioner of the
General Land Ohice.

Report of the Commissioner of the
General Land ONCE.
We have received this report, one of the
ablest we have yet seen emanating from thi,
bureau of The Government By it we learn
that during the year 1855. 1875, ,2s3. is
acres of the public lands were SURVEYED
The total number of acres of the public land.
solI during the same period, including land,
located with military bounty land warrants
and those reported under swamp land grant
amounted to 29,s90O7924 acres This
shows an Increase IN sales for cash during the
last fiscal year over the preceding, Of $685.
1881 acres, while the aggregate disposed Of
exceeded that of the preceding year only
l,3l9,096.45 acres owing mainly ia the fact
that the locations Of military warraais and
other eertifeateS an,ll|I seleetions unaer the
sz0a4sf, l..sss, 5zDs<nal hlest. f.iltosa
and other grants. were .374 Gag 26 acres less
than during lRe preceding fiscal year
For the fiscal year ending June 80, 1855,
the receipts from the sales of the pnblic lands
amounted to Sll,4s5. .3s4 40, and for the
quarter ending September 80, 1855, 81, 325,-
7S3 81. as reported and estimated.
Speaking of the difficulties which have en-
sued under the graduation act of August 4.
1854, the Commissioner says:
The contested cases are principally of the
following cases:
|. Where the land entered was under set.
Il Al H.. e.l,, l.. L.
claims a superior right by virtue of such set
tement.
=. Where the entry was made for the use
of an adjoining farm, and the land entered
does not, with the farm, form compact
body.
3. Where the entry was made for the use
of an adjoining farm, and it is alleged the
party owned no such farm, aud the entry
was made in fraud.
4. Where the entry was made for the use
of an adjoining farm, but in which the tract
is wild unoccupied land and not in fact a
farm within the contemplation of the law
.. Where the entry was made for actual
settlement and cultivation, and it is alleged
the party sold the land soon after it was en-
tered, at an advanced price, and before any
settlement had been made thereon.
A III such contested cases are tried before
the proper local land officers, after due no
tiee TO all interested. Those officers have
received ample instruction for their adudi-
cation, and the testimony with their joint re-
port is required in each case to be submitted
TO this Office for revision.
All approved pre-emption entries, under
the I'd section of the act, will be patented
A n IF
the use of adjoining farms, under the 81 sec
ton. where satisfactory evidence exists that
the settlement and cultivation have been
made, and the entries ale in other respects
regular, will be patented.
All certificates Of purchase for entries for
actual settlement and cultivation where there
is no evidence before the Office that the sot-
Element has been made are withheld from
patentins and treated as in suspense until
further orders.
Minors iClo are heads offdmilies, aud others
entitled to the benefit of the redemption
act of September, 4, 1S4l, are also regarded
as entitled to the benefit of the provisions of
this act.
1t has been proposed to modify the circu-
lar of May /, 1855, by extending the time
from t,0o to tioeloe months within which the
10 DC the
land has been entered.
We must either discard the requirement
OF evidence of settlement and carry uncon-
tested entries of this class into patent, or fix
period within which the settlement shall
be made under the entry, and prescribe mea-
sures for the production of testimony on this
point, so that hereafter we may perfect the
title or cancel the entry. Should it be de-
cided that the department has the legal abil-
ity to prescribe the rule and measures sug-
gested, cases of this class will be placed in
train of settlement; but if otherwise, the in
terposition of Congress will be required.
The Washington Union, speaking of the
Report of Commissioner HENDRICKS, says
1--WE make room this morning, to the ex-
clusion of much other matter prepared for
this issue Of the Uaioql, for the animal report
of the Commissioner Of the General Land
Office. It's length should not prevent a care
ful perssal, for it imbodies a vast amount OF
valuable information, in the preparation OF
which much care and labor have been ex-
pended and great ability displayed. Seldom
has a more valuable poblc document been
given to the country; and it is not too much
to add, that Commissioner HENDRICKS in the
report before us, has not only furnished sat
isfactory evidence of thorough acquaintance
with the intricate machinery Of one of the
most important bureaus Of the government
but he has also shown administrative abli-
ties of the highest order.