American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-12-20
Report Of the Secretary OF the In
terror.


To the Department of the Interior,
by the organic act, is confded the gu
pervision of the Patent Office, the Cen
eral Land Office, the Commissioner of
Public Buildings, the Board of Inspec-
tors and Warden of the Penitentiary
of the District of Columbia, the Cen
sus, and the accounts of the Marshals,
Clerks and other officers of the United
States Court, embracing those of tho
District of Columbia, and to these have
since been added the Insane Asylum,
the Mexican Boundary Survey, and
the construction of several territorial
roads. The report of the Secretary
of the Interior holds that the labor
here imposed upon tho Department. is
quite sufficient, and that no more bur-
dens should be laid upon it.
The survey of public lands has pro-
crossed rapidly-the quantity, exclu-
sivc of school sections, surveyed since
the last report and up to the 30th of
September, being 16, $4,000 acres
In the execution of the graduation act,
many grave questions have arisen;
some Of which cannot be satisfactorily
settled without the interposition of Con-
gress. The looseness with which it
has been, in many respects, drafted, is
is particularly complained of. The
quantity Of land sold for cash during
the last fiscal year is CYCLISTS acres,
for which the sum of $8,821 Ala was
received; the quantity located with
military scrip, and land warrants is s.
382, 4S0; the swamp lands approved
to the States 6,036,8 74, that granted
for railroad purposes 15,680,S75, ma
king q total of 1928, 10S acres. The
Secretary 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 OK
tended with entire success and unpre-
ccdented rapidity along the whole Pa
cifc slope, embracing California, Ore
gon and Washington Territories, and
into Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico,
and Utah. This immense geographic
cal surface has been organized into six
new surveying departments. During
this period there have been sold for
cash 0,935, ia acres, for which there
has been received $27, $40, 141; loca-
ted for military bountics 1896, $50,
approved under swamp land grants
80, 1919, 056, and granted for railroads
1926, 282; making tho aggregate of
93,976,772 acres, disposed Of in part
for farms by direct grants. AS ono
illustration Of the great labor incident
to the accomplishment of these opera
tons, it is mentioned that the records
of correspondence cover ninety thou
sand folio pages. Eight thousand &C
counts have been adjusted, and four
hundred thousand land patents have
been issued by the General Govern
ment.
The discontinuance of four Offices of
Surveyors-Gcneral is recommended, g.
initiatory steps have been taken to that
end. The number of applications un-
der the recently enacted bounty land
laws, to the 25th Of November, was
200, 26S; those examined 230,726, of
which 182,070 have been allowed, and
warrants issued covering 22,003, 200
acres, 81 ,G55 have been suspended or
rejected, leaving 25, 542 original cases
not yet examined. The report recon-
monds that further power be given to
the Commissioner of Pensions to sus-
pend, diminish, or discontinue pensions
when tho reason for granting them has
partially or totally ceased, and the
Secretary is convinced from experience
and reflection that the only true prin-
ciplo upon which to base pensions is
that of Indulgence. In the opinion Of
the Secretary, there are distinctions
and determinations between army and
navy pensions which are unreasonable
and should not be permitted longer to
exist. On both of June last there
were 1892 pensioners, and the a.
mount disbursed for their benefit during
the fiscal year was $1,360,694. The
continued preparation Of frauds in
connection with pensions is noted. -
Particulars of the applications for pen
8ions and the warrants issued, are men
toned.
The field work Of the Mexican Boun-
dairy Commission has been all accom-
plished, as stated in the last report
The Mexican Commissioner, according
to agreement with the American Com
missioner, repaired to Washington a.
bout the LIST of July last, for the pur-
pose of constructing the maps required
! by the treaty to show the boundary,