New Orleans daily crescent., 1857-12-18

-
considerable length. The distance by the route
selected, from Memphis 70 San Francisco, is Y, ,los
miles This Is regarded as the pioneer route for the
hrst great railroad that may be constructed To the
Pacific.
Report of the Secretary OF the Interior.
The whole surface Of public domain is stated at
never been offered for SALE and so 900 acres were
subject to entry at private sale the 30th Septem-
ber last The number Of acres thus far sold is S6S
S62 464 acres; leaving undisposed Of. lOe6 1873
were surveyed and reported 6,300,5 500 acres were
sold for cash 1881 OiO were located with military
warrants, and the railroad grants under the act OF
March were s. 900 acres. The sum received ave on
cash sales was "a 225 1908, falling on OF
with corresponding falling off in the location OF
lands with warrants OF more than 20 per cent There
are IS organized lAnd Districts but none ior New
Mexico or Utah. IA commission for ne settlement oi
Spanish and Mexican claims in New Mexico is recon-
mended geological survey OF the same Territory
is also urged. No change is suggested in the laws
applicable to the working of the Department In re-
gard to Indian affairs, the report exp!cla. nne n
souls The Indian Bureau is putting forth efforts to
induce the savages to take up with fixed habtatons
- without which little can be done towards amelio
rating their condition.
The tribes which have advanced in civilization, and
whose prospects are gratifying, are those in the
Southern Superintendency- the Choctaws, Chicka-
saws, Cherokees and Creeks, with the Semnoles in
the Territory west Of Arkansas. The establishment
Of District Court for the Superintendency is recon-
mended to heal disputes among the people. IN
Washington and Oregon the savages remain belilg-
erent. 1t is recommended that the expenses OF a
delegation from these tribes to the Federal capital be
paid By the Government, in order that they may
have an opportunity to be set right. Indian trust
funds have been invested in State stocks to the
amount Of 81 ,4Sl 49,.
port Up to June, 1857, total Of $6l, ,3l4 $40 in
money and large donations of land had been paid to
Revolutionary soldiers or their widows. During the
past year. 83 warrants for bounty land have been
issued requiring to satisfy them 352 l60 acres OF
public land. The number OF warrants issued under
all the bounty land acts Of Congress from the Revou
tonary war to the present time, is SAT
SO, ,7O4,942 acres Of land. The wagon-road works
have been commenced on the routes from Fort Kear
ney to Honey Lake, in California from FL Paso to
Fort Yuma at the mouth of the Gia, and from the
Platte river to the Running Water. The Mexican
Boundary Commission having concluded its labors,
its maps and journals have been turned to the
Department.
The Patent Office reports that from January to
September 80, 1857, 4,O95 applications for patents
were received, $40 caveats were fled 20e6 patents
were issued, and 2,2s7 applications were rejected.
The receipts of this bureau for threequarters OF the
wear have been $16l AIS; expenditures, $163, 3,942
excess Of expenditures, $2,526.
The General Land Office.
| The report and accompanying documents give q
full and very satisfactory statement Of the extended
| operations under the land system OF the United
| States: s65 4s1
During the five quarters ending Sept. 80,
1857, there have been sold for cash, for
s4,225 ,9Os Is....l.................. 5,3oO,55O
During the same period there have been
located with military bounty land war
rants .....,..., 49,. -. t,ooA'o1V
i And renOrted under swamp land grant OF
1850 5o................... ............. 3,s62, ,476
The estimated quantity granted to the
| State of Alabama and the Territory OF
| Minnesota, by act Of March last, for
Making an aggregate Of public lands dis
posed Of during the five quarters ending 49,. -,
OF the lands sold and located, it is estimated that
threefourths were taken for actual settlement
Under the Acts of ls47, 1852, and 1856, granting
bounty lands to officers and soldiers, who have been
there have been issued 5O3 OS2 warrants, embracing
IS $3.50 $40 acres of which 81 ,629 warrants have
been located, covering 3S,5s9 $50 acres of land.
There yet outstanding awaiting location lSl 453
warrants, embracing Is, 100, $50 acres.
The views of the Commissioner, touching the policy
Of the Government in the disposal of the public do
main, favor the interests of the actual settlers and
oppose any policy that would allow a monopoly in
| the hands of specuators
| The report shows an activity in our surveying ope
rations, during the five quarters ending September
80, 1857, beyond that Of any preceding period-and
that the quantity of new lands now liable to be dis
posed of exceeds, by many millions of acres, the
surveyed lands of any former period.
The quantity of land surveyed and
ready for market, and not adver-
i tised for public sale, exclusive OF ..
lands Withdrawn account OF
railroad grants, embracing an
n area Of. 81, ,442,S7G acres
/ OF this quantity there was surveyed
4 and returned during the five quar-
/ ters ending seth Of September,
Il 20 1888, ,46l acres
The work of surveying the public lands has plo
gressed with unprecedented rapidty in the Western
States and in the Territories.
Beginning with Minnesota we find the lines of thu
public Surveys extended to the 47th parallel of nortl
latitude on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior
and along the Mississippi, on both sides.
In Kansas and Nebraska the surveying webworl
is already extended over an area equal to some 3O(
miles, from north to SOUTH by 100 east to west from
the 3Sth deg of north latitude to the 42d deg 30 min
and from the 95th deg to the 9Sth deg Of west longi
tude embracing Indian reservations Indian trust,
other lands and that interesting and rich agricul
tuYal region.
On the Pacific Slope, the surveys have been pushed
with extraordinary rapidity upwards OF 900 mile
have been executed in California at the expense of
million of dollars. ...,.
In Washington Territory, the extreme northwest
ern portion of the Union the surveys have reached
nearly to the 49th deg. parallel-the boundary be
tween the United States and the British possessions
Leaving the Pacific slope, the Surveyors have entered
Utah. surveyed in the valley Of the Jordan and Bea
rivers to the extent of nearly two millions of
and in the interior region of New Mexico surveys
in progress, but retarded by the difficulties insel
arabic from the ancient titles in that country, for th
survey and final adjustment of which the interpos
tion Of Congress is invoked.
Indian Affairs.
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs reports upo
the condition and prospects Of the various lndia
tribes and exhibits in detail the operations of tn
: past year.
Treaties have been made with the tribes west c
, Missouri, by which the title of these Indians to al
lands owned and claimed by them, except such pol
tions as were reserved for their future homes, wa
eXtinguished. Thus 1858 900 were acquire
for occupancy by our citizens in Nebraska and Kar
sas, whilst 342 900 acres reserved for the
of the Indians.
2 The lands ceded by the Delawares were sold fo
their benefit, realizing l,054, ,943 II; those of til
i Iowas, $lS4,437 S5; and those of the four unite
l. tribes, 1886 $50.
! The Commissioner concurs fully with the stat
ments of his predecessors that Indian policy hs
l. two radical mistakes First the lands assigned
them are entirely too large; secondly, the paymel
of large annutes. The former prevents the India1
from acquiring settled habits the latter the
to foster feeling of dependence aud habits OF idl
!; ness. ..
!; The information concerning the Indians in Utah
but scanty. 1t is feared that they have been tan
Q pered with by the Mormons and that the larger po
on of them will probably be found to side with tho
q enemies of our Government and laws.
" The Superintendent Of California reports that Gu,