The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-12-19
Report Of the Secretary of the Interior.

Secretary Thompson's report opens with
an exhibit of the operations of the Land
Bureau. A hi torioal sketch is given of the
methods by which the public domain was
originally acquired, and then follows sche-
dule of the organization of the surveying
/ system. The whole surface of pnblic do
main is stated at 100000, 600 acres, OF
which 5S,4i2, $40 acres have never been Of
/ fered for sale and 50 900, 900 acres are sub
Ject to entry at private sale on the 3Oth of
/ September last. The sumber of ocres thus
far sold is 3G3, ,SG2, 4 GA acres, leaving undis-
/ posed Of, 1,0S6, 1877 ,536 acres Last year
23,oS9, f6l acres of public lands were snr-
veyed and reported; 5,30O,55O acres were
sold for cash; 1881, ,Ol0 were located with
military warrents, and the Railroad grants
unper the act Of March, were 5,1I6,OOO
acres, The sum received on cash sales was
1925, 90S, falling off of s5,322, 154, with
corresponding falling off in the location of
, lands with warrents of more than 20 per
cent, There are S3 organized Land Districts
but none for New Mexico or Utah. A
commission for the settlement of Spanish
and Mexican claims in New Mexico is rec
commended; a geological survey of the same
Territory is also urged. No change is sug-
gested in the laws applicable to the working
of the Department.
In regard to Indian affairs, the Report is
explicit. The Indian tribes within our lin
its now number 325, 900 souls. The Indian
Bureau is putting forth efforts TO induce the
savages to take up with fixed habitations-
without which little can be done towards
towards ameliorating their condition. A
plan, recommended by the Secretary, sug-
gcsts the gathering OF the Indians on small
or reservations and in denser settlements-
the reservations to to be divided into farms
and distributed among the individuals Of
the tribes, without the power OF sale or trans
fer, with central farms for the instruction of
the children, and supply Of implements of
agriculture for all. The tribes which have
advanced in civilization, and whose pros
poets are gratifying, are those in the South
ern uperintendency-th Choctaws, Chick
asaws, Cherokecs and Greeks. with the Sem
inoleS in the territory west Of Arkansas
The establishment of District Court for
this superintendcncy is recommended, to
heal disputes among the people. In Wash
lugt and Oregon the sayages remain bel
lgcrent. Ii is recommended that the ex-
penseS of dele CATION from these tribes to
the Federal capital be paid by the Govern
ment, in orGer that they may have an op-
Vortuuity 10 be set set right. Indian trust
funds have been invested ia State stocks to
the amount Of 81, lSl ,+76.
The Bureau OF Pensions return satsfac-
tory report. Up to June, 1857, a total of
sci, ,3l4, ,520 in money, and large donations
of land, had peen paip 10 revolutionary SOL
diers or their widows. During the past
year 4 ,iS3 warrants for bounty land have
been issued, requiring 10 satisfy them s.
962. co acres Of public land. The mbsr
Of warrants issaed under all the Bounty Land
acts of Congress from the Revolutionary
War to the present time is 547 ,25O-requir-
ing 60, ,Uf ,9i2 acres of land. Frauds upon
the Pension Office are numerous, and an
extension Of the statutory limits Of two y IS
is recommended to remedy this evil. The
Report states, in detail, the condition Of the
building al the Capital, and then considers
the subject of Distric, Attorneys fees, con-
cludiug tits branch with q recommendation
of an increase Of the attorneys salaries on
an equitable basis The wagon-road works
have been commenced on the routes from
Fort keatncy to Honey Lake, in California, /
from Fl Paso to Fort Yuma, at the mouth .
Of the Gila and from the Platte River to the /
Running Water. The Mexican Boundary /
Commission having Concluded its labors, 4
its maps and journals have been turned over
to the Department.
The Patent Office reports that from Jan. I
l, TO Sept. 80, 1857, 5,095 applications for
patents were issued, and 2,2S7 applications /
were rejected. The receipts Of this bureau
for three quarters Of year have been :lGl,-
4l5; expenditures, sl63, ,942; excess of ex-
penditures, s2,52G. OF the expenditures
So, ,929 were made up Of fees restored to
applicants after the examination OF their ca
ses. The Secretary censuree this practice,
andur the necessity of making the bureau
self sustaining. The right of appeal to
District Judge is also censured, and repeal
Of the law which authorizes the practice is
earnestly urged.
The Report concludes with strong in
iorsement Of the utility of the Agricultural
Division of the Department.