Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-12-11
Report of the Secretary of the Interior.

Lands-Indian misunderstanding District of Co
lumbia and the Patent office.
He states that the whole amount of the public do
MAN, covers surface exclusive Of water, of thou
sand four hundred and fifty millions of acres 1t was
acquired by cesson from the original thirteen States
by the Louisiana and Florida purchase by the treaty
with Mexico ceding California and New Mexico by
the arrangement with Texas and more recently by the
Gadsden purchase from Mexico.
The surveying system organized into twelve differ
en DISTRICTS and the lines of the public have already
been extended than efourh of the whole
face of the public domain.
That surface, heretofore stated 450 900
OF this, there have been surveyed and
prepared for market, of net public
lands, that is exclusive of school lands,
Of which quantity 57442S70 acres
have never been offered, and are con-
sequently, liable to public sale;
| in addition to which, there up
subject to entry at private sale on the sOh September last
OF the public domain there have been disposed OF by pri
claims grants Sales &c. embracing surveyed and
surveyed land. 1868 862 464 acres,
which deducted from the whole surface,
as above stated, leaves undsposed of an
During the fiscal wear ending June go 1851 and the quar-
ending September 3d. 1851 public lands have been
veyed reported to the extent Of % $3.50 90
During the period q, $780, 37.27 acres
have been disposed OF, as follows:
Located with military warrants .. 1881 $1,000
Returned under swamp land giant. 1862, 1856
Estimated quantity of railroad grants Of Msr en- ~
The amount Of money received on cash sales 49,
This shows falling off of land receipts from those for the
corresponding period of the preceding year of
With falling off during the PERIOD in the location of
lands with warrants, of more than 20 per cent.
the demonstrates that long before the protraon of
all credit by the suspension of the banking Institutions the
investment in wild lands had greatly decreased
The report approves of the presumption system in ia
vor of actual Settlers and recommends certain modca-
order to perfect the system and render its opera
tons uniform.
The Indian tribes within our limits number about
three hundred and twenty-five thousand souls Invisible
into three classes The wild Indians of Oregon and
Washington Terrtores-the somewhat less ferocous
tribes of Calfarnia Utah. Texas and New Mexico-and
the tribes the west of the Mississippi many
Of whom rapidly advancing in civilization and indus
try. About threeourths of the whole number of Indi-
ans within the limits of the United States may be class
ed as wild.
The report makes different recommendations the OBJ
ject being to promote the civilization of the Indian
tribes the only Of preventing their extinction
1t looks forward to the time when the civilized Choc
taws Cherokees, Chickasaws and Greeks may be ad-
mtted to all the rights and privileges of citizens per-
haps constituting State
The Secretary does not think that children or grand
children of revolutionary other soldiers are entitled to
receive the amounts which mi ought to have been
granted to such soldiers, but not granted They
entitled to the of such pensions as were
actually payable, but not paid. Up to the 3Oth June
1857 sixtyone millions of dollars has been paid in
money to revolutionary soldiers and their Widows be-
sides large donations of land.
1t is suggested that the District of Columbia should
be entitled to have delegate in Congress in the same
way territory. 1t contains seventy-fve thousand
citizens.
Here follow mass of details and suggestions of no
striking interest relating to the public buildings, the
| Courts, the Patent Office etc.