The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-17
EXECUTIVE REPORTS.
Report of the Secretary of the Interior.


Report of the Secretary Of the Interior.
Secretary Thompsons report opens with an
exhibit of the operations OF the Land Bureau.
A historical sketch is given of the methods by
which the public domain was originally acquir-
ed, and then follows schedule Of the orgaDiza-
ton of the surveying system. The whole snr-
face Of public domain is stated at l, 45O, 900 900
acres, Of which 57,442, $40 acres have never
been offered for sale, and $4,000, 600 acres
were subject 10 entry at private sale on the 3Oth
September last. The number of acres thus far
sold is Sc ',862.464 acres leaving undisposed
OF, l,1S6, 1877 1916 acres. Last year, q, 889 46I
acres OF public lands were surveyed and re port
ed; 5,300,550 acres were sold for cash /;
1881 ,0l0 were located with military warrants /;
and ;he railroad grants under the act of March,
were 5,ll6,000 acres. The sum received on
cash sales was $4,225,908 falling eff of
$3.50, las, with corresponding falling off in
tbs location of lands with warrants of more
tb in 20 per cent.
II g Bureau of Pensions return satisfactory
re Dot. Up to June, 1857, total of SCI ,3l4 620
in % )ney, and large donations of land, had been
pa d TO Revolutionary soldiers or their widows
DIR pg the past year, Al ,483 warrants for boun-
ty I'D have been issued, requiring to satisfy
tn N 1882, l60 acres. of public land. The num-
L, N acts of Congress from the Revolutionary
War to the present time is SAT ,26O-requiring
6(7 1912 acres of land. Frauds upon the
p n ion Office are numerous. and an extension
of le statutory limit of two years is recon-.
msr led, to remedy this evil. The report states,
in d tail, the condition of the public buildings
at Il 9 capital, and then considers the subject
of district Attorneys fees, concluding this
bra, ch with q recommendation of an increase
OF q e attorneys salaries on an equitable basis
! TIE esgon.road works have been commenced on
the outes from Fort Kearney to Honey Lake, in
CAL ornis from Ell Paso to Fort Yuma, at the
mo-, .h of the ella, and from the Platte River
to Running Water. The Mexican Bounda-
~ ommssion having concluded its labors, its
MAJ and journals have been turned over to
the Department.
ne Patent Office reports, that from Jan.
to sept. 30, 1867, 1905 applications for patents
wei received, $40 caveats were filed, 2,O66
pat ats were issued, and 2,287 applications
WEI rejected. The receipts of this Bureau for
thr quarters of the year have been $l6l,4l
exI snditures, Sl63, 942; excess of penditures
81, l26. Of the expenditures, S27,939 were
ma s, up of fees restored to applicants after the
exa mination of their cases. The Secretary
Ger lures this practice, and urges the necessity
of making the Bureau self sustaining The
rig i of appeal to a District Judge is also cen
sur d, and a repeal of the law which authorizes
the practice is earnestly urged.
The report concludes with strong endorse
me It of the utility of the Agricultural Division
of pe Department.
Report Of the Postmaster General
:. postmaster General Browns Report is very
vol ,minous. Mr.. Brown states that since he
en-, ,red upon the Administration of the Depart
me IT, he has ventured on no new theories nor
att .mpted any innovations on well-tried sys
ter He calls particular attention to the fact
the while but 8,l46 Post Offices were es
tai .ished in the twenty years from 1927 to l847
tbs number established in ten years, from l847
to 1857, was ll,444-being an increase OF
3, 1913 in Just one-half of the former period
d, ying the last fiscal year, l,725 Offices have
be n established, and 704 discontinued, being
a ct increase of ,O2l. The number of Post
m,4sters appointed during the year was $3.50
of shich A. 767 were to fill vacancies occaaioned
by designations. The total number of Pos,
o. ices in the United States at this time is
| u l48, of which 1853 are Of the class denomina
te Presidential, the incumbents being subjec,
to appointment by the President and Senate
| o.. the 30.h Of June last, 1888 mail routes
were in operation, with an aggregate length
| OF 242,60l miles; of which 22,530 miles were
By railroad, l5,245 by steamboats,, and AZ, 1923
by coach. The total annual transportation OF
m ils was "a, 906,067 miles, costing Sc, 622, O46
| 7 q cost of transportation was relatively as
! fo lows: By railroad, ten cents and FIVE mills
| p, mile; by steamboat, twenty two cents a
| HiJe by coach, seven cents and four mills a
| m lie. The length of railroad routes has been
10 creased 2,207 miles, and the length of stea m
bat routes is increased by 294 miles. The
n, fmber Of mail contractors is 6,576. The
stage coaches are going more and more out
! O fashion during the year, the length of coach