Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-13

t.rfered with by legal settlement il is to he ap-
| proved and patented to the State according to
| the direction given in the act of Congress to the
| Executive branch Of the Government tbs not
for me TO call in question the constitutonalty Of
the act OF Congress under disc usson or to refuse
obedience to plain requirement Of said act,
dience.
If 1t be admitted that Mr. Ludlow's applica-
ton and tender were legally made, and that the
lands We're subject to said application at the time,
ION which points you are not satisfied still II is
certain that said application and tender were re-
| fused by the district officers, and the purchase
was not admitted by them The extent Of right
that can be acquired by legal application and
| tender which have been refused, is only to a spe
cifc performance by the L nted states Of the con-
tract of purch the benefits of which the indi-
| vidual might be regarded having thereby
preserved TO himself. But in this case, whilst a
| contest for the legal title is pending before the
| Executive branch of the Government. the Iesis-
| lative branch interpoSes conf ms the claim Of
one Of the contestants, and orders the legal title
| to be given To him This requirement of the
Legislative power we obey without inquring
| which contestant had the superior equity at the
| date of confirmation
| And | cannot regard the equity, which may
| have been acquired by an individual, who has,
even improperly, been refused the entry Of spe-
cine tracts-though prese we'd 10 him by the pros
ecutlon Of his rights on appeal, sue appro-
| praton of the tracts would save them from
| the conf ming effect of the act of March 3, 1857
| Ii Congress in the enactment Of the said law
has exceeded its constitution authority and di-
rected patents to be issued to the States for lands
| to which individuals had previously a good title
the Courts are open for a redress Of their g.iev-
| ances
| In the specific case under consideration il does
| not appear, therefore, that this Department can
| now permit Mr. Ludlow to enter any of the land,
| embraced in his memorandum of January =,
lSJ6 Or can respect his claim for patents, or en-
| tertaIn any appeal f. III i decision of the Sur
| veyoI General in favor of the claim of the State
OF illlnolS L. selections OF swamp lands that may
| have been contested by him, under regulations
| Of the General Land ONCE, issued In December
| $3.50, aud February, 1856.
| YOur decision adverse TO further pro,ee ip0s
| in Mr.. ludlOw's case is, therefore, hereby al
| hrmed aud you will proceed in palenting the
confirmed samp selections to the several States,
| in accordance with the views above expressed.
Very respectfully, your Obedi-nt servant,
| J. THOMPSON, Secretary.
| Tothe Commissioner Of the General Land Once
The PROGRESS OF THE CoUNTRY-In moth
ing else is the general progress of the United
States more conspicuous than in the increase
| of the business of the different Executive de-
partments here. Year by year, month BIZ
month, week by week, and almost day by day.
evidences OF this fact press upon US especially;
for every day in the year it is our business to
| visit each Of them in search of in formation of
interest to the public for publication in the
| Star. Congress has gradually increased the
clerical force of all of them and has accorded
to the heads Of some of them such assistants i'm
the way of Assistant Secretaries necessary to
| the proper management of their increased du
| ties. Thus, We have Assistant Secretaries of
| State and the Treasury, and Assistant Post
master Generals. The Secretaries of War and
Navy and the Attorney General however are
yet compelled to do without such official aids
| ha for tla
upon those fuLctiOnareS has been compare
lively as great IN the last decade as upon those
| first mentioned
| 1t Is very clear to eur mind that the interest
| OF the Government requires that they should
be at once relieved of a considerable portion IF
| their labOrs, by the enactment of law proyi-
ding for the due employment of such asss lance
In their several departments. Such legislation
| will enable them to devote much more time than
at present to the proper management Of aues-
tons OF great Importance coming before them
by relieving them from the duty Of attending
to the matters Of deta2 and routine which now
necessarily occupy so much of their time and
attention We are very sure that if Congress
will promptly legislate on this subject as we
indicate above, great advantages will accrue in
the main to the public interest The PROPOSED
officers should be provided for with salaries of
81 900 each, to meet the expensive state of the
times.
The LAWRENCE Stone 4 Co BRIBERY CASE.
The New York journals are still hurpng over
the allegation Of the partners of this failing Fl m
that they spent So7 900 Of other people, money
in efforts to lobby through the last Congress a
capital invested In American manu- actures
including $1,000 paid to newspapers After
scanning everything that has APPEARED in print
on the subject, we have come to the conclu sion
that the missing money was not so expended
That in truth. the allegation is simply con-
venent excuse given by the members of the
failing firm for having misappled, for their own
benefit, trust funds intrusted to them The r
books and papers have been closely scrutinized
and so far not u scratch Of pen going to con-
firm the truth Of this statement of theirs has
been discovered In the condiEon of their af
fairs, with creditors and confidential friends
proclaiming that they have robbed them, it is
extremely convenient On their part to seek TO
relieve themselves from obloquy by pretending
that they spent the money ''confdentialIy.' in
bribing members of the last Congress, and others
| supposed tie be influential with Congress. Their
story Is evidently bosh, > and nothing more.
The FAILURE OF THE OUTRAGE CROP.-Thc
editor of the Albany Argus and Atas is evil
IDENTIFY wag in his way. In a late number he
roasts the Republicans and their allies unmcr-
| cifully on account of their deplorable condi-
ton, arising from the late entire failure Of the
Kansas outrage crop. Hear him
- The Tribune pointed with pride to it's story
Oi Two zee State men burned to death . Fort
Scott and the han2i ing of a clergyman named
stewart, while Civil War; Siege Of Fort
| SCOT, Defeat Of Cnited States Troops March
OF zen Lane and 800 troGps,' Arrest OF Cen
| Lane &c brought forward by its colleagues
All these fruits OF Black Republican culture, so
| full OF promise, have been blighted-nipped I'm
the bud by killing frost
| Poets speak Of the luxury Of woe but this
| Is not question of luxury. Outrag-s have come
TO be matter Of necessity; and the calamity will
deprive people OF their livelihood hal Will
Il .InNrx n. 20