The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-10

1882 and 1885, there have been issued 5l6 1853 military
bounty land warrants requiring 55, ,I3 800 of the
public domain satisfy them OF these 4l6, ,633 had
been located TO the aeh September last A 23S 030
acrs OF land leaving outstanding 100, 1876 Warrants,
| calling for III 493 $50 Of land
! Tho report of the Commissioner of the General Land
Office exhibits the progress being made in tho several
surveying districts in the preparation of othor and add
tiona lands for sale and il may be confidently expected
that during the next calendar year the receipts from the
sales of public lands and the quantities sold and located
will be greatly increased 1t is estimated that, without
some detrimental change in system, the income from
this will reach at least five millions of dollss
BY the act of Congress of March q lS49, and Septem
Der 2s, 1850, those swamp and overowed lands in the
several States in the Unon made thereby unfit for cult
walton, which remained unsod. granted to the
States respectively to enable said States to reclaim all
the swamp and oyerflowed lands within their limits.
The aggregate quantity of land selected and reported
to the Both Of September last indring to the States
under these grants, is 90, I29 492 - acns of which
there hnve been approved and certified to said States,
der the act Of ls4S 1879 23 acres and under tho
act Of 1885, 33543 1877 38 making an aggregate
Of 40, 1923, ISL 81 acres. mai
Patents have been issued under the act of 1850 for
2S S34 III acres and if to this quantity add the
1879 23 embraced in certificates issued under
the act Of l8i9 which have the effect patent
we shall have aggr gate OF 8zS "a ncrcs Tor
which complete title has passed to the States
These munifccnt grants, II wisely applied by the re-
specvo States, will enable them TO reclaim and open to
scttlemet and cultivation the most fertile lands lying in
the valley of the Mississippi which, had they bceIi re-
|
diton would have retarded the growth of the country
for indefinite time, being unavailable for production
and fruitful cause of disease and death
During the Thirty fourth Congress several acts were
PASSED making grants of public lands to the States OF
Iowa, Alabama Florida Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan
Mississippi and Minnesota aid in the construction Of
certain railroads within these States, respectively.
! These grants made in 1856, principally and
about the time of the passage of the various laws appeals
made to this department to close the local land Of
fees, and withdraw from market the public lands which
1t supposed, would bo likely to fall within fifteen
miles Of the proposed roads, This request acccded
to- and when took charge of the Department of the In
terror found very large amount of lands in the States
mentioned thus withheld from sale and settlement The
grants made by Congress to States 30 far as accepted
have been transferred by them to railroad companies
DESTROYS OF allowing the companies every reasonable ia
cy in nvning themselves of tkc full benefit of tho
bounty of Congress- yet believing the continued with
drawa of the lands from market for any great period Of
time would operate njuriously upon other interests in
those States, notice given that reasonable time
would be allowed the companies to locate the routes def
nitcy, and in the event of their failure TO do the
pension of the lands would be removed.
The length of the railroads provided for, under the
legislation of the 34th Congress- In the several States
mentioned far the grants therefor have been
ccpted Is ascertained partly by estimate 6i9 miles
and the quantity of land which will pass to the copa
MES III, 7S9, ,6S7
OF the lands which had been withdrawn from market
more than lS590,O00 have been restored since
March g. 1857 and is expected that additional quant
! ties will be restored early in the year 1852
1t is satisfactorily asccrtanod that mines of the
precious metals to be found in the Territories of
Washington, Oregon New Mexico, and Kansas and the
time has arrived for the government of the United States
to adopt some definite policy to its mineral lands
Under the act of March g. 1853 providing for the
vey of tho public lands in California the surveyor gen
era s prohibited from laying off, by subdivsiona lines
! those townships Of lands which are mineral.
The several laws securing the right of preempon to
actual settlers specially provide that this right shall not
attach to mineral lands and when mineral lands have
L.s,a
posa of them The question presented is shall these
mineral lands be forever withheld from market and kept
open for all persons who may desire to work them and
gather their rich PRODUCES shall they like agricultural
lands be surveyed and sold, and thus pass into the
ownership of individuals This question is interesting
and Of great moment and submit whether it would
not be wise and sound policy at this time pass gem
era law reserving all auriferous, silver and cnnabar
mincsthc precious metals SALE for the use and
occupancy of the people of the United States under such
regulations Congress may prescribe and leaving those
lands containing copper iron lead and coalthe useful
minerals suec to the ordinary laws of settlement and
sale for their development The extent of these dces
estimate and gives assurance to people in the future
of unbounded wealth.
and quiet have been restored to Utah. and some
additional legislation will be required to place its in
habants equality with those of the other Terrific
ries.
The organic act provides that the constitution and laws
of the United States not locally inappcable shall be in
full force in said Territory It is an unsettled question
whether this general provision unsupported by any other
legislation to the settlers upon the public lands
in Utah the rights and benefits of the several preempton
laws In that Territory have already than mil
lions Of returned surveyed and ready for market
Occupants upon these lands and want obtain titles
to their homes aud submit whether it would not be
act Of justice to the people of Utah to establish in that
Territory land Office and at the time in express
terms extend the presumption laws to embrace all
| the inhabitants residing within its limits.
BY the treaty Of 1888, with the several tribes of New
York Indians, tract of land lying in the southern part
of Kansas, and containing by estimate, S24 900 acres
reserved and set apart for the future home of those
Indians. Nine different tribes parties to this treaty
and it stipulated and agreed that such of the tribes
did not accept and agree to to the country
apart for their future homes within five years. should
forfeit to the United States all interest in lands
apart Twenty years have elapsed, and of these
tribes tes has accepted the conditions of the treaty
Individual members of the tribes, however, have
ed and settled upon this reservation According
the estimate made the date of the treaty the guam
tty of lands reserved sufficient to aot each soul of
all the tribes three hundred and twenty acres of land
Although thu Indians, tribes have forfeited oil claim
to the tract of land reserved for he yet those who
removed in equity entitled 10 their pro rata share
due regard to the welfare and prosperity Of the Territory
of Kansas demands that these lands should be surveyed
aud opened to settlement and sale Indeed large num-
Der settlements has already been made within the lin
Its of the reservation and the people anxious
qure titles to their homes Justice to the resident Ind
cannot be done without congressional aid and
ommend the passage of law securing TO the emgrant
Indians the of land 10 which they may be equt
bly, entitled and declaring the residue public lands open
to settlement.
Under the acts of Congress making appropriations for
the Post Office Department. approved March g. 1855 and
riQhts arc ured in