The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-12-23
Report OF the Secretary OF the
IntertoR.


their rapid settlenent aAd relaxation from
wild and inproduetive state. II is system
peculiar to the United States, and based up.
on The principle thai, ,ahs=puhtiC domain Is
the property Of the people OF all the States
{ collectively, any lndiVid6s rdSsifiDe 10 apPro!
pirate to himself any particular portion of it,
: 10 .sllowed tado.Hasby paying into the pub.
lie treasury a moderate consideration. Large
grants hare been made by Congress from
time 10 time to the several States Of portions
Of the pubic lands lying within their respec.
tivs limits, 10 be spPIled to public uses and
thses Rrants have been justified on the prin.
ciple that the enhanced value and more ready
sale ofthe remaining portions is q full rernu.
neratiop TO the government for these doua.
lions. Grants have been made TO individuals
with but few exceptions, except as remu.
Z. nerailon'fos meritorious CT for the public be.
nett. In Florida, and in The Territories OF
Oregon, Washington and New Mexico, do.
natioH grants have been offered to those who
should emigrute aud settle within specified
periods OF time, ne means Of public defense
and for the purpose OF increasing the mill.
tary strength of distant settlements exposed
TO the hostile attacks and predatory visits Of
Indian tribes but this has proved falsacious
as matter OF public policy, on account of
complications, in determining the title to
public lands thus granted. In many cases,
settlers have preferred to pay for their lands
under the pre-. emption laws and secure their
titles at once, than to wait fer years and &c.
cure their titles without payment of any con.
sideratioD, on complying with the condition
OF actual settlement and cultivation. Acts
were passed in ls42 and 1874, granting two
hundred thousand acres OF land Tor the arm ed
occupation OF Florida ; and only about one.
twelfth OF that amount has ever been secur-
ed finally to claimants, while more than Two.
thirds has been wholly forfeited. The Se.
eretdry therefore expresses the opinion that
ssystem Of donations Of this character, and
:. While II is rot called for by the bona .fde set.
tIers, is unwise, unjust, unit quail and frauph
with mist hiei. !, has embarrassed conmu.
mites and retarded rather than accelerated
settlements.
Under the system Of public sales and pre.
emPtion rights, settlements have been made
on osecure and permanent basis. The tide
OF EN- grafton has rolled westward from the
Atlantic coast, driving the Indians before il.
and leaving in itS rear prosperous Stules, un.
III IL hos reached the heart OF the continent.
while from the shores Of the Pacific, the on
terprising pioneer 10 on his STEADY march
eastward, exploring unknown TERRITORY and
bringing to light the rich mine and the pro.
lnc SOIL which the Industrious settler will
seen occupy and improve. The system Weld
ing these results has been the work OF en-.
ightened legislation extending through half
century; 1t is peculiarly sdapted to the
wants and characteristics Of our people, end
2 needs no material change.
The report Of the Commissioner of the
General Lend Office shows that during the
nscsl year ending June 30, 1858, there have
been disposed OF to individuals, 96o7 ,O5s 46
tcreS OF the public lands, of " which 3.s04,.
s0o sores were sold for cash, yielding a..
ll6.7oS; aid SOC 1853 tcles were located
with military bounty land warrents, or The
quantity sold for Gosh, only 8l7,529 35 ncres
were sold at ind above 81 ,25 per acre, while
the remainder was sold at graduated prices
There hes been o greater dimunition of cash
receipts from the sales OF public lands than
was anticipated. This has been owing in
part to The failure of the crop in some places
and the, pre-, Alence of sickness or Aooda IN
oIners while the scarcity of money was
.iy"nefe prevalent and paralyzing. For
mere reasons there has been postponement
oi sal' SIN many cases; but as liberal in.
oulgence has already been afforded to the
settlers upon unofered lands, it is coutem.
plated to bring into open market several mil.
mons OF acres during the ensuing year. Much
.-et Inc lands which have been sold and locat.
ed during the year, were for actual settle
ment or cultivation. ...
On the Soth OF September, 1858, the GUAM.
tity OF furveyed lands ready to be brought !
@tnto market, was 81. .95Eo69 acres; and there
were then subject 10 sale at private entry st
oil the land Offices ever 80 O0O, 900 acres.
upder the various acts of Congress SIG, 1853
milittry bounty luud warrents have been is.
sued, requiring 55,73l 800 acres of the pub.
Tic domain to satisfy them. OF these, 4I6..
6s2 have been located on 44,23S ,OsO acres
OF land. 1t IL expected that during the next
year the receipts from the sales of pubiic
iants, and the quantities sold and located,
Will be greatly increased, 80 that the income
from this source, if no change be made in
the system, will reach at least FIVE nillions
of dollare.
The amounts of swamp and overaowed
lands granted to the several States, asre
ported to the goth of September last, are
nearly torty-one million acres. Patents have
been issued under the acts of ls49 and 1880
for more than thirty.six million ceres,
During the Gath Congress several acts
were passed making grants of lands to dif.
ferent States for railroad purposee, and the
department withdrew from market those nnb.
lie lands which it was supposed would he
likely 10 fall within fifteen miles of the pro.
posed roads. The grants to the St. tes have
been transferred to railroad companies. who
have been notified that a reasonable time
would be allowed to locate their routes def
ntely' and in event of their failure TO do so
the suspension of the lands would be reuoy.
edF The length OF the roads thus provided :
ior' Is about 1850 miles, and the quantitv of
Iaho which they receive is about II $50 6s7 :
acres. vi the lands which had been with.
ora"h from market, more than 1880 O0O '
acres nave been restored since March q
1906 and it is expected that additional ouan.
1859. '"e ne~' yeaf
The Secretary suggests the proprietv Of
pessing general law reserving all uarife.
rous' silver, and ciDnaba mines for sale for
tae use and occupancy of the people Of the
Uhited States, under such reaula atiops as
Congress may prescribe, and leaving those
ianeS containing copper, iron, lead, and coal ,
SUBJECT to the ordinary laws Of settlement
and sale for their development. The extent
OF those defnes estimate and gives assurance
70 our people in the future of unbounded
wealth.
Inc proprIety Of establishing q land Office
nj q |