The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-28
By Congress. for The supper. q sas Respective s,....

s.
BY Congress for the support 81 TIE respective bran.hs
have been expended
j. gives me pleasure to bear testimony 70 Tho
general good conduct and fidelity or the oHsosra
connected with this department The calls upon essh
once are met with promp,ness each bureau u generally
up WIN current business, and indulge the hope ana be-
b tbat the duties Of each have been performed in sn
neI satisfactory 70 the country The General Land once
owe ~ ne location ana sale in previOis years Of unu-
toaly largo Quantities Of land was unable Tor ttpoe
WITH ls regular clerical force esus the pstsnt ON NO.
etuFs % RAPIDLY as desirable During the Dasi vear
however, the attention OF that Office has ber NJ
onseeo ~ snotct ana have the grau2cArou a.
sate has during the year ending the aOth sepsem-
pef ieos itVO0o patents were transmitted or pyer2red
Tor TRANSMISSION and delivery, ls,s OF swamp and
s n snas were prepared and certified the ssAtss,
tentr ' u'~ -
through be agency Of The different bureaus Of s part
msbt approved, and Deeds change In the reruls-
tmn q the details but few amendments required M
The eRisaiion OF Congress In relation TO tho public
sncs a acts large share Of the pubic attention. and
Interests Directly large number Of citizens All the
People Of fourteen States I'VE Territories derive he
title 10 Their lands from the federal governent and the
records and flies, evdencDg the ncspon u teir rights
preserved the General Land Office In Inc aa,ni.
sirson Of the land Of general and special apuao
b Questions often arse which involve CONFLICTING private
io'etss o. great magnitude and are most complicated
care aud Iatence counsel In very many cases claim -
privilege Of ing heard and yet DECISIONS m.ss % made
~, w'por ~ delay aho0sh they often involve
AZ Congress bias for Of years sanctioned by -
The eSsI sion Of new surveys over the puDc
aha 81 rate ropororate the progressive disposition
h.eo this basis has been assumed In preparing "a
ueunp ,he estimates Tor the surveys to madc dur
Turing The FIVE quarters ending September 30. 1870
idols s3 acres Of the public isnds were disposed a:
4Vo5tC acres were SOLD for oasb, yielding 2O7 l76:
a6lf A4O acres located with bounty land varrsnss
7l240 acres were approved 70 the States ent
teo 70 Them under The swamp grants Of March 2, 1872
snd mber 2S 1850 and 63s 2O3 acres oert6ed 70
sAes a. falling 70 them under the grants railroad pur-
poses ~
Buing the period OF time 1871 22i acres were
surv., co ano prepared for Market ana 553 acres
proclaimed ano offered al public sale.
'be aggregate quantity Of public land that has been
suIveysd but not yet proclaimed oes pubne sale,
was, on The soh Of september, 1889, 81 97os acres,
aho the estimated quantity which hao BEEN offered az cub
lie sae and remained subject private entry At he rar
Gus land .fhces, was so yteo, oco acres
sales Of public lands have been Iss Than vas
anticipated In my last annual report, although the
number OF SOLD far short OF the cacu
iation then made. The lds which, by long contInu-
apce In market have graduated pr,ces by yrsue Of
the act Of August f. 1854 have been cash Those
hela at the minimum Of 81 Is per entered
almost exclusively with military bounty land warraats;
anu although large quantities OF fresh lands have been
brought Into market by proclamatop less money in pro-
pors to the amount OF land offered has beeu received
from saies than at any previous od The expectation
In the public miad that Congress would pass law making
conviction thas the passage OF such would greatly
depTeciate the value Of land in the States the
only satisfactory explanation Of this great dimnuuep
in the derived sales Uni Tho public mind
relieved from this expectation reliable estimate can
be made Of the amount Of income which viii be
ceived from this source; but should this apprehension
be removed, the receipts WILL without doubt exceed the
amount OF 900 Tor The last three qaarers OF the
present fiscal year, and 81 100000 for the year fol-
lowing.
In the early periods Of the history Of the country Oon
gress in some cases, fixed by Inv the times which pub
n
others Directed The sales TO commence at such times
the Prcslaen. should Ok BY proclamation In carrying
into elect the act Of April ~ 1890 regulating Land sales
generally 1t became tbe duty Of the President proclaim
and offer for sale ali the pubic lands they might
surveyed and prepared for market
Prior to the year 1871 the legislation Of Congress bad
not encouraged settlements upon tho public before
granting pre- empon rights had been the OF
lief laws, by which uespasHes were waived and pre-
ference was gwen 70 ,hose who were ocsspyng public
laDos At the dates OF the several laws
By the act Of September 4, 1871, settlements upen
offered surveyed lands suthoz-d and by several
States and Terror upon uDsurveyed lands have been
legaized and invited All qualified pre-emptors who &C.
terinr the tracts TO which ,hey ara entitled al any time
before they are offered at public sale. But they are
CURED 70 s.a themselves Of this privilege before the
Offering Of the body Of hnds In he vicinity, aud they
,s 20 DO they forfeit their rights pre.empton and
The laDds they have occupied liable 70 be sold
highest bidder. Hence the day Of public Offering Of
lands becomes epoch of great importance those who
scs Ss o. are
ermned by the President in his discretion the exercise
o. .naI discretion becomes matter Of difficulty and
When The exigenc.es Of the public treasury demand
happen that settlers are leas, PREPARED 10
make payment for their pre- -empuons, ana conflict
arises between the private interests Of worthy css Of
citizens and the regular execution Of the land apvs Tho
consequence s that the strenuous Efforts are made
by petition and personal poeas TO the magistrate
n induce poetponemcnt of sales This state Of thines
should never arse and can be easily avoided Tue re-
NEEDY simple and viii prove just and advantageous
deeply Interested IN the matter. 1'
would recommend that . law be passed in spirit Of
hberay TO settlers on unoered lands, allowing each
Two years, nom the date OF fling his declaraory state
ment, within which TO make his proof and pay for his
and; and at the same ume making il incumbent upon
lands been BY "a, S com a
gross, At any time within wo years after the pats OF
survey have been approved As protection aganstraud
ulent prescriptions, no one should be permted effect
an entry uDl liter the expiration OF three months from
the date Of fling his decaraory statement has
produced satisfactory proof Of three months continued re-
sidence upon the land claimed.
By the adoption Of such amendments the President
would have before him plain path of duty In bringing
lands into market No one could be taken BY SURPRISE
no expectations could be entertained, calculations
made which would depend Cor solution The exercse Of
Executive discretion Bona fde pre- ernptors would be
proece in the possession the upon which they
bad Settled, and iDduIged with ample time within which
To pay tor thu M and entire land system would work
with such simplicity justice general benefit the GO
vcrpmeDt and the citizen, has been attained in
land
The advantages and profits arising from the rst set
ement OF new country ought to be enjoyed by the early
settlers. They have peculiar hardsh,ps and privations
to undergo especial dangers aud labors encounter
The law does not oDttmpate that they shall
have amy competition except from other actual settlers,
In selecBg The most fertile lands aud the choicest
tone. But all other citizens declared privilege
Of purchasing single tract until the lands regularly
in the market, there Ne reason to believe that the with
holding Of lands from public Offering AND consequently
from private entry has often proved temptation
A. tlOlln
Spectators profit by IL more than any other class
bow great this temptation 10 fraud is may be inferred
from the fact that In many instances lands which have
been entered al 81 rs per have sold in twelve
months after entry at from ten hundred dollars
per hcrc
Opposition 70 the public sale or the surveyed lands
ars.s in certain communities, also, from the
Iectaton that Congress will change the establish
ed policy Of selling homesteads 70 settlers at
price, and adopt u new one Of giving 10 them
100 acres OF land or more, on condition Of residence
thereon for term Of years, and Of reserving tho
unoiered public domain from all other disposition in or