New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-05
ovpoRT OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.

Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, iowa, Nsn!vInhe, VIZ
- Arkansas Missouri, and to the Territories OF
Kansas. Nebraska, Minnesota Sknown az Daeotahl
Washington, New-Mexieo and Utah. Our CORE,
nJaneee las passed those hms, having extended
sf;,h;o sil the other members Of the Coniederecy
Sre no,1-resident claimants hold interests requiring
x;ns,r,snt under Bounty Land Grants for services III
abe W Of IN ,ns h a In GsI T tSes mn
a. foreign titles and under other granite IN great aver
M the three and OnefCurth millions Of sqpsre miles
keh CONSTITUTE the territorial extent OF the Unlon
C. nnhlc lands embrace area Of 2,S0o 90 square
H. or I450 100000 millions OF acres, beng |
more than two-thirds Of our geographical Sx-
s.nt and nearly three times as large as the |
Ts;eS At the ratification of the. defnitiye treaty
~ nesce In 1888 with Great Britain; 1his en-.
,i,e domain extends from the northern me OF |
Fess the Gulf Of hexco reaching 70 ane hordsr;ug
MON he great lakes Erie Huron Michigan, ana SUI
psrior; extending Westward TO the Pacihc ocean, WIN
fugets Sound on the north, the MeaIeTrane sea OF
orf extreme northwestern possessions IL includes
6f1een sovereignties, known as the " Land States,
80 AN sxteu Of territory sufficient for thirty-two ad
shiona each equal 70 the great Central land STATE
Ohio. -, - ,ho
rb productions Of the trOpics-of sugar cotton nee
sobacco corn, and the grape-the vintage, now sla-
pie particularly so in California; Tie ereat ceteals
wheat and corn in the Western, Northwestern, ana
Pasfc States snd in thata interior region from the
valley Of the Mississippi 10 the Rocky Mountains ana
Shence 70 the chain formed by the Sierra Nevada anu
CaFcaaes the eastern wall OF the Fat1hc, ,s"pe'
every variety Of soil is found revealing lis wealth.
Instead of dreary nvaTiable wastes as imposed IN
earlier times the millions Of buffalo, elk, deer noun
tain sheep the primitive inhaoian;s 81 se bs nnudat
xppnort az dense population through the skiui tVl
Of he apTiculurst dealing with the earth unuef me
guidance of the science of the present age; r.,n
Not only Is the yield Of food fol- man IN thls recon
abundant but il holds in its bosom the precious ne
Of geld silver with cinnabar the useful metals OF IRON
Had copper interRersed with immense Uels If
and mower and now the Indispensable agent, not only
for domestic purposes Of e but in the machnGshop'
the steemcar ard rtean-vessel qncsenS VIC ao ~
The country and being agent u active ana constant
REORGANIZATION with every part OF the Mepuphc;
Not year bad elapsed from the denninye treaty OF
Peace in 1888, before the Congress OF the C0ieder-
alton took the initiative for establishing systen Ior
Che disposal of the then existing Western lands ana
on tie both Of May us the requisite ordinance i0F
shst purpose was passed, by which the Board OF
Treasury was authorized TO dispose Of te surveyed
hands in the Western Territory, commencing sales at
New-York OF Philadelphia, with power 70 ADJOURN 70
sny mari of the United States.
An beyopd the present western limits Of the States
Of PenBsyvaIs, Maryland, Virginia, North and South
Carolina, and Georgia, was a~wlhernees, traNetSeu
only by the Mobihan Indians the UChees Cherosees,
Cheraws, and the Algonquin family, extending from
fhe S5th parallel to the north OF the ge@t Lakes INTO
Canada.
After the more perfect union was formed, By the
adoption Of the Constitution Of the United States,
Which went INTO oteraon on the 3Oth of April I7S9,
Congress the I'd of September, l7oy transferred 70
the Treasury Department the duty OF the disposal OF
the pubic landsthe patents for the same 10 be pre-
pared by the State Department.
Thereafter in 1919, the General Land Office was
created and by the law Of 4th July 1856, and other
arts the Comm sioDer Of the General Land Office,
under the direction Of the Secretary OF the Interior
and President of the United States is clothed with the
ksSecutive dgties" then "prescribed," or which
might hereafter "be prescribed by law appertalnlng
% the surveying and sale Of the public lands OF the
United States, or IN any wise respecting such PUBIC
lands and slso such relate TO private claims OF
hands and the issuing Of patents for al grants OF Land
nDder the authority Of tie Government Of the United
States"
TIE next suliecs 10 be considered is the inceptive
measures taken in the infancy Of the Republic and the
progress since made in regard 10 the survey ana dispo
Gal Of our land inheritance.
Immediately after the inauguration OF President
Washington, he laid before Congress report from the
Secretary Of War, acknowledging the Indian night OF
occupancy, and recognizing tire principle OF acquiring
sbeir Claims by purchase for SPECIFIC oonsi1eraCn &c
sording 10 the practice Of the late Enghsh colonies
and Government In purchasing the Indian claims, the
Sule 10 that respect laid down in the proclamation OF
7th October 63 by the King Of Great Britain inter-
dieting purchases of lands Of private individuals from
abe Indians and declaring that If at any time any OF
She said Indians should be inclined to dispose Of sad
lands" the same " shall DO purchased only" for the
Crown-tbe ultimate dominion and sovereignty being
bed 10 reside in the discoverer coioning upon tins
sentiment.
m the case Of johnson eesee Mcintosh 9th Peters
Reports, has affirmed this as principle OF night DOW
beyond question
sroaty Of 1885, at Greenve, the Indian title has been
axtinguished by the United States from the Great
Lake, to the Natcbez settlement taking Its name from
Ae tribal relations the Mexican AZtee) Indians, In
I'll the States Of the Mississippi having however,
remnants Of tribes, such the Stockbridges BROTH
ertown hohegans, individual Greeks and ChSetaWs'
foitawataies MiaHis aud others, who have been IN
vested by Act Of Congress or treaty with aiiodlI
niles.
Besides this the Indian usufruct has been extin-
crushed In the tier Of States west OF the Mississippi ex
Tending from the Gulf Of Mexico 70 the northern line Of
Iowa Including the greater portion Of the state OF
Minnesota, about one-thlrd OF Minnesota lDaeotah)
1cnitery, hall Of Kansas one%eish OF Nebraska, In
Oregon and Washington, eass and west Of the Cas-
eades provision having teen made there for tue con-
Sanitation and settlement Of the Indians in home reer
gatiens Of limited extent In California the Indians
have been recognized holding any specific tracts
81 country, but have been collected and transferred to
reservations Set apart for their protection.
In the larger part Of Eew-Mexco the great body Of
NE Indians purely nonsdie, excepting those claim
ing PHeOs with ascertaned limits, and the tribes Of
Me Hcarilos, MeEcaleros Mimbres, Gils-APches, Pr
snes and hafieopes for which limited rteeryatons are
proposed. With the Utahs treaties for the extinc
bon Of tue Indian title have been made
Oar surveying system began the Tract Of country
10 Ohio, known as the Old Seven Ranges. The CUR
veys were run and established from the Ohio River,
O. base line Dotbward and westward, each town
ship six miles square being then, at the present,
Hid of into 8 sections square miles. As the sur
progressed various improvements were introduces
30 secure regularity and convenience Of description
by the establishment Of base lines, meTidians, and
standard parallels through certain permanent natural
poD.s the mouths of rivers such as the Great Miami
Ohis, Arkanses, St. Francis, and more recently the
eQmmits Of mountains, honnt Diablo San BerIgu |
dino, Humboldt, in California the isolated peak 40