The Nevada journal., 1860-01-06

incredulous that our mineral wealth is mex
haustible.
With population unsurpassed for inteli-
gence and patriotism, with as rich and produc-
tive lands as the world affords, with inexhausti-
BILE minerals of almost every character and de-
scription known to science, if we act wisely and
use the means which have been pro-
fusey spread before us, there is for us glorious
future.
In all our sister States in which swamp lands
are found, the surveys have already been COM
pleted, and hence there was no difficulty in as
certaining their location. But in this State un-
the surveys have not yet been I'm
ished and we will probably lose large amount
of that which properly belongs to us. con,
quantity of that which at the time of
our admission into the Union was swamp and
overhowed land has, by natural as well artifi-
cial causes, ceased to be such
1t may be found sdifficult now to obtain the
proof necessary to establish our right to it, The
surveys have been made by the Federal Govern
ment in this State during the dry season of the
year, and the probability is that large quantity
of land which in truth is swamp and overhowed
will not be so returned
In other States, very wisely, provision was
made for the reclamation of these lands before
any sales were made. The first Act of our Legis-
lature, passed twenty eighth of April 1855, on
reclamation. The next Act donated portion of
these lands to company organized for the pur-
pose of connecting Tulare lake with the waters
of the San Joaquin Nothing was done under
this law, and it was subsequently repealed. The
same year an Act was passed giving what is
usually called Sutter lake to the city of Sacra-
mento, and a certain portion of the proceeds
were to be used for school purposes, in violation
of the terms upon which the grant was made.
For the first time, on the twenty first of April,
1858, law was passed providing that the pro-
ceeds of these lands should go into fund for
reclamation" This was again modified on the
eighteenth of April, 1859. These Acts seem to
have been based upon the idea that the State
would al some future day devise general sys-
TEN of reclamation.
If seventy-fve thousand dollars had been
taken at the outset, from the General Fund, and
iudiciousy expended under the direction of
Commissioners in constructing canals, or levees,
it is not doubted that the lands which have al
ready been disposed of would have brought into
the Treasury more than three hundred thousand
dollars. In addition to this, the land would
have been under cultivation and upon the assess
ment roll, bringing annually thousands into the
Treasury i'll the shape of taxes, and, it is be-
heved, would have eventually yielded more than
two millions of dollars 1t IS, however, too late
to correct the evil inflicted by the Act of 1866.
The amount of swamp and overfowed land
surveyed and approved by the Surveyor Gen
eral from the passage of the Act of 1855 until
the 18th December last is five hundred and fif-
teen thousand four hundred and sixty acres
and there is now in the Reclamation Fund eighty
seven thousand and ninety five dollars and sixty
six cents from which it will appear that a large
amount is still due this fund. There was also
paid into the General Fund, previous to the Act
of 1858, the sum of forty eight thousand one
hundred and thirty-six dollars and ninety five
cents, which makes the aggregate proceeds de-
rived from this source one hundred and thirty
five thousand two hundred and thirty two dol
lars and sixty cents Good faith requires
that this should be transferred, and held sacred
for purposes of reclamation although the State
has parted with nearly all her interest in those
lands.
The quantity of land surveyed and approved
last year was one hundred and forty-six thou
sand four hundred and sixty eight acres.
The amount of tide-lands under the Acts of
1858 and 1859, returned to the Surveyor Gen
erals office and approved, is nine hundred and
eighty five thousand and sixty three -hundredths
acres. The amount of school lands located un-
der the Act of 1858 is two hundred and sixty
two thousand sixty-three and thirty six hun
dredths acres, and the amount paid into the
School Fund during the year ending 18th De-
cember last was eighty-six thousand four hun
dred and two dollars and eghty-seven cents.
The quantity OF seminary lands located was
thirty three thousand seven hundred sixty-two
and ninety -hundredths acreA, and there remains
a balance of twelve thousand three hundred sew
enteen and ten-hundreths acres INDICATED. The
amount of principal and interest received was
eleven thousand one hundred and thirty five
dollars and twenty eight cents.
Under the old law holders of land warrants
were not required to surrender them, and it is
quite probable that great many frauds have
been practiced. Some effort should be made to
detect and expose them.
Whilst it is gratifying to see these funds, dedi-
Gated to educational purposes rapidly increas-
ing, this pleasure is enhanced by the proof it af
fords that our State is becoming settled by a
permanent population which gives us that sta
bility which is essential to our prosperity.
INSANE ASYLUM.
1t will be seen BY reference TO the report of
the Directors of this institution that it has been
well conducted during the past year. The re-
port of the Resident Physician shows perma-
nent increase during that time of ninety seven.
The whole number of patients on the first De-
cember last was three hundred and seventy. OF
these, three hundred and seven were males and
sixty three females The expenses proper of
supporting the patients exceeds very little that
of Eastern institutions 1t is believed, how
ever, that the compensation allowed to the
officers and employees is too much. Instead of
supporting the Resident Physician at ths insti-
tuition, an allowance should be made for that
purpose. As il is now it is impossible to ascer-
tain the amount which this costs the State
Of the number admitted during the year end
ing first December two hundred and seventy
six, One-half were sent from three counties
San Francisco, Sacramento and San JOAQUIN
The Directors recommend payment of several
small claims held by poor men against the insti-
tuition, who cannot go to the expense, because
OF the smalness of the amounts before the Board
of Examiners and the Legislature These, in
the aggregate, amount to six hundred and thirty
seven dollars, which the Board ought to be au-
thorized to pay.
The appropriation made by the last Legisla-
ture tseyenty-tve thousand dollars) with proper
economy, will be found sufficient to defray the ex-
penses until the end of the fiscal year
| concur in the recommendation made by the
Directors in regard to the improvements and the
purchase Of stock for the use of the Asylum
SCHOOLS OF REFORM
In my last annual message the attention of the
Legislature was called TO the necessity of estab-
fishing a School of Reform for juvenile offend.
ers. The number of reckless and wayward
youths seen every day IN the streets of our cities
and towns, and who are very frequently impris-
oned in our county jails, shows the absolute ne
cessity of an establishment of this character
The number has vastly increased during the
past year, The Legislature, acting on the rec
ommendation of the Governor, passed an Act
authorizing him to appoint three Commission
ers, with power to select and obtain, by gift or
by location, upon lands belonging to the State,
lot of land suitable for the site of Reform
School; they were also authorized to procure
plans, specifications, ETC. Messrs. W 4 Bar
Bour, NJ. F. Butler and n A. H Ball were an
pointed. It will be seen by their report that the
Common Council of the city of Marysville has
purchased and donated to the State for this
school, one hundred acres of land situated four