The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-13
NEW SERIES-NO. 4l9

ANAVv O4Z1N1ILhO 1NOs flC
proper charge for the pre- emptor, so that
residence and cultivation shall be continued
when the military service is at an end.
During the year ending September 30,
1861, in virtue of the scrip laws of 1852,
scrip has been issued as bounty.land wars
rants for 80 628 acres, making, with the
quantity heretofore issued, total sum of
938,054 acres. Before the Land Commis.
sioners, claims are now pending equal TO
l53,358 acres. In the Virginia district
there are 100000 acres liable to commuta-
tion into scrip. The rebellion of Virginia
will not prejudice the claims of loyal citi>
zens, lawfully entitled to scrip in satsfac-
tiOn of their warrants. The aggregate
bounty-land liabilities already ratified BY
the United States from the commencement
of operations to the Both December, 1861,
are as follows For revolutionary services,
in tracts and scrip, 8,200,6l2 acres for
services in 1912, 4,85O,l2O: Canadian vol.
unteers, 12,750. There is now actually
located-under Mexican bounty-land act of
lS47, and the other acts of 1850, 1852,
1855 81, ,l38,975, acres, making total Of
64,262,452 acres.
During the fiscal year ending June 80.
1861, there have been ertfed for railroad
purposes, under the railroad grant acts of
1856 and 1857, as follows
10 Minnesota. acres. .............. 308 .6T.90
10 Michigan, acres. s................ 636 ,06l.A ~
To Louisiana, acres............... 76,560.45
Making in the aggregate, acres. L ,021, ,493.77
No approvals were made during the
quarter ending Both September, 1861.
The following is an exhibit of the States
and the quantities of land under the several
grants actually approved to each up to this
date {:
Iowa, same as last annual report.
acres. y, All ,54l 90
Wisconsin. same as last annual re-
port, acres. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. III O6500
Minnesota 308,s7l.9O acres of this
approved since last report) acres $50, 1850
Michigan (462, $50 acres of this ap.
proved since last report), acres 1858, 727.42
Florida, same as last report, acres l,759, 10000
Alabama Sc F." .,S6s,2 ,275OO
Mississippi - - 4" III $1,000
Louisiana (77,56O.45 acres of this
approved since last report).
acres. / ,0l2 ,405 40
Making total, which has been
approved and certified, of acres 9 .998, ,49777
The Commissioner is very elaborate in
his discussion of the question of minerals.
No country on the globe can compare with
this in the possession of mineral treasures
everywhere developed as the administration
OF the land system advances over the broad
surface of the public domain. Besides the
precious metals, with quicksilver found in
such abundance in California, which alone
has yielded since the first gold discoveries
over 600,000,0O0, we have regions rich in
those metals in New Mexico, Nevada,
Washington Territory, and Colorado.
Copper, tin, lead and coal, are profusely
distributed over the great valley of the
Mississippi, and westward to the Pacific.
In regard to the precious metals in Cali
fornia, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington
Territory, and Colorado, we have not such
data as will enable this Office to propose
properly guarded system ~ which the
government understandingly can dispose OF
auriferous, or of quicksilver lands, in a
manner that would be just to public and
private interests. 1t is, therefore, not now
proposed to withdraw them by legislation
from the state of isolation from sale in which
the law has placed them, or from being
freely worked, as at present; yet in this
trying conjecture of public affairs, when
multiplied demands upon the treasury weigh
upon it with unprecedented pressure, it
could not De deemed unreasonable, after the
hundreds OF millions of dollars allowed to
be taken free of cost, If the government
should hereafter subject the producer of such
mines to moderate seigniorage, which it is
believed would bear upon capital without
prejudice to individual miners.
In reference to lands embracing copper,
tin, lead, iron aud COAL it s suggested that
where either mineral is the predominant ele.
ment in the smallest legal subdivision, such
tract shall be subjected to public sale, ac.
cording to the principles laid down in the
act of 1916 and l847, with the qualification
that the uniform minimum shall be $3.50 per
acre at the public sale; and that thereafter
they shall be liable to private .ntry at same
minimum, say for two years, after which
they shall be liable to sale at the ordinary
minimum, but not subject to the declining
process of the graduation law. 10 the geo.
logical reconnaissance of the late DR.: Evans
IN Oregon and Washington, immense dis
cOveries of coal fields in that region were
made This great industrial agent is also
distributed by the liberal hand of nature
throughout the gold region.
The recent discoveries of coal fields not
far from San Francisco, and of that scarce
and valua&e metal, tin, but few mines of
the latt6Ss Ss8aving been discovered, although
known in.the carly history OF man, yet
which is now, found to exist in the south
western part California, within thirty
miles of the sseq ssnishiDg powerful in.
centives to e. rromisiDg rich rewards
to the enteri Instructions, by fur.
,ther legal e1Se would enable the de-
'partment to did witf tnese large and deii-
cate interests more satisfactorily than can
be done under existing lavs,a T'a -. 50