Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-12-27
Report ofthe Secretary of the Interior

This report furnishes some interesting sta
tistics regarding the operations of the General
Land Offices, the business Of which. The Secrc-
tary states, has been scnsibly affe1tcd by the
decline Of business throughout the country.
On the Both Of September, 1861, there were
55,555, 5,595.25 acres of public lands which had
been surveyed but not proclaimed for public
sale. The lands surveyed and offered at pub
lie sale previous ~ that time, and those sub
ject to private entry, amounted to rs ,GG2, 1885,
81 acres, making an aggregate oEpublic lands
surveyed and ready for SALE of 34,2I8, 1886 SO
acres. The net income from sales during the
last fiscal year will hardly reach the sum of
$200,000. The grants Of swamp and over
flowed lands to the State have absorbed large
amount Of valuable lands and caused o heavy
drain upon thea Treasury. The claims ar 4he
several States cover an aggregate of 1895
577 ~ acres. The bounty land warrants and
scrip issued under different acts of Congress-
previous to September Both, 1861, embrace an
aggregate Of 7l,7I7,l72 acres OF land
The prOprieiy Of issuing bounty land war
rants to the volunteers is, the Secretary SAYS
subject Of disenssion, and must be detcrnin-
ed by Congress. He expresses his disapprov-
al of such grants, for the reason that war
rant Of 100 acres TO each volunteer engaged in
the service would absorb over one hundred
millions Of acres, and destroy all hope of de-
rivipg any revenue from the pubic lan.is for
many years, at the same time a1ording but lit
| tle benefit to our soldiers.
| Our Iudian affairs are described as being in
n very unsettled condition., the cpirit OF rebel
lion having been instiIIed into portion Of the
Indian tribes by einissaries from the insurrcc-
tiouary States. The payment Of annuiiies TO
these Indians has been suspended.
The insurrcciion of the Southern States has
affected the Patent Office to a very great OK
tent. The receipts from january Ist TO Sep
tember 30th, 1861, were $I02, 2,8O8,I8, and the
expenditures were $I85,594,05, showing an
excess OF expenditures oyer receipts of S82,-
! 1851. During the corresponding period I
the last year the reccipts were SI97,34S4O-
being $94, ,840,22 more than the receipts for
the same part of this year
The Secretary expresses his qualifications at
the unprecedented success of tho means taken
for the suppression of the African Slave trade
Five vessels have been seized, tried and con
demned by the Courts. Ono elaver has been
taken on the coast of Africa with about nine
hundred negroes on board, who weFe 2, nveycd
to the republic Of Liberia,
One person has b.en convicted at New York
as the Captain Of SLAYER, having on board
eight hundred caPtives, and two Others (natcs
of different vcssel) and another one at Bos-
ton for fitting out a vessel for the slave trade
In the first named case tho penalty is death
in the other it is fine and imprisonment IIiih
erto, convictions under the laws prohibiting
the slave trade have been very rare
The report closes with a statement Of the
condition, financial aud otherwise, of the diff
errut public Institutions in the District.