, 1861-12-07
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF
THE INTERIOR.


II NLFVkl4 UF 1nE SEEkEIAtk1 U4
THE INTERIOR.
GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
The business Of the Department Of the Inte-
rior has lost much Of its usual interest through
the interruption Of commercial and agrieultu- |
raj pursuits by the var. The General Land
Office, especially, shows the result of this de-
cline. The army has swallowed up almost en-
tirely the class Of cnterprising men who arc
usually the purchasers Of Government lands,
On the 30th Of September Last
there was an aggregate Of l34 I'll, $50 acres of
land surveyed and ready for sale. During the
fifteen months, ending Sept. 80, 1881, the De-
partment disposed Of 5,2S9, ,532 acres. Of this
Gated with bounty land warrants; ono and
half millions sold for cash, producing 1925 800;
and about 4 million granted to Louisiana,
Michigan and Minnesota, for railroad pur-
poses. The war has thus reduced the receipts
OF the office to point but little above the ex-
during the year being but s300, 900. The
bounty land warrants and scrip issued up to
Sept. 90, 1861, cover IN aggregate Of 4, ~, l72
acres. The lands have been distributed thus:
For revolutionary services s.s;ssia As5ssi
For Canadian volunteers. ---...-.-...... u 75o
For services in the Mexican war. &c IS, ,1ss90
Yet to be located on warrants and scrip
already Issued. Tt454.t3
The report questions tile propricty Of is
suing bounty land warrants to the volunteers
now in the national army. 4 warrant for 1G0
acres to each volunteer would absorb over
100, COO, 900 acres. The warrants are now sold
in the market at fifty cents per acre; and an
attempt to realize on their warrants would de-
press the soldiers grants to even much
lower value. Spectators would buy up lands
largely under such circumstances, and would
be the. chief .gaincrs by these public
bencfactions. Tue Secretary, therefore,
either in cash or BY Government securities.
It is suggested that in lieu of the mineral lands
of California and New Mexico being free, the
Government shall make them source of reye
enue by lcyying a charge for the privilege Of
appointed to "ru1l and mark the boundary
lines between the territories Of the United
States and the State of California" Fifty-tfye
thousand dollars was appropriated for the
work by Congress, and S3s, SOL Of the amount
placed at the disposal Of Sylvester Mowry, the
Commissioner for the United States. Tie
Secretary finds, however, that the whole Of
the latter sum and twenty thousand dollars
more had bccu expended and thCWork only Just
begun. The running Of boundary lines be-
tween the Z. S. territories and Texas has been
completed.
INDIAN AfFAaNs'
Indian affairs arc in L very unsatisfactory
STATE. The CAerokees, ChickasawE. and Choc-
| taws have suspended ill intercourse with the
| agents Of tic Federal Government, the South
! ern agents who were IN Office on the 4th OF
| March A14in: employed their influence in in
! citing those tribes to revolt. The Department
has no official adTlccs con1rmatoIy OF tne
newspaper reports that portion OF INC nat1res ,s
nave bcen ofganlze6 as o nlllllars 1o1ce; Lug
withdrawal Of the Federal troops and the c1l.
ployment OF threats ny INC rc6cl agents,
| coupled With promises That Lie Con1eacrate
government would assume tug rcsponslblllty
OF the!r a1nu11Ies, nave eeen =, Lhe cnle1 means
OF 1nduelng their reyon. Inc payment q
ann1ltles to these tribes has becn suspended
but the secretary RECOMMENDS tlat Congres: T 3
shall n'aks ing nsual apprToPrntlons, m 50 ID !.
a.k.3 us ,x,s t ann;t7cs Tie tr;hes m tht
49, ~. ~ Ky i1s,>'e ta,.a show .xno4nms "a
en,inc ne s1Tes TIc witraw., If fro5ns fron
Nv. MnSico has t@iypn iicensc for Tie Commit
~ ~ danrcdaf;Gns hT somc of the tribes il
1t te1ioH ro Laval nI nnd itlpsS ~ IN criza
t;a, Te ;.s i;csnscs 70 fr,e ,yit1 1lc Indian
aqo 3aun ,oo1, 60 sha,,,n1nssiv hnscd 1,v chrat;n
thc natives eni3 seiIinr them FOODS ut a nrof
nf thrrr to fnur NuNdreI ney cant. thu, tn
Secretary recommends that iii such license
be revoked, and the Indians supplied wit
GOODS os19o ;.na nnplemaens onfs 'hfoosn III
'6ente " '"e = -t'"' -D4~s&l'
TIE PATENT OFFICE.
No Department shows more severely th
. effects Of the war on OUT industries than til
Patent Office. Instead Of being a source
revenue, the expenditures Of thu Departmcr
| from Nov. 1 to Sept. 80, 1851, exceeded its r
ccipts by SS2, 165. This has nccessltated th
' | discharge Of thirty clerks, and the reductlo
Of the salaries Of those retalnea; Ihe sGepo Gp
Etnt Ea7,.ts .uts ~, - fnrwar3 con;es ~ Wnr1
cony1ichicd at Their offices, the object Of &C
icctineT in one library copies Of all the cop
d right literary productions Of the count:
= 1,rn11osc1 That tks sole power If yrailtis
l. ronyr;p.,ts hr delegated to tLc Commissione
Il nj Patents.
- PENSION OFFICE.
or-;o,,, a,,-;,,,. +to ..a,. !,
1He uuui2er - VI psuslots uuiiu: s.E s'.a "a
oim1nlsne9 40 anu Inc paS11t0ea1o3sn ~ ~
INC teln 1nne tuere "ele lV,1Vs p'in peusloits
!. On INC IoH, recurring an ss leSale pas nlent
s95t,t.@. Inc pension Jaws nate ocel -
" stfaea as ansAo5ing tae pts nsne VI psusao
10 1nValids ana tne Hluo"s anu cn;dlaa 1L,ias y,
IT solp4els Mno na'S ,,ro"t;o pnne;nncr.
1r ~ -ohnl S1.ies Who have taken 10 ar
ID a-aiust' lie Goycrnmeut, arc. deprived Of t
y. nS5Hn,.'nt If their ncnsions.
IL t'' ,-.r,,r7, l,,.>,a,.s
512AiA <ESsts'
The Report promises that digest Of
at 1ong-ex,cctcd census shalt shortly appc
Ii TLe result, Il is said, will prove the LAST
- cadc to have been 4 period Of tho most 81
~ 5ta11tial progress realized in the history Of
Ut country. Il is strongly urged Oh Congr
er thet, to supply public want generally fell
H. bureau Of Statistics and agriculture shall
added to the Department Of the Intcri
which has tile Recommendation Of not add
to the expenditure ofthc Office.
~ .rp,c.x tyr rr.nr
~. By all order oflast May, the execution Of
es law for the suppression Of the slave trade
e. confded to this Department. The Secret