Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-09
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
INTERIOR,


INTERIOR.
Secretary Smith says that the report Of the
operations Of this Department during the fs-
cal year ending June 30, 1861, will exhibit a
diminished amount Of business in some of the
most important bureaus connected with the
Department attributable mainly to the insur-
rectlon which has suddenly prscipitated the
country into civil war.
GENERAL LAND orFfcf.
The decline Of business has very sensibly
affected the operations Of the General Land
Once. Oficisfintercourse has been entirely
suspended with all the Southern States which
contain any portion of the public lands, and
consequently no sales have been made in any
Of those States
In all the Northern States in which any of
the public lands are situated the war has al
most entirely suspended sales The demand
for volunteers has called into the ranks of the
army large number of that portion of our
people whose energy and enterprise in time of
peace incline them to emigrate to the West
end settle upon the public lands, thus living
the foundations Of future prosperous COM
munities and States. Besides, the ordinary
channels Of trade and commerce have been SO
obstructed by the war that the sources of in.
come from which the settlers upon the public
lands have realized the means of purchasing
have been greatly diminished.
On the 30th September, 1881, there were
had been surveyed but not proclaimed for
public sale The lands surveyed and offered
at public sale preTious to that time, and then
subject to private entry, amounted to rs, ,6B2.
1884 acres, making an aggregate of public
lands surveyed and ready for sale Of 134, ,2IS,-
$50 SO acres.
Since the last annual report Of this Depart
ment no proclamation for public sale of lands
has been made, as the quantity already subject
to private entry is more than sufficient to meet
the wants OF the country. During the fiscal
year ending 3Oth June, 1861, and the first quar-
ter OF tAe current year, ending 30th Septem-
Der, 1861, 5,269, ,532.31 acres have been dis
posed Of Of this amount, ], ,O2l ,493.77 acres
have been certified to the States of Minnesota
Michigan and Louisiana und er railroad grants
made by Congress; COZ, ,O94 Al acres have been
certified to States as swamp lands; I53 04o
acres have been located with bounty land war.
rants, and sos, ,004O7 acres have been sold
for cash, producing 1925, ,29942.
IL will be seen from this statement that the
public lands have ceased substantially, for the
present at least, to be a source of revenue to
the Government. The liberal manner in which
the acts of Congress granting swamp and over
flowed lands to the States have been construed
and executed, the grants Of large quantities to
aid in the construction Of railroads, and the
quantity required to locate bounty land war
rants for military services, have combined to
reduce the cash sales to an amount but little
more than sufficient to meet the expenses of
our land system. The net income from sales
during the last ical year will hardly reach the
sum of $500 900.
The Propristy of issuing bounty land war
rants to the volunteers who have been called
INTO service to suppress the existing insurrec-
ton Is already q subject of discussion and
must oe determined by Congress. A warrant
tor 100 acres to each volunteer engaged in the
service would absorb over one hundred miII1Ons
Of acres-a much larger amount than has been
issued under all previous laws. 1t is evident
that the issue of such an amount of warrants
would destroy all hope Of deriving any revenue
from the public lands, at least for many wears
And, while such a measure would deprive the
Government of all income from this source. IL
would afford but little benefit to the yolup-
teers. These warrants are now sold in the
mafket al ABOUT hfty cents per acre. An addi-
Ion OF the large amount necessary to supply
the volunteers would necessarily reduce the
price OF them to merely nominal sum,
Inc bounty OF the Government, dispensed to
the volunteers IN this form, would fail to real
lIe TO them the advantages intended All the
best lands would fall into the hends Of specu-
lators, who would be enabled to purchase them
at nominal price, and sell them TO settlers at
iull prices as fast as emigration to the West
would require them for settlement If addi-
uonal compensation to the volunteers, beyond
tne amount now authorized by law, shall be
deemed just and proper, it will be better both
for the Government and the volunteers 10
make such compensation by a direct appropri-
auon OF money, or Of Government securities
Ihls would give them the full benefit of the
appropriations made, while the Government
would, by keeping the lands until they shall
be demanded for settlement, realize their full
value.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Our Indian affairs are in a very unsettled
unSatlSfaatOTV
The spirit Of rebellion against the authority
OF the Government, which has precipitated a
large number Of States into open revolt, has
been lnstilled into q portion of the Indian
tribes oy emlssaries from the insurrectionary
States
The large tribes of Cherokees, Chickasaws
and ChOctaWs, situated in the southern super
lntendency, have suspended all intercourse
with the agents Of the United States
The superintendent and agents appointed
since the 4th Of March last have been unable
to reach their posts or to hold any intercourse
with the tribes under their charge. The su-
PerlntendeAt and some, if not all, Of the agents
OF the southern superintendency, who were in
once on the 4th Of March, have assumed an
attitude Of revolt to the United States and
have instigated the Indians to acts of hostility.
BONE OF these, whe lately held their Offices
under the United States, now claim to exercise
the same authority by virtue Of commissions
Although the Indian Office has not been able
to procure definite information of the condi-
ton Of affairs, and Of the extent to which the
Indians have assumed q hostile attitude,
enough has been ascertained to leave no room
for doubt that the influences which have been
exerted upon the Indians have been sufficient
to induce a portion Of them to renounce the
authority Of the United States and to acknow-
ledge that Of the rebel government -
1t has been currently reported, through the
press, that q portion Of them have been organ
lied as q military force, and are in arms with
the rebels; bat the Department has no official
information confirming these rumors.
The hestile attitude assumed by portions Of
the tribes referred to has Besulted from their
fears, produced by violence and threats of
emissaries sent among them, and the with
draEsl from their vicinity Of the troops of tho
United States, whose presence would have
sf ,rded guarantee Of protection. 1t is un-
fortunate that the War Department has been
unable TO send to that region such a body Of
troops as would be adequate to the protection
Of those tribe, and revive their confidence in
tbs ability as well as the will Of the United
States to comply with their treaty stipulations.
Cat OF from all Intercourse with loyal citizens;
sur round al bv emissaries from the rehels who