Litchfield enquirer., 1864-12-15

, t1Ou.
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INFERIOR. ask the attention of Congress to the valu- able information and important recommenda- lions relating to the public lands, Indian af- fairs. the Pacific railroad. and numerous dis l coveries contained in the report of the Secre- tary of the Interior, which is herewith trans mitted. and which report also embraces the | subjects of patents, pensions, and other topics of public interest pertaining to his Depart ment. .. -.. s-- THE PUBLIC LANDS. The quantity of public land disposed of during the five quarters. ending on the 18th of September last, was 422l ,342 acres; or which .538,6l4 acres were entered under the home stead law The remainder was located with military land warrants. agricultural scrip certi led to States for railroads. and sold for cash. The cash received from sales and location ices was Sl ,0l9,446 The income from sales dur ing the fiscal year, ending June 30h, 1864, was s6787O0 2l. against Sl86.677 95 received during the preceding year. The aggregate number of acres surveyed during the year has been equal to the quantity disposed Of. and there is open to settlement about l33, 3,000,00O of surveyed land.
 PACIFIC RAILWAY.
 The great enterprise Of connecting the At antic with the Pacific States by railways and telegraph lines. has bsen entered upon with vigor that gives assurance Of success. notwlth- standing the embarrassments arising from the prevailing high p!ices of materials and labor
 The route of the mail line of the road has been definitely located for one hundred miles westward from the initial point Omaha City Nebraska. and preliminary location of the Pacific railroad of California has been made from Sacramento eastward 10 the great bend of Mucker river in Nevada. Numerous discove rias of gold, silver, and cinnabar mines have been added to the many heretofore known, and the country heretofore occupied by the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky mountains and the subordinate ranges, now teens with enter prising labor which is richly ramunerated. II is believed that the product of he mines of the precious metals in that region has, during the year, reached. if not exceeded, one hun. dred mlilions iii value.
 THE INDIANS.
 It was recommended ip my last annual mes- sage that our Indian system be remodeed Congress, at its last session, acting upon the recommendation did provide for re-orGanizing the system in California, and it is believed that under the present organization, the man. agement of the Indians there will be attended with reasonable success. Much yet remains to be done to provide for the proper govern ment off, the Indians in other parts of the country. to render it secure for the advanc ing settler, and to provide for the welfare of tie Indians. The Secretary reiterates his recom- mendations and to them the attention of Con- eress is invited.
 The lbera' provisions made by Congress for paying pensions 10 invalid soldiers aud sailors of the republic. and to the widows, orphans and dependent mothers of those who have fallen in battle, or died of disease contracted Or of wounds received n the service of their country, have been di gently administered - ,fnere have been added to the penson rolis during the year ending the 30th day of June last, the names of l6 77O invalid soldiers, and of 27l disabled seamen, making the present number of army invalid pensioners 22,767 and of navy invalid pensioners. TIP. Of widows, on the arny pension rolls and 243 on l,e navy CTS of ths class ls 25 ,433 and of n;.v, prnsio,- CTS 7s3.
 Al the beginning of the year, the number Of revolutionary pensioners was 430. Only l2 of them were soldiers, of whom seven have since died. The remainder are those who under the law receive pensions because of relationship to revolutionary soldiers. During the year ending the 30th of June, 1864, $4504, Gl6 92 have been paid to pensioners of all classes. DISTRICT or COLUMBIA
 1cheerfully commend to your continued pat rona,e the benevolent institutions Of the Dis | trict of Columbia, which have hitherto been esab ishcd or fostered by Congress, and re- l spectfully refer for information concerning them andin relation to the Washington aque- duct the capitol and other matters of local in- terest, to the report of the Secretary. AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. The Agricultural Department, unler the supervision oi its present. energetic snd faith fu head. Is rapidly commenting its II to the l great and vital interest it Was created 10 ad- vance. It is peculiarly the peoples depart ment in which they feel more directly con- cerned than h any other. commend it to the continued attention and fostering care of | Con gress.
 MILITARY OPERATIONS.
 ] The war continues. Since the last annual message, all the important lines and positions then occupied by our forces have been main | tained, and our armies have steadily advanced, thus iberating the regions left in the rear, SC that Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of other States have again produced reasona- bly, fair crops. sHERMAs's MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA. l The most remarkable feature in the military operations of the year is Gen. Sherman's at i tempted march of three hundred miles direct ly through the insurgent region. It tends to show great increase of our relative strength that our General-in- thief should feel able to confront and hold in check every active force of the enemy, and yet to deiach well-appoint. ed large army to move on such an expedition The result not yet being known, conjecture in regard to it is not here indulged.
 LOYAL STATE ORGANIZATIONS AT THE SOUTH.
 Important movements have also occurred during the year, to the effect of moulding so- ciety for durability in the Union. Although short of complete success. it is much in the right direction that l2,000 citizens in each ot the States of Arkansas and Louisi iina have or- ganized loyal State governments, with fret constitutions, and are earnestly struggling ts I maintain aud administer them
 I The movement in the same direction, nor. extensive. though less definite, in Missouri l Kentucky and Tennessee, should not be over looked, but Maryland presents the example O completesuccess, Maryland is secure to fiber si fy and Union for all tha f,ffura TLa san;, II,