Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-12-08
REPORT THE SECRETARY THE
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT

Usher reports tn at about one thousand millions
OF acres are still the property Of the Govern
m- mt.
During the last ten years the income from
lands was less than during the preceding
decade. This was occasloned by the large
quantities OF land-granted for internal i'm
provements and for military and other pur.
poses-whlch have competed, in the market,
with the lands of the United States; and, more
recently, by the passage Of the Homes cad law,
under which large quantities have teen entered
at nominal rates.
During the year ending June 80, 1861, public
lands have been disposed of as follows:
Acres sold for cash 432,773 90
Acres located with military war
rants OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 5l5,9Oh.OO
Acres located with agricultural scrip 21i,4le.4
roads ........................ e57,1eO s.
law. 1861 ,5926i
Acres disposed Of during the year 1921 ,S65 -
During the quarter ending Septem-
ber 80, 1861. the aggregate quantity
taken for the same purpose was. 939,f8.9O
Making a total Of f................ i,22l ,3l2. II
The cash receipts for sales, homestead and
location fees for the same five quarters were
S1,0l9,i46.44.
The aggregate quantity of public lands sur
yeyed, but not disposed OF, was, on the Both
September last, 133,5l7,5S7 acres. This has
been the average quantity for several years
past. The amount surveyed annually has
been about equal TO that disposed of annually.
Nineteen States have accepted the provisions
of the acts donating lands ''for the benefit of
agriculture and The mechanic arts and have
received land and land-scrip amounting to
4,950,UGO acres.
The jurisdiction conferred on this department
by the act of Congress of March 3, 1851, for the
definite location of confirmed private land
claims in Callfornia was taken from it by an
act approved June II, 196O, but has been re-
Gently restored under the act approved July 1,
1e64. The quantity of land EN- braced in all the
combinations to the present date is 4.366,94
acres, of which 2, 30,9O6 60 acres have been f.
nally surveyed and patented. What remains
to be done, in the important work of severing
the private from the public lands in that State,
will be prosecuted with diligence, and brought
to completion as rapidly as possible.
Under the acts OF Congress OF July /, 1862,
and July 2, 1861, making grants of land TO aid
the construction Of railroad and telegraph lines
to the Pacific coast the initial point OF the main
line OF railroad from the Missouri river west
ward has been fixed at Omaha, Nebraska, and
the definite location OF the road for one hundred
miles west from that point has been approved
by the President. The route OF the Pacific rail-
road of California has been selected, and map
of the preliminary location thereof from Sac
ramento eastward to the great bend of the
Truckee river, in Nevada, has been filed in this
department The land along these routes for
twenty five miles. on both sides, have been
withorawn from market; pursuant to the re-
quirements OF the act OF 1SG2.
During the past year addition al dis coveries of
precious metals, particularly OF silver, have
been made in the region flanking, on the east
ward, the extended mountain ranges OF the
Sierra Nevada. vast belt of some one or two
hundrsd d miles in width, and eight or nine hua-
dTed In length, embracing portions of Idaho,
Nevada and Arizona, is rich in silver ore
Owing to the remote locality of these mines,
and the difficulty of transportation thereto, but
little machinery well adapted TO the rapid and
economical reduction OF the various ores has
been introduced. In that portion of Nevada,
through which the Pacific railroad will pass,
many rich veins have been found, and it is es-
timated by persons familiar with the subject,
that, if The mines now opened there were sup
piled with the proper machinery, they would
yield ten millions of dollars per month In the
same region vast beds of salt have also been
found, which from its value in the process Of
separating the silver in the ores, has given q
fresh impulse to mining.
1t is recon mended taat careful mineralog-
icaI surveys be made of these regions, and
various suggestions are made in regard to pro-
tectng the interests OF the Government in min
eral lands.
The mines OF New Mexico and Arizona are
probably not inferior in richness to any within
the limits of the United States. Owing to their
inaccessibility they are indifferently wrought
All efforts to make them available must neces-
sarily be feeble, and attended with but partial
success, until roads shall have been construct
ed through these Territories from the Atlantic
States, or from the navigable waters OF the
Pacific.
Grants of land to open railway communlca-
ton with the Pacific is recommended.
"The management OF the Indians during the
past year has been attended with difficulty
In addition to the war against that portion of
the Sioux that committed the massacrns in
Minnesota in 1862, and who are yet uDpun.
ished and unsubdued, military operations
have been carried on against the combined
bands OF the Sioux of the plains and of the
Upper Missouri as well as against consid-
erable portion of the Cheyennes and Arapa-
hoes, particularly those who have been accus-
toned to inhabit the country OF the Upper
Platte river, and " no were parties to the treaty
of Fort Laramie.
1t is recommended that all trade and inter-
course with these and other hostile Indians be
interdicted until they yield to the will and di-
rection OF the Government, and law be passed
making it penal offence for any person to |
carry good or supplies OF any kind whatever |
into their country for traffic.
or those patriots, TO whom pensions for SER |
vices in the revolutionary war had been |
awarded, five still survive at very advancei |
ages. Atthe beginning Oft the year twelve were |
living, and 1,dlS willows OF revolutionary SOL |
diers were receiving pensions, making i,439 |
pensioners Of this class, the aggregate Of whose
yearly stipends was S1l5,2l7t3. |
The number OF army pensioners (other than
revolutionary who were paid during the four |
22,767, and Of widows. (other than revolution |
ary,) orphans and dependent mothers, D, i33 |
The total number of persons who received |
pensions during that period was therefore |
1880, and the amount paid for army pt nsions |
during the year ending June 30, was Sl,3lO,-
36SG GO.
The number Of navy pensioners who were
paid during the fourteen months preceding the
date mentioned was 1,505: and the amouut of
money paid them during the year was Si6i,.
247 92 The whole number of pensioners on
the 30th June last was 5I,l35, requiring tor
their annual compensation Si,595,376.33.
During the year ending September 81, 1861.
1,SI2 bounty land warrants were issued, re-
quiring 2s6 $50 acres Of land to satisfy them.
The act OF Congress, approved July Ii. 1862,
entitled "An act to rantpensions," is believed
to be one of the wisest and most muniflcent en-.
actments of the kind ever adopted by any ma.
ton. Its beneficial provisions extend 10 the
disabled survivors, and to the widows, or
phans, dependent mothers and dependent or
phan sisters Of the deceased soldiers and sea.
men of every grade and rank.
During the past year more than -, ,509,090
ha We bee u paid for pensions granted on account |
of disability death ensuing from service in
the war of the rebellion. During the continu.
ance of the war, no reliable estimate can be |
made of the amount of money that will be re.
quired eventually to meet the obligations thus
a. snmed by the governmental our soldiers and |
spamen.
The list Of pensioners Is constantly undergo.
lug both increase and diminutton, and at pres.