Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-09


taking effect tn future, has been created, al
though the mode of filling it has bot been pre-
serbs d. The appointment of an officer by legis-
latiye enactment is onfessedly uBconstitu-
tional, as the appointing power is otherwise
vested. But. without dwelling upon this ques
ton, mas UGH as the duties appertaining to the
bureau are 10 be discharged under the direction
of the Secretary OF the Interior, il becomes mis-
duty to offer for consideration some general
vleN which have impressed him with the con-
yiCtion that all legislation touc hing the Dapart
ment, and the Office of Education shoptd 10
repealed. The acts of Congress and the ranor,s
OF the Conn missioner of Public Lands disclose
the extent OF me several land grants made by
the General Government for seminaries Of
learning. The approaching census will exhIhi,
full and authentIc educational statistics. ana
he is unable 10 perceive the propriety of mar.
tanning bureau for the purpose of compiling
from the published reports of the local authoT
tiles or other sources, information touching the
practlcal operation OF the school systems in
force in the several States. Those ranorts ara
widely difused and are accessible 70 the public
Inc matter which may be ELECTED is not re-
quired to enable Congress to DISCHARGE ITS
legitimate duties. Education in the States falls
WITHIN their exclusive province. The enIlgh,
ened and active zeal which 10 ost OF them have
manifested on The subject affords an ample
guarantee that systems of common schools will
ne maintained throughout the country. Such
moalhcalons as may be required to acapt them
TO the peculiar condition and wants of the
various classes OF the population will be sea !.
sonably introduced. We shall all gladly hail
H.
menis of knowledge will be regarded as the
birthrlght OF every American child. The man +.
age meht OF this great in terest may, however he
safely and wisely left to the States, to whom
alone, under the Constitution, 1t belongs
As in the past, so in the future, when new
States shall b. admitted into the Union, Con-
gress Will grant them land for educational and
o'Der purr oses, and the administration Of the
fund derived nom the sale of It should be con-
fded TO them. Interference by Congress IN
matters of purely local concern, can be pro-
ductive of nothing but unmiXed evil.
Should, however, '.the Office OF Education
be perpetuated, he suggests the proprIety of
enactng by whom the Commissioner shall be
appointed
During the year ending September 30. 1e6s.
there were 81, liz applications for patents: I4I5}
patents Gncluding reissues and desIgus) were
issued; 1,6g2 applications allowed on which
patents did uotlssue owing to the non payment
OF the final fee; 3.7S9 caveats filed; $50 applica-
tons for the extension OF patents received, of
which 1}3 Were granted. The receipts were
S6S6, 1o67S, being Sl7I.6i less than the expeniI.
lures.
The Secretary renews his forme. recon-
mendation IN favor of repeating so much of
the law as allows an appeal from the decisions
OF the Comm !ssioner on applications for letters
patent and in interference cases.
Cor siderable space is devoted in the report
OF the Secretary TO the Union Pacific Railroad
and other roads, 10 which subsidies have been
grained. Accompanying the report Of the
Special Commissioners apponted to make
revision of the work upon the Union Pacific
Railroad, the Secretary gives an estimate of
the actual cost OF this road. Should the road.
as is expected by the company, form junction
with that OF the California company. near the
northern extreme of Great Salt lake, little
west Of Monument Point, its length would be
about Lilo miles The cost Of locating con.
structing, and completely equipping II and the
telegraph lire is S3S,S2i,72l, an average per
mile Of Si,977.3
The government subsidy in bonds for that
d distance at par amounts TO So, 504 ,OOO an ave.
rage per mile of S26,5S0. The company's first
mortgage bonds are estimated at 81 per cent
and would yield So, 1850. The fund realized
by the company from these two sources
amounts to S56,647,6.0, being an average per
mile of ISL t34, exceeding by $685. So the ac-
tual cost of constructing and fully equipplng
the road, and yielding profit of more than
Sl7750,UO0.
The deficiencie IN the road noted by the
commissioners are. III their opinion, almost
without exception incident to new roads, or Of
a character growing out of the peculiar diff
culties, inseparably connected with the unex-
ampled rapidIty with which 1t has been con-
struced. supplying them in the first instance
would have materially retarded the progress of
the work. and the expenditure at the present
line Tor the purpose will but little exceed that
originally required. II is obviously the duty,
and no doubt the desire, OF the company to
bring NJ the constructed portion of the road to
the required standard while at the same time
they are energetically pressing forward the
work upon the reminder of the line. An i'm
perative duty is devolved upon the Executive
To insist upon the exact tulfiiment of the en-
eagersents of the company, and TO use all Just
and available means to secure 1t. The Score
tary, therefore, recommends that the issue of
patents for land and of bonds be suspended
until such Deficiencies shall have been sup
piled.
The following statement exhibits the amount
OF United States bonds issued TO The respective
railroad companies:
Mon Pacific, 500 miles .......S2O,23SQn O
Central Pacific, California, $50 miles, l4,76i 90
MON Pacific, eastern division, 3g3
lsS
Sioux City and Pacific, co. miles 1,lI200o
Western Pacific. 20 miles ....-.. 320.uDU
Atchison's and Pixies Peak, 100 { 6io,000
Cent? Branch, Union Pa'fic, miles / S00,UU0
1,793E miles nearly. ,337 eco
The obvious necessity for the extension of the
Capitol grounds induced Congress TO authorize
the appraise ment of the contiguous private
the annexation of which was deemed
Certain SO Gares We're appraised
IN the year 1863, but, in the absence of legsla-
ton, no further step has been taken in acquir
ing a tile TO them. The Apr ociation of other
real estate in that portion of the city would
seem to require their -appraisement. Delay
the difficulties incident to the sub
lert and the Secretary earnestly repeats his
former recommendation of immediate and ia
vorable action by Congress.
The north portico of this Department has
been completed, and considerable progress
made in enclosing the adjoining grounds. and
IN tagging the sidewalk which borders them.
The fund appropriated for these purposes,
carefully and economically expended.
was INSULT cient. He confidently trusts that
Congress Will, at an early period of the ap-
preaching session, provide means for the COM
pletion of the Sc necessary improvements and
for paving G street, between Seventh and
Ninth streets.
The office of Commissioner of Public Build
ngs was formerly under the supervisory con-
troll Of the Secretary of the Interior The act
Of March 2, 1867, abolished it, and devolved
npOn the Chief Engineer OF the Army Its
duties as we'll as the superintendeuce of the
" rs hington Aqueduct, and of all the public
" orks and improvements in this District,
unless otherwise provided by law. 1t was
evidently impracticable for him to discharge,
in person. these obi cations, In addition TO has
other arduous labors. An act, approved the
10Th of hat month, provided that the expendi-
ture Of the moneys which had been appropri.
ated for disbursement by the Commissioner,
hould be under the direction of such o.hcer OF
the corps as the Chief Engineer might direct.
On the following day Congress provided that
all moneys appropriated for the Washin gton
A queduct, and for the other public works in
this District, should he expended under the
direction Of the Secretary of War. The terms
Capitol and the contiguous public grounds,
but, by another act Of the same date, the con-
troll of them was reserved to this department.
The Secretary recommends that these
acts be repealed, and the Office Of Com.
Of Public Buildings re-establish-
I'd He hazards nothing in saying that
since it was discontinued, the duties which
appertain to 1t have not been discharged
more efficiently than formerly. This IMPROVE
dent legislation divides the charge over the
public grounds and works between two execu-