The New York herald., 1869-12-08
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Annual Report of the Commissioner
Of the General Land 0iace.

This report equang any OF Its professors In care
fu elaboration sad compass or topical interest, has
been sent to press. The text embraces thlrty-hve
separate heads, with the usual appendix OF statist
cat tables. 10 IL accompanied by maps OF the dif-
ierent public land states and territories, and by
connected map OF tha Territory OF tho whole country
showing the progress or the public surveys also by
mercat0rtai chart OF the globe executed In style
Of unsurpassed excellence, with tables OF valuable
sat sites illustrating the geographical, Industrial
and commercial relations OF the United States. The
operations of the public land system during the
fiscal year ending June 90, 1909 were prosecuted In
all the pubic land States and Territories except
Wyoming ana Alaska. Surveys have been COM
pleted In Ohio Indiana Illinois, Michigan, Missouri,
Aaoama. mississippi WISCONSIN aud Iowa.
Ing the provisions OF law and the practice under
them. The entire area Of the pubic domain Is
l.oS4 sos 400 acres OIL whcn curing the past year,
TO- 52 1876 acres were surveyed involving 49, $40 neai
miles OF survey. The entire area surveyed Is
5os,so7.62 Lcres. leaving unsaryeyed I32e 4so e4s
acres. Interesting accounts OF boundary surveys
are given with chorographicai and Typographical
Information OF great value.
land 0lices during the year embraced 7,663 Isl 97
acres beng nearly q miillon acres more than last
year 1ne cash receipts were s4472Ss an increase
OF So $40 100 last year. 1ns principles OF
puoc land system are tre tied or In several elaborate
papers and are shown 10 be remarkable embodi-
IN INT OF the fundamental principles social science
Tue discussion brings TO view the origin OF the
rights OF property and the pr0aress OF social organ
ZallOn from community OF interests TO separate
private ownerships With citations from the great
European pubiicsts. Inc extinction OF the Indian
usufructuary title to the soil IS considerel The Or
dnance OF 1885 passed by the Continental Congress-
tn nucleus OF our land systen Is reviewed and the
progress OF liberal ideas IN framing ana executing
the land laws Is clearly marked. Tne policy OF for
bidding settlement on the public lands without pur
cnase enacted by the law Of 1897 was overpowered
by the press OF Immigration Congress first healed
titude Of breaches OF this law by special reJro-
active statutes and finally by act OF September 4,
II ga ~
manent clement OF our system. Some minor details
OF the pre-empnon laws require revision but the
general features are now settled ana working
smoothly.
The homestead policy is the worthy supplement OF
the pre-empslon. great Increase OF appropriation
OF public lands by actual settlers under these two
cases OF laws Is shown. lt Is Estimated Jnat 0y
direct and indirect operations OF the land system
during tue last nscal year $1,000 sma farms We're
added 10 the 1recnoos ol our repuDc--about double
tue catire number OF land owners la England, as re-
ported in the decennal census OF 1851.
We nave applied the principle oil pre- emptlon 10
town sites and have given special facilities TO town
building on cue puDlic lands. Our rura and uroln
proprol0r5 are estimated at five and han millions
or one IN eight OF our people. 1hls landed yeo-
manry exercises far greater power IN MAINTAINING
puollO order tnan do the ave and haf millions oI
european sO.dery on Tue peace estaD snment prop
ping the unstable equilibrium Of feuda society.
The beraiIy OF our NATURALIZATION laws mas drawn
an immense immigration from Europe; ABOUT
o 900 600 or our popuat lon are due TO TINS cause.
These have largely avaed themselves OF the kindly
provisions OF our land laws a0sorDing an Immense
amount OF pubic land. IL IL estimated that foreign
Grants OF land have been made to oficers and
soldiers OF the different wars Of the republic, thus
testying the nations gratute to its defenders
our immense grants In aid Of popular education are
vim led as SOCIAL necessity, the only means OF
securing such diffusion or intelligence Will serve
A. basis OF free institutions The continental
ordinance OF 1885 set apart seclon sixteen or each
township for the support OF common schools THIS
donation has been repeated on the admission OF
every new state INTO tnc Union, and since the ad
mission OF oregon the amount OF land has been du-
pcated section tnrtyslx as well as section sixteen
beng granted for the support OF schools.
Large grants have been made Tor sue support OF
universities and colleges special donation has
also been made the states OF 80 600 for each
Senator aud Representative, they we're entitled 10
under the apportonmenI OF 1859. The aggregate
amouns OF land finally accruing under Oil these
grants will be not less than 1890, SUI acres Ihe
disposition OF these grants Dy several OF the states
IL gwen In the report
change IN the channel Of the Missouri river, In
yoiving possible questions or boundary betw cen
Nebraska and DAKOTA, calls for an expos ton of4he
land taws rs effected thereby Several papers on
Indian reservations throw light that branch OF
the administration. The geological and Inineraogl-
cal character OF tho pubic domain, MS illustrated by
the excellent cabinet OF the General Land Oliice. is
the subject OF elaborate paper OF great interest
and vaiue. The methods Of proceeding under the
ninne districts are treated Win srsat ciearaes.
This branch Of the business in the once is now fuy
organized and claims can be adjusted rs rapidly as
they can be got through tho local occ3. rue policy
OF grants for internal improvements, and especially
for railways, IS eonsiderei nj length ana sketch
OF the railway system or the United states Is gwen
at large Its history naturally divides itself into
three eras First. is primary stage on the Atlantic
slope, in which it mad 10 await the slow aecumalar
tions OF the necessary capital for its consruc-
ton; second, It's secondary stage In the Missls.
pabc aa2. osnerwss uss,leaolo ny ss createI
Its own endowment by tho values II impaired 70 the
soil; third Its deauttlye stage west OF tne Mlssls-
sippi, In which IL appears rs forerunner on cly-
f1ation gathering strength to project itsel scross
great wilderness tracts 10 reach our Pacinc states
AT the close OF the present year there VIII pc IN
operation Al, 900 miles OF road. Ihe tonnage OF 1858
Is estimated At lo0,OoO,0Co representing casn
value OF SI2 001 600 ool Al the close OF this CEN
tury we will have not less than 100000 miles IN
operation, wrsa q tonnage beyond present estimate
Tue enormous expansion Oh railways was one "
our national necessities. Ihe hDeraA pohCJ Oh
Landed and loan subventions by the government was