The New York herald., 1869-12-08


supervision OF this department. and are wholly or
partly dependent upon governmental support, to-
eether with such attenuation concerning various
public works to its charge as the records
and nles furnish.
PUBLIC LANDS.
During the last fiscal year public lands were dis-
posed or as follows:-
Cusn baicS. acs
Taken for nomeseads .,, |.sa'Sso Sso
Approved TO States as swamp. .-........... 44o'IoS
Located with mlll.ary warrants. 449.7S0
Located with Col eye srrp..... SS1,eoa
tOcated with Indian scrip................ 24,250
Total. loA
quantity greater Dy 1910. 400 acres than was dis.
posed OF the previous year.
The number Of acres entered under the Homestead
law was greater Dy 4osiai Than that OF the preoe-
ding year.
The surveys in nlteen surveying districts embraced
"a, $40 2S8 acres.
The cash receipts from all sources amounted to
sA472 $780, sum greater by s2,s4o,1 14o tnan was re-
ceiyed the previous year.
The total expenses OF the General Land ONCE
and the seventy-three district o1lces amounted to
S4ba,S1e.
Congress appropriated $40. 900 for the continuance
Of the geological survey OF the Territories OF the
United States by Professor Hayden.
dc was INSTRUCTED Oy Lno Vepdrtineut W uLoVs uAb
attention especially to the geological, mineralo-
Koal and agricultural OF the Territories OF
Colorado and New Mexico, ascertain the age order
OF succession relative position DIP ana comparative
thickness of the different strata and geological
formations, and EXAMINE with care all the beds.
veins other deposits Of ores. GOALS clays mArs
peat and other mineral substances 40 well as the
fossil remains OF the different formations.
He entered on his iabors in the ded the last OF
June at Cheyenne Wyoming Territory. His route
was through Denver, the silver and gold mining
segion OF Georgetown and Central City, the Middle
Park, Colorado City and Fort Union 20 Santa Fe re-
turning through the san LUIS Valley and South Park
70 Denver The exploration. though brief and rapid,
was eminenlly successful, and the collections IN
geology. mineralogy. Dotaay and zoology were ex-
tensive Ills preliminary report bears date October
is. 1t IL accompanied by two other reports made to
him by his assistants mines ana mining, the
other on agriculture. These papers are valuable
contribution to know edge OF tine subjects which
saey embrace. ana Merit careful perusaL
lEST OFFICE.
During the year euulng aotn September, 1869,
10. 800 applications ior patents including reissues
and designs, 1855 caveats aad l5a applications Tor
yhe extension OF patenls ed; l3, 1872 patents,
including reissues anu designs, were issued, l26 ex
tended and 500 allowed Dut not issued oy reason OF
the n0n-payment OI the iinai fee.
On the LIST day OF OctOuer 1858. the uDexpended
balance OF the appropriation was sll7 24s Ino ap-
t7JzOlS, making an as2ie-ate OF $3.50 267. The ex-
pendtures since tnat uaIe nave been $472 46 leav-
lug on hand an avd ab . balance o1 $4l6, 80A.
Daring said year the lees received were $2l3 o26 In
excess or the expenditures Tnls exhibit furnishes
gratifying contrast 10 that OF the preceding year,
Wnen the expenditures exceeded the receipts $111.
The appropriation asAel Tor Ior the next fiscal
year ID 5000, ,4lO
Tne once now publishes weekly list of caims
which u furnished 10 suDaerbeTs At nve dollars per
annnm. It's Deheved tina. NY the ensuing year me
receipts will cover the euLire cost Of the work. This
list, published stmut t.neousv with tho issue OF the
patents all the purposes OF the annual report
which not issued units Two years later. In order
that the public ana the examining corps may have
access 20 the draw lnas Oh tne office recommend an
80 occasoned can oe reimbursed, II the Com
missioner be authorized 10 maze sale OF them
ana apply so mucn os the proceeds thereof
ss may be necessary. Ii he could sell copies OF the
patent and OF tue drawings at cheap rates to those
who desire them and place copies IN the state capl
tails and great COmmcrcla centres, more complete
Information or the actoa Of the bureau than is now
furnished By che report would ne promptly dissent
mated and an annua, expenditure or 500 900 OF the
Ny immediate pred ,cessor. In each OF his annual
reports, urged the repeal Of al laws which author
LED an appeal from tile decision of the Comms-
sioner OF fatens applications for letters patent
ana 10 nerieienee Gases ine reasons ne presented %
tlon Of Congress to abolish such an appeal
by the act or 1881. No mention - made
oi it In the provision for appeals or in the new
schedule OF fees thereby estaollshed 1t has. now
ever, been held tnat prior ncts which authorized
such appeal still force and tnat the right
thereto still exists II their purpose was to secure
uniformity in tie ad nslration of the patent laws
IL has sIgnally failed. Tie appellants may select
either OF the four neuberS OF Inc supreme Court
the District 10 near anu determine the case; ana
from his decision appeal lies to the IL bank.
The Commissioner IN paper addressed to me, rep
gesenls that ss nasurai consequence Of tue appeal
aud OF tne Ice Claimed ior actiS upon 10, the judges
have, without authority lrom Congress- assumed to
extend their Jurisdiction TO his purely ministerial
duties, aud TO inerere with his ulscharge OF them.
Decisions have MADE the proper date OF let
ters patent, the allowance OF amendments, the issue
OF double patents to an inventor and MS assignee,
and on otner questions Ol like character The
practical working oi this asserted supervisory con.
tro over the dolngs u tile commissioner has been
upon the whole, Injurious Consistency OF decisions
IND Of administrator has not been attained. Con-
troversies and litigation as to The extent or relative
Jurisdiction have arsen and tue usefulness OF the
ONCE, in It's attempts protect the pubic against
imposition has been essentially impaired.
At the date Of the iast annnal report the name OF
but one Revolutionary solder Daniel F. Bakeman,
gemained on the pension rolls. lie has since died.
Uf the penslOned Widows Of soldiers IN the RevO-
lutionary war there survlve:-One Of those married
prior TO l7s3, nny-lour OF those married between
1783 and IT04, thiryelPht oil tnose married between
1794 and $500 and 79b OF those married since 1900
es7 In su. and only one less than the preceding year.
srs s 81 N %
sequent to the Revoiution and prior to that Of 1S6l
decrease Of five since the last annual report The
number OF invaiid pensioners VINO served IN said
During the past year there were examined and
allowed 7I2o new app cations for Invalid pensions
of soldiers, at an aggregate annual rate Of $4es
and 2908 applications Tor increased pension OF
invalid soldiers, Rt an annual aggregate
l5,69S original pensions 10 widows, orphans
ana dependent relatives OF soldiers were
allowed at an aggregate annual rate OF
f1b7I2SI and II, 99S Applications ny the same class
for Increased pay were also admitted, at q total an
uual rate OF S7S5549. On the 50tn Juno 1862 there
were on the Tolls u, $40 invalid military pensioners,
whose yearly PENSIONS amounted to $780,, ,80A and
103 $40 widows orphans and dependent relatives OF
soldiers whose yearly pensions amounted to
4l35 6TD making the total aggregate OF army peu
eioners 1885, 1885, ri total annual Of s20 9304S3
The whole amount paid during the last fiscal year to
Invalid military pensioners was 39,3Ss, TIA; 10
widows, orphans and dependent relatives
tls, CO., 1874 grand tots of sz3ya2soS, which IN
~ Inn lIsh annin