The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-12-08

Q
made for these subjects, submit as a
question whether the residue OF our
national domain should not be who'll
ly disposed of under the provisions of
the homestead and pre-emptiOn laws q?
LAND GRANTS.
In addition to the swampy and over
/ flowed lands granted to the States in
which they are situated, the lands
taken under the Agricultural College
acts and for internal improvements
or improvement purposes under the
act of September, 1871, and the acts
supplemental thereto, there had been
conveyed up to the close of the last
| fiscal year by patent, or other equiva-
| lent evidence of title, to States and
corporations, 278, ,525, ia acres for rail.
ways, canals and wagon roads. It is
estimated that an additional quanti-
| ty of ia, 735, ,523 acres is still due un-
/ der grants for like uses. The policy
/ of thus aiding the States in building
works of internal improvement was
/ inaugurated more than forty years
since in the grants to Indiana and HI
inOis to aid those States in opening
canals t. Connect the waters Of the
| Wabash with those of Lake Erie, and
the waters of the Illinois with thOse of
/ Lake Michigan. Itwas followed with
some notifications in the grant to Ill
| inOis of alternate sections of public
| land within certain limits of the Ill
inOis Central Railway. Fourteen
States and sundry corporations have
! received similar subsidies in connee-
ton with railways completed or in
process of construction. As the re-
served sections are rated at the double
minimum, the sale Of them at the en-.
| hanced prices has thus in many in
stances indemnified the treasury for
the granted lands. The construction
of some of these thorOughfares has un-
dOubtedly given a vigorous impetus
| to the development of our resources
and the settlement of the more dis
tant portions of the country. It,may,
| however, be well insisted that much
of our legislation in this regard has
| been characterized by indiseriminate
and profuse liberality. The United
States should not loan their credit in
aid ofany enterprise undertaken by
| States or corporations, nor govern
ment lands i'm any instance, unless the
projected work Is Ofan acknowledged
national Importance. I am strongly
inclined to the opinion that it is mex
pedient and unnecessary to bestow
subsidies Of either description, but
should Congress determine otherwise,
[ earnestly recommend that the rights
of settlers and of the public be effect
ually secured and protected by appro-
priaIe legislation.
PATENT OFFICE. ~
During the year ending September
80, 1870, there were filed in the Patent
Office 19, All applications for patents,
| 1874 caveats, and $50 applications for
the extension of patents; 1892
patents, including reissues and de-
signs, were issued, ITO extended, and
1,0S0 allowed but not issued by reason
of the non-payment of the final fees.
! The receipts of the office during the
fiscal year were Sl3, $3.50, ,429 in excess
of its expenditures.
CENSUS BUREAU.
The work of the Census Bureau has
been .energetically prosecuted. The
preliminary report, containing much
| Information of special value and in
terest, will be ready for delivery dur
ing the present session. The remain
| ing volumes will be completed with
all the despatch consistent with per-
feet accuracy in arranging and CLASH
fying the returns. We shall thus, at
no distant day, be furnished with an
authentic record of our condition and
resources. 1t will, 1 doubt not, attest
the growing prosperity of the country,
although during the decade whic.. has
just closed, it was so severely tried by
the great war waged to maintain its
integrity and to secure and perpetuate
our free institutions.
PENSIONS.
During the last fiscal year the sum
paid to pensioners, including the cost
of disbursement, was S27, $50, ,S1l IL,
and 1853 bounty land warrants were
issued. At its close 19S, ,6S6 names
were on the pension rolls. The labors
of the Pension Office have been direct
ed to severe scrutiny of the evidence
submitted in favor of the widows
claims and to the discovery of ficti-
| tious claims which have been hereto
! fore allowed. The appropriation for
/ the employment Of special agents for
/ the investigations of frauds, has been
I judiciously used, AMI the results OBJ
tanned have been of unquestiOnable
/ benefit to the service.
EDUCATION AND AGRICULTURE.
The subjects of education and agTi-
I culture are of great interest to the silE-
| cess of our republican institutions,
I happiness and grandeur as a nation
In the interest of one bureau has
Z been established in the Interior de-
{ partment-the bureau of education,
and in the interest of the other a sep
crate department-that of agriculture.
/ believe great general good is TO flow
from the operations of both these bu-
reaus if properly fostered. cannot
commend to your careful eOnsidera-
ton too highly the reports of fthe COM
missioners of education and OF agri-
culture, nor to urge too strongly such
liberal legislation as to secure ther
efficiency.
THE POLICY OF THE ADSIINIsTRA-
TON.
In conclusion, would sum up the
policy of the administration to be
a thorough enforcement of every law;
a faithful collection Ofthe tax provided
for economy in the disbursement of
the same; a prompt payment Of ev-
cry debt of the nation; n reduction Of
taxes as rapidly as the requirements
of the country will admit, reduction
of taxation and tariff TO be so arrang-
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