Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-12-08
Interior Department-Annua Report

The report of Hon. j. d. Cox, Secretary
Of the Interior, is dated October 81. Upon
the subject of public lands, there is a clear
statement of the various classes of Mexi-
can grants now giving the Land Office so
much trouble. The Patent office is repre-
sented as in excellent condition. On the
subject of Indian affairs the Secretary
says: ~. .
During the past year the department
has habitually pursued that policy which
was inaugurated by your direction The
results have proven most co~nclus1vely It's
wisdom, and shown that even under cir
cumstances of more than ordinary irrlta-
ton, a peaceful policy appeals with great
power even to the widest savage. The
labors of the unpaid commission of citi-
zens who have been cooperating with the
Indian Agencies, have been very valuable
during the past year, they personally SUI
perintending the purchase of Indian goods,
a work requiring more than a month OF
their time in the. early summer. a sub
committee of the body were present at
the payments of moneys to the civilized
nations in the Indian Territory, and aided
in the negotiation which has resulted IN
the final settlement of the Usage difficulty.
They attended the conferences in this city
With the Sioux, and AVE since visited
them, as well as the wild tribes in Wyo-
ming anu OdhOld- 1nSI WOIhO VI A1opSO-
ton has been extended to Oregon and
Washington Territory. They have shrunk
from no self-sacrifice, toll or danger, in en-
deavoring to make the policy you have
adopted toward the Indians an entire sue
cess. The healthful effect of their infiu-
ence and advice is cheerfully acknowledged
by the department and Indian Bureau,
and has inspired a just confidence in the
honesty of the transactions which nave
been concluded under their supervision
Friends, to whom agencies in the
Northern and Central Superintendencies
were originally assigned, have most faith
fully and industriously continued their be-
neficent work with success even greater
than could have been reasonably expected.
Since the passage of the act of Congress
making it-impracticable to continue mill
tary officers in charge of Indian Agencies,
under your direction the field has been
subdivided and the various missionary as
sociations of the country invited to occupy
the same relations to them as those which
the Friends have to the agencies under
their control. The objections which
would naturally arise to the cooperation
of religious bodies in governmental work,
have been obviated, 50 far as possible, by
inviting the assistance of all missionary
associations which nave taken part in the
work of civiliZing the Indians. A prefer
ence of any denomination or sect has thus
been avoided, and the labors already per-
formed are utilized to a greater extent than
would otherwise be possible. Whenever a
missionary school has been established, it
has been understood that you would APP
point an agent in sympathy with the mis-
sion, so that its influence for good might
be increased by the whole force of the gov
ernmental patronage. If the Indians are
to be improved in condition, our policy
must be essentially changed, so that pro-
vision for the wants of the matured and
aged shall be treated merely as a temporary
~expedient, while the training of the
children in ways of civilization shall be a
controlling and permanent feature of the
system. On this point l will add hat the
Commissioner of Education is earnestly
~endeavoring TO procure such information
with regard to the proper and successful
modes of Indian government as may ena-
BILE this bureau to cooperate most thor
oughly with the Indian Office.
"The estimated expenses of the Indian
service for the coming fiscal year, includ-
ing appropriations which may be unnecessary
to meet the interest on ~non-paying stock
held in trust, will be 5000, 900, against an
appropriation of $~6,150,OO0 for the current
year, showing a reduction of $1,080,000.
"The preliminary report of the census
is now printing, and will appear during
the earlier days of the next Congress,
L no VII hCCCSSdIlly DO OllLlC W SCl-
eTal statistics, and exhibiting the popula-
ton by aggregates and by classes of each
county in the United States, from 1870 to
1870 inclusive. Somewhat over 1880
counties will appear. The tables of the
smaller civil subdivisions embrace over
10000 items. The volumes containing ag-
ricultural, manufacturing, social, and mis-
c~ellaneous statistics will be ready by April.
1.-THE organization of the bureau has af-
fOr6a6 an nnnOrfnnifU of ann1UinU the
principle of competitive examinations.
Those who desired clerical employment
were sent before the commission and re-
quired to answer in writing a series of
written questions, and were accredited ac-
cordingly. The clerical force employed
venience, in the belief that the statistics
furnished by the census will lose much of
their value unless they are presented to
the country at the earliest day possible.
THE subscriptions to the stocks of the
Union Pacific Railway Company amount
to $50, $4,000, of which $33, 762, 800 has
been paid. The local receipts of the road
for the year ending June 80, 1870, were
earnings, $2,694, 797. 63.
The following statistics are given con-
corning thep public lands: g.
During the last fiscal year public lands
were disposed of as follows:
" Aeres.
Cash, sales ..-.....-.. .-........- s,l59, 5Ib
Located with military warrants. 10000. SIS. 800
Taken for homesteads. $685., go
Located with college erip............... 192,S4S
Grants to railroads. Q 1855
Grants to wagon roads 36.62S
Appropriated to States as swamp........} 4S1,636
Indian scrip locations 1851
1905, ALB
a quantity greater by 429,261 acres than
that disposed Of the previous year. The.
receipts of the Office during the same
period amounted to $3,66s,513.9 go, less by
$S09,372.50 than received the previous
year. The quantity of land taken under
theH Homestead act was greater by 9e1, 545
acres than that of the preceding year.
The area of public land undisposed of
is 1873, Z 3,220,9S4 acres, of which 1,307.-
acres are unsurveyed. Grants for
educational purposes since the foundation
of the government amount to rs, 576, SO2
acres; for military services, 73,46O,9 61
acres; for internal improvements, ex-
of railroads and wagon
roads, 1883 54. Swamp lands approved
10 the States amount to 6O,459, 1858
acres. There have been selected, by