Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-12-10
THE rosr oFF,cr

THE Posr OFFICE.
The accompanying report of the posiftnstpr
Clehera shows a most satisfactory working df
the Department II
Win the adoption of the recommtndatione
contained therein pnrticularly those relating
to reform in the ffanlSing privilege and ne
adoption of correspondence cards, sclfsua-
faining nostel systefIt may speedily be looked
for and at no distant day u further reduction
of the rate of postage attained.
recommend an authorization by Congress
to the POstmasler-G General and Attorney Gen
eral to issue all commissions to the officials ap-
pointed through their respective departments.
AT present these commissions, where appoint.
mcnt3 are Presidential the law IN all the dee
pariments of the government, except those Of
the postoflice and of justice, authorizes eaehlo
issue lis own commissions, always lavoring
practical reforms fr.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
| respectfully call your attention To one
abuse long standing which | would like to see
remydied by Congress. 1t is reform in the
civil service of the country. Iwould have il
go beyond the mere fixing of the tenure of
Office of clerks and employees who do not re-
quire "the advice and consent of the Senate
to make their appointments complete. | would
have 1t govern not the tenure but the manner
of making all appointments There Is no
! duty which so much embarrasses the Execu-
/ h'N duu HCuuS VI departments as lnal OIL APP
poinmcnts, nor is there any such arluous and
| thankless labor imT oscd on Senators and
! Representatives as that of finding places for
| constituents. The present system does not So
cure the best men and often not even tit men
| for public place. The elevation and pu-
rilication of the civil service of the government
will bu hailed with approval by the whole
| people Of the United States. .....
INDIAN AFFAIRS
The reform in the managamerst Of INDIAN
attdirs has received the special attention of the
administration from its Inauguration to the
! present dy. The experiment of making it a
| missionary work was tried with few agencies
given to the denomination of Friends and has
! been found to work most atlvaniageously. All
| agencies and superintenhcncies not so disposed
were given To officers of the army. The act
OF Congress regulating the aEnly renders army
officers Ineligible for civil positions. Indian
agencies being ciyil offices, l determined to
give all the agencies to such religious demon.
| nations as had heretofore established mission
aries among the Indians and perhaps to some
other denominations who would undertake
the work on the same terms that is, as
| missionary work. The societies selected are
allowed To name their own agents, subject to
the approval of the Executive, and are expect
| cd To watch over them and aid them as mis-.
sionarics to civilize and chrlslianize the Indian
and to train him in the art Ofpeacc. The gov
crnmcnt watches over the official acts of these
I agents, and requires of them as strict an nc
countability as if they were appointed in any
other manner. | entertain the confident hope
| that the policy now pursued will, in a few
years, bring all Indians upon reservations,
| where tkey will live in houses, have school
houses and churches, will be pursuing peace
full and sclf-sustaining avocations, and where
they may he visited by the law abiding white
man with the same impuniiy that he now
visits the civilized white settlements. call
your special attention to the report of the
Commissioner OF Indian Affairs for full in
siOrma ion on this subj et '"
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
During the last fiscal year, S09, ,54f 200aercs of
! public land were disposed Of OF this 800 S91 90
acres were taken under homestead law, and
2l5,Ool ,5Sl acres sold for cash. The remainder
was located with military warrants, college or
Indian script, or applied in satisfaction Of
grants To railroads or other public uses
The entries under the homestead law during
the last year covered 06i ,545 acres more than
those during the preceding year. Surveys have
been pushed TO the full extent Of the means ap-
plicnble to the purpose. The quantity Of lanl,
i'll market will amply supply the present de-
mand. The claim OF the settlers under the
homestead or pre-empion laws is not, howev-
er, limited to lands subject to sale at private
entry. Amy unappropriated surveyed public
land may, to limited extent be acquitted ull-
|
ter them will comply with the requirements
they prescribe in regard to the residence and
cultivation. The actual settlers preference of
right OF purchase is eten broader and extends
to the lands which were unsurveyed at the
:ime of his settlement. His right was formerly
cOnted within much narrower limits and AT
one period of our history was conferred only
Ivy special statutes, They were enacted from
time to time 10 legalize what was then regard
ed rs an unauthorized intrusion upon the MT
tional domain The opinion, that the pubsie
lands should be regarded chiefly rs source of
revenue, is no longer maintained. The rapid
settlement and successful cultivation of them
is now justly considered of more importance
to our well being than is the fund which the
| sale of them would produce The remarkable
| growth and prosperity of our new states and
| territories attest the wisdom Of the legislation
| whicn invites the iller of the soil to secure
| permanent home on terms within the reach of
all. The pioneer who incurs the dangers and
privaiOns of frontier lite, and thus aids in
| laying the foundation Of new cOmmOnweathS
renders signal service to the country, and is
entitled to its speciarIuv0r and protect;On.--
! The laws secure that object and largely pro-
mote the general welfare. They shonld, there
fore, be cherished as p, rmanent feature of our
land system Good iaith requires us to give
! full effect to existing grants The time honored
and Oenetcent policy of setting apart certain
sections of public land Tor educational purpos-
Is Ill the new Staltss SHOULD De .cOntlnueu.- -
| When ample provision shall have been made
for these objects, / submit as question worthy
Of serious consideration, whether the residue
of the public lands should not be wholly dis
posed of under the provisions of the homestead
and pre-emption laws. In addition to- the
swamp and overflowed lands granted To- the
states in which they are situated, the lands Ia
ken under the Agricultural and College acts,
and for internal improvement purposes under
| the act of September, Al and the acts supple
mental thereto, there had been conveyed up TO
the close of the last fiscal year. by patent or
other equivalent evidence oG title to states and
corporations 2,7S3 625 fi3, 100 ac's for railways,
j canals and wagon roads 1t Is estimated that
an additional quantity of I74,735,523 acres Is
still due under grants for like purposes, The
policy OF thus aiding the states in building
works. of internal Improvement was sinaugurai-
ed mere than forty years ago in the grants to
Indiana and Illinois, to aid those states in o.
pening canals to connect the waters OF the Wa
bash with those of Lake Erie, and the waters