Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-12-09

warrants, college or Indian scrip, or
applied in satisfaction of land grant
railroads, or for other public uses. The
entries under the homestead law during
the last year covered 9.615, 4j acre more
than those during the preceding year.
Surveys have been vigorously prosecuted
to the full extent of the means applica-
BILE to the purpose. The quantity of
land in market will amply supply the
present demand. The claim of the
settlers under the homestead or premp-
ton laws is, however, limited to lands
subject to sale at private entry. Any
unappropriated surveyed public land
may, to limited amount, be acquired
under the former laws, if the party
entitled to enter them will comply with
the requirements they prescribe in re-
gard to residence and cultivation. The
actual settlers preference right of pur-
chase is even broader, and extends to
lands which were unsurveyed at the
time of the settlement. His rights were
confined within much narrower limits,
and at one period of our history was
conferred only by special statutes that
were enacted from time to time to
| legalize what was then regarded as an
unauthorized intrusion upon the nation
al domain The opinion that the pub
lie lands should be regarded chiefly as
source of revenue is no longer maintain
ed. The rapid settlement and success
full cultivation of them is now justly con-
sidercd 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 which invites the tiller Of the
soil to secure permanent home on
terms within the reach Of all The pio
neer who incurs the dangers and priva-
tons of frontier life. and thus aids in
laying the foundation of new common
wcalths, renders Il signal service to his
country, and is entitled to its special IA
vor and protection. The laws which Sc
cure that object, largely promote the
general welfare, should therefore be
cherished as permanent feature Of our
land system.
Good faith requires as to give full eff
feet to existing land grants. The time
honored and beneticent policy Of setting
apart certain sections of the public Land
for educational purposes in the new
States, should be continued. When am
pie provision shall have been made for
these objects, submit as Il question wor-
thy of serious consideration, whether the
residue of our national domain should
not be wholly disposed Of under the pro-
visions of the homestead and reemp-
ton laws. In addition to the swamp
and overhowcd lands granted to the
States in which they arc situated, the
lands taken under the Agricultural Col
lege acts, and for internal improvement
purposes under the acts of Scptembes
1871, and the acts Supplemental thereto,
there had been conveyed, up to The
close of the last fiscal year, by patent or
other equivalent evidence of title t,
States and curcorporations 2!,S36, 257,-
.; acres for railways, canals and wagon
roads, it is estimated that the additional
quantity of III 800, % acres is still due
under grants for like uses. The policy
of thus aiding the States in building
works of internal Improvement w 5
inauguratcd more than forty years since
in the grants to Indiana and Illinois, to
aid those States in opening canals, t.
connect the waters of Wabash liy I with
those Of Lake Erie, and the waters IF
the Illinois river with those of Lake
Michigan II was followed, with some
notifications, in the grant to Illinois OF
alternate sections Of public lands within
certain limits Of the Illinois Central
railway Fourteen States and corpora
tions, have received similar subsidies in
connection with railways completed or
in course of construction. As the re
serve sections are rated at the double
minimum price, the sale of them ut the
enhanced price has thus, in maLy in
stances, Unidentified the Treasury for the
granted lands The construction Of
some of these thoroughfares has I'M
doubtedly given vigorous impulse to
the development of our resources and
the settlement of the more distant por-
tions of this country. 1t may, however,
well be insisted that much ofour lcgisa
tion in this regard has been charactcri
zcd by indiscriminatr and profuse liber-
alitv The United States should not
loan their credit in aid of any enterprise
; undertaken by states or corporations,
nor grant land in any instance, unless
the projected work is of know national
Importance am strongly inclined to
the opinion that it is ineXpcdient and
unnecessary to bestow subsidies of either
description; but should Congress deter
mine otherwise, | earnestly recommend
that tile right of settlers and of the
public he more effcctually secured and
protected by appropriate Legislation.
THE PATENT OFFICE.
During the year ending Sept 30. 1870.
there were filed in the Patent Office 10
All applications for patents, 1874 caveats,
and 100 applications for the extension
of patents; 1882 patents. including
reissues and designs, were issued, 40
extended, and 1889 allowed, but not
issued, by reason of the compartment of