The New York herald., 1871-11-23

the Kansas City ANA Memphis Railroad, 10 rnn from
sas, and asking ten alternate sections per mie tho
Selma (Ala. and Gulf Railroad with branch to Mo-
phis road wants tue privilege OF purchasing all un
occupied public lands within fifteen miles OF either
side OF the road between Opelika aud Tuscumbla.
Ala, at 81 per acre. II it has hcen In market ten
years. at seventy hve cents n hlteea years, fifty
II twenty years. at twenty five II twenty-five years
thirty years or more. The Great Nemaha Valley,
Lincoln City and L0ape Fork Railroad lNebraskai
Milwaukee and Lake superior rOal, via Green Bay
wants ten sections. One projected from PeshtegO TO
st. Croix hiver Through the burned district, wants
the same. road from the Missouri River, via
Iankton. through Dakota northwest. wants
twenty alternate sections on eitner side.
Railroad. from wyoming to Montana, wants
tue same, while the Church Buttes STA
ton and Unita Mountains road, In wyoming.
asks but i've alternate sections per mile on either
side. The Kansas Pacific Railway wants TO build
branch from Ellsworth, Kansas, TO the southern
and asks twenty alternate sections Oh either side
per mile. Three short narrow gauge roaos In
Pacific road wants ten alternate sections on either
side per mile for y road from the Humboldt valley
sections counted in the same way are asked for q
road from salt Lake 70 Portland. Tue Green Say
nna psp @ road Earao Msnss neen sSS1s per
sections on ether side Tor . road from st. Mary's
River to Turtle Bay. and Dakota wants only ten
mouth TO The north boundary OF the Territory.
proccted road ana telegraph enterprise, the Puget
sSme the aceaas tSey need The '' New
ana Northeastern Railroad 70 Meridian MISS.
with two branches, ASK ten alternate rectlons on
Tevving smai! grants In Alabama (Iennessce and
Coosa KauroaIl; In Louisiana NORTH Louisiana aud
Texas, running to VicEsburg. and one also for
pro ected road from Brandon, Miss., to the Gulf.
The grants proposed for canals are for me Sacra-
Which asks ior twenty sections "A the usual way;
tine Pecos and Placer Canal Company New Mexlco,,
sssking for nve sections; the Atlantic ana treat
apteed on bonds to tho amount OF $4,000 per mile;
tine Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay Wisconsin, Har6or
and snip Canal, asking for 100000 acres; and the
Colorado Canal Company, asking Tor ten sections
per mile IN the usual way. Besides these subsidies
the proprletors Of a road from Charlotte, N. C 70
States issued to them at tho rate OF 5000
be- n eaa ar the 'a nss en-
The schemes not asking for subsidies are
three running through The Indian Territory and the
row mas been nad In Kentucky. The first three ex-
pect to obtain grants tom the Indians. Two other
and passengers under the East RIVER between
Brooklyn and New York. and under the Onio and
Mississippi Rivers probably at cincinnati M ~ ana l 81;
for by the tweny-three land graut biiis,before the
House Will amount to between iorSy and hIty mil
THE INDIANS AND THE INDIAN QUESTION.
Unfortunately tor the pratsew2rthy designs Of Mr.
abolish the Military Academy and distand the army
the Indians are still troublesome botn to the people
OF the Falns and to Congress- General Crook SIN
Arizona even while Mr.. Vincent Collyer is
gathering the savases on % reservStlons ana and
care Tor them. During the session there
viii be . great deal OF sparring over the In
Arizona, leading oil aga nst the peace policy Al
ready there are NUMBER OF bills before Congress
e q sae nos i IN s 70 s % s
Cherokee strip. one l0r The sale Of the Black Bob
Indlan lands Ia the same State and one Tor the re-
Territory and the disposal OF their lands TO actual
settlers only. The Who'll, subject is one OF the great
fresh homesteads In the West, tGe sale oi tue In.
dian LANDS on terms equitable boin to the natives
and the nation, the success Of the peace policy Of
the administration ana tho gathering together OF
the red men In the reservations as the first step
toward the oblitcration OF the tribal authority
Connicring interests viii make il interesting as wei
as Important and In The discussion which is likely
to ensnc @ ,he management OF inc @ Interior Depart.
on this department from ano. her quarter In re-
gard to
THE TENSION BUREAU
No pension defalcatlOls have been made public
within day or Two, but wEsperings that cannot
long be held back are heard about the Pension Bu-
reau ana the AUDITORS ONCE, IN the Treasury,
where the accounts OF pension agents are going
through O general investigation. The whole Dus-
pensions has grown unsatisfactory that II the
attention of Congress can be obtained for sufll-
time this coming busy session radical changes
In the existing legislation Will be put through Oy
tne committees. senator Edmrnds, Of Vermont
whose ambition for higher place than the chair
90 over to another tols.fess in CONSEQUENCE Of
party exigencies, Is not Of temper to rust III idie
doubte1ly ind verge and scope enough TO
keep his activity alive against the day OF desired
inat any amendments to the existing laws viii reach
pretty close the bottom OF the present system
build up anew m T9s whos Dasnss may even be-
always wen ma nagcd till taken away to aid In
founding that inner temple OF joboery known as the
Department OF the Interior. Among numerous rea-
sons why this return to former principles ought to
be made Is the that the connection between mil.
itary service, military custom and regulation and
sion claims ana granting pension allowances, Is so
intimate and constant That any separation OF them
ls fDcOuvcnient aud unnatural. Every claim re.
qulres such thorough examination In the War De-
partment: for proper dcterminatIon OF the rights
dependent work Of the Pension A'o ONCE e
OF division and numerous subordinate Clerks. could
ne performed In the War department in o much
spcedcr and simpler manner and at tithe OF the
present cost TO the Treasury and to claimants. 1t
could be done In tho Adjutant Generals 0ice or.the
Surgeon Generals office In which the whole record
or service on winch army pensions are granted is
on file, and neither OF those branches OF the military
department. would presume 70 demand, or could
desire to receive, anything further than a few
additional clerks and little more room II required
10 undertake the entire pension business. The ex-
ins ayson Of ne Territory Of rhs country into
the medical examination Of invalid pensioners
ana the payment or their stpends. The army
necessarily has surgeons ami paymasters all
over the country, ali with leisure enough
in those portions where the greater number OF pen
siOnerS dwell to undertake the examinations aud
payments without expense and trouble to the pen-
sioners. Next to the stealing or the pensioners
money by the politicians appointed 10 disburse II
ting Claim allowed ana tho sOap-house style OF
making the stated payments at the larger agencies.
Department usage and etiquette reduce all inter.
course between independent government bureaus
TO formal written communications, and under such
system, which Is, perhaps, unavoidable, much or
the peoples Tune and money are unnecessarily
spent The investigation OF claim based on milf
tary service, rendered undera necessarily complex
military system by an Official ignorant Of that sys.
tenn and separated from its traditions and archives
Is not only needless complication, but sncn con.
tradctlon OF sound business sense to lie It's own
condemnation. 1t Is dincult TO believe that
Widows clam was 'hung up TWO years IN The
Pension ONCE because one OF It's autoCrat5 decided
without inquiry that West Point, where her
husband died from causes incident 10