American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-12-13
Report of the Land Office Commits
siOncr.

The report of the Commissioner OF the General
Land Office shows that the number of acres OF
1873, was 30,4ss,1s2 The amount of pub nc land
disposed of during the same period was Ii OF =
Cos acres The number OF surveyors General ma:
been increased since 1873 from ten to seventeen I;
the number of land Offices from hity-three 10
ninety, and the amount OF land annually disposed
of from 3.000t 90 to 100000 acres In regard 10
the operations of the Homestead law, the COM
milestone r reports AS follows:
The demand for lands by actual settlers under
the Homestead law continues very large. During
the fiscal year ending June 30, I'D 3l,2lh p
Iiminary entries were made, covering erca of
37543726 acres The number Of final er tries
were 1884, being increase in final entries of
l. rs over the preceding fiscal year TINS law;
with slight amendments, would meet all
the requirements and necessities of actual set
tlers, and again respectfully renew my recon-
mendatiou for complete consolidation of all
statutes respecting settlement rights into gen
eral Homestead law. bill for that purpose
et with sSor1hs c"nE2es from Sni oI%e
to slight amendment as 10 the time when it
should take effect, by the House, ON the last DAY
of the session in which the Senate had not time
to concur it failed to become a law The selec.
lions certified for common schools during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1S73. amounted to 49,,
aa9 II acres and for semnaries go acres.
The selections certified for agricultural col
leges amounted to 1896 II. The locations of
agricultural college scrip by assignces of the
States 10 which the same was issued reported dur
ing the year cover an area of 653 ilt4l. Since
my last annual report, agricultural college scrip
representing 10000 acres has been Issued to the
States of Arkansas and orida. This exhausts
The records of the Office show an aggregate con-
strUction of 221S miles of road, distributed as
miles: Iowa, 80 miles; Minnesota, miles; Ms
souri,, 81 miles; Kansas 46i miles; Arkansas, 20
miles; California 40 miles: Colorado. 30 miles;
Indian Territory. 155 miles. Total. above, 2-ssS
miles Portions of the roads included il the fore
going report of construction were actually com
pleted prior to the commencement OF the lac fiscal
year. This report will be understood referring
more particularly the official record of construc
ton and to The acceptance by the proper authori
ties, the evidence of which has been received at
this office since my last annual report, and coDse
quently was not included therein. During the
previous year the reports show constructed
length of IL g miles OF road difference in favor
of the latter year of 535 miles he policy of ex
legislation having been restricted by the caution
of Congress during the last few years, the aggre-
definite location of 30 miles during the h,cal
year. of which 90 miles are of the Northern Pa
cific Railroad, in the Territory of Dakota
The following act OF Congress was approved
Feb. Is, 1873 IN Stat, 1867:
AN ACT in relation to mineral lands.
Be II enacted by the Senate dRd House Of Repre-
sentatices Of ne United StheS Of Aarerica, in
Congress assembled, That within the States here
matter named. dep sits of iron or coal be, and
they are hereby excluded from the operations of
act entitled IAN act to promote the develop
nent of the mining resources of the United
States" approved May 10. 1874 and said act shall
not apply TO rhe mineral lands situate and being
within the States of Michigan. Wisconsin and
Minnesota, and that said lands hereby de-
clared free and open to exploration and purchase
according to the legal subdivisions thereof as he
fore the passage of said act. and that any bona,
fde entries of such land, within said States since
the pa sage thereof. may be patented without ref
erence to The provisions said act
Previous to the date of said Mining act of 1872,
lands Containing deposits of iron were dis
posed Of for cash at private entry the same as
agricultural lands. The language of the Mining
act, however, is so compreh, nsive as TO justify
the belief thar il the intention Of ngress to
include iron ore among the mineral deposits to be
disposed OF under. its provisions. Congress by
subsequent legislation appears TO have placed
this cons truction upon the act.