Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-12-06

)cing an amonnt greater by ,l65, 81,
icres, than was disposed OF in the pre-
;eedins year. OF the amount disposed
,f 1.626 ,266 acres were sold for essii.
ia, $40 acres were located with military
and warrants, 3, ,792 .6l2 acres were TAX
IN for homesteads, 653.446 acres were
located with Agricultural College scrip;
J, ,0o3, ,536 acres were granted to wagon
roads, 23S, ,548 acres were approved to
States as swamp lands, lbs, ,6Si aeres
were certified for Agricultural Colleges,
common schools, universities and semi
naries, l90,775 acres were approved TO
States for internal improvements, and
IA ,222 acres were located with Indian
scrip. The cash receipts during the
same time were $3,40S, ,5l5.5O, being
$ Sl9O, 1850 in excess of the receipts tor
the previous yoar. During the year 30.-
4SS, 1872 acres of public land were sur
veyed, an increase of the amount sur
veyed the present year of ,037 1913 acres
ana added to the art a previously sur
veyed, aggregates 616,554, 1884 acres
which have been surveyed, leaving /,
21S, ,443, sos acres of the public land still
OUR UNoCcUPIED DOMAIN.
The increased and steadily inci easing
facilities for reaching our unoccupled
public domain and for the transporta-
ton of surplus products enlarges the
available field for desirable homestead
locations, thus stimulating settlement
and extending year by year, in a grad
ually increasing ratio, the ratio of occu-
patton and cultivation. The expressed
desire of the representatives of large
colony of citizens of Germany to emf
CRATE to this country, as is understood,
with the consent of their government,
If certain concession can be made to en-
able them to settle in compact colony,
is of great credit, as going to show the
light In which our institutions are re-
garded by an industrious, intelligent,
and wealthy people. desirous of enjoy
ing civil and religious liberty, and the
acquisition of SO large an immigration
OF citizens of a superior class would,
without doubt, be of substantial benefit
to the country. We invite attention to
the suggestions Of the Secretary of the
Interior in this behalf.
THE PENSION LIST.
There. was paid during the last fiscal
year for pensions, including the expen-
ses of disbursement, $29, ,185 ,2S9. 80, be-
ing an amount less by 1884 ,O50.9s than
was expended tor the same purpose the
ment of expenditures would Indicate a
material reduction in amount, COM
pared with the preceding year, It Is be-
iieved that the changes in the pension
laws at the last session Of Congress will
absorb that amount the current year. At
the close of the last fiscal year there
were on the pension rolls 99, ,804 invalid
military pensioners, and 112, ,0SS widows
aud orphans and dependent relatives of
deceased soldiers, making total of that
class of 211 ,9S2; 1926 survivors of the
war of 1872, and 5,053 widows of sol
diers of that war pensioned under the
act of Congress of February 14th, 1871
making total of that cl:ss of 23,3lS;
,430 invalid navy pensioners, and 1,770
widows and orphans and dependent rel
atives of deceased officers, sailors and
mariners of the navy pensioners OF
3, 200; and grand total Of pensioners OF
all classes of 288, All, showing net in
crease during the last fiscal year of ,2lO
During the last year the names of 16, ,4Oi
pensioners were added to the rolls, and
1928 names were dropped therefrom
for various causes. The system adopted
for the detection of frauds against 5he
government In the matter of pensions
has been productive of satisfactory re
suits, but legislation is needed to pro.
vide, if possible, against the perpetra
tion of such frauds in future.
BUREAU OF EDUCATION.
The evidently increasing interest IN
the cause of education is the most encour
aging feature in the general progress
and prosperity of the country, and the
Bureau of Education is earnest in itl
efforts to give proper direction to tn,
new applicants, and the increased facil
tiles which are being offered to aid tn,
| educators of the country in their grea
work.
| NEW CENSUS RECOMMENDED.
| The ninth census has been completed
| and the report thereof published ant
distributed, and the working force o
the bureau disbanded. The Secretary o
the Interior renews his recommendation
for a census to be taken in 1876, to whicl
subject the attention of Congress is dir
ected. The original suggestion i'm tina
behalf met with the approval of tn
country, and even If it be not deemet
advisable at present to provide for /;
| quinteu NAL census: census taken il.
1875, the report of which could be com
pleted and published before the on
hundredth anniversary of our indepen
dence would be especially interestin,
and valuable as showing the progres
of the country during the first centur,
of our national existence. 1t is believed
however, that regular census ever
five years would be of substantial bene
fit to the country, inasmuch as ou
growth hitherto has been so rapid tina
the results Of the decennial census ar
necessarily unreliable as basis of es
Inmates for the latter years of decor
NAL period.
IMPROVEMENT OF WASHINGTON CITY.
Under the very efficient management
of the Governor and the Board of Publi
| Works of the District, the city of Wash
ingtOn is rapidly assuming the appear
ance of q capital of which the natio
may well be pfoud. From being mos
unsightly place three years ago, dis
agreeable to pass through the summe
in consequence of the dust arising fror
unpaved streets, and almost impassibl
in the winter from the mud, it is no,
one of the most slightly cities in th
country, and can boast of being the bes
paved. The work has been done sys
tematically, the plans, grades, locatio
Of sewers, and water and gas mains, bt
ing determined upon before the wor
was commenced, thus securing permar
| ~hSy iASA hRAStSNsl 4uOSttO
whether so much has ever been accom-
plished before in any American city fo
| the same expenditure. The Govern
ment having large reservation in tn
city, and the nation at large having a
interest In their capital, recommend
f liberal policy toward the District {
Columbia, and that the Governmer
should bear its just share of the expens
of these Improvements. Every eitize
visiting the capital feels a pride in il
5 growing beauty, and that he, too,
: part owner in the investments mac
: here. would suggest to Congress tn
+ propriety Of promoting establishmel
a in this District of an institution of learl
: ing or university of tho highest elias
by the donation of lands. There is 4
place better suited for such an institl
a ton than the National Capital. The
: is no other place in which every citize
is so directly interested.
t CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
!, In three successive messages to Col
y gress, have called attention to the sui
= iect of civil service reform. Action HI
y been taken so far as to authorize the al
: pointment of board to devise rul,
= governing the methods of making al
, pointments and promotions, but thei
9 never has been any action making the:
y rules or any rules binding, or even el