The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-12-04

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VI lHe SoASANA "AAN r
dent men very often become involved in debt
the transaction of their basiness, and though the
NAV possess ample property, if it could be mao
available for that purpose to meet their labil
ties. vet on account of the extraordinary scare
ty of money they may be unable to meet all thel
pecuniary obligations as they become due, i
consequence of which they are liable to be pros
trated in their bushes by proceedings IN bank
ruptcy at the instance OF unrelentlng creditors
People are now SO easily alarmed as to monetar
matters that the mere filing of petition in bank
ruptcy by an unfortunate creditor will necessa
rily embarrass and oftentimes accomplish the f
d nancial ruin of responsible business man.
Those who otherwise might make lawful and JUS
arrangements to relieve themselves from diff
culties produced by the present stringency il
money are prevented by their constant exposure
to attack and disappointment, by proceeding
against them in bankruptcy; and, besides, thu
law is made use of in many cases by obdurat'
creditors to f1ighten force debtors into com
pliance with their wishes, and into acts of in
Justice to other creditors and to themselves.
| recommend that so much Of said act as provides
For Involuntary bankruptcy on account of the
suspension of payment be repealed. E
Your careful attention isqinvited- to- tbs
subject of claims against the gov
eminent. and the facilities afforded by existing
laws for the prosecution. Each of the depart
for many millions of dollars upon their files and
they are rapidly accumulating. To these may be
added those now pending before Congress, the
Court of Claims and the Southern Claims Com.
mission, making in the aggregate an immense
sum. Most of these grew out of the rebellion,
and are intended to indemnify persons on both
sides for their losses during the war, and not q
few of them are fabricated end founded on false
testimony Projects to provide for new classes
of claims and to revive old ones through the re-
peal or modification of the statute Of limitations
by which they are now debarred. 1 presume
these schemes, if proposed, will be received with
little favor by Congress, and recommend that
persons having claims against the United States
cognizable by any tribunal or department there
of be required to present them at an early day,
and that legislation be directed as far as practi-
cable to the defeat of unfounded and unjust de-
mands upon the government and l would sug-
gest as means of preventing fraud that wit
nesses be- cslled upon to appear in person and
testify before those tribunals having said claims
before them for adjudication. Probably the
largest saving to the national treasury can be
secured by timely legislation on these subjects
of any of the economic measures that will be
proposed. s,..-
You will be advised of the operations of the
Department of Justice by the report OF the Attor-
ney General and invite yonr attention to the
amendments Of existing laws suggested by him
with the view Of reducing the expenses OF that
artment.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
The policy inaugurated towards the Indians
at the beginning of the last administration has
been steadily pursued, and, believe, with bene-
fetal results. 1t will be continued, with only
such notifications as time and experience may
demonstrate as necessary. With the encroach-
ment of expenditures would indicate a material
reduction in molnt compared with the proceed
ing wear, it is believed, 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 SO, 804 invalid military pensioners
and 112, O82 widows, orphans and dependent rel
atives of deceased soldiers, making total of
that class I'll 1922 ,266 survivors of the war
of 1872 and 5,043 widows of soldiers of
that war pensioned under the act of Congress
of February 18th, 1871, making total Of that
class Of $3.50; 1850 invalid navy pensioners
and Ito widows, orphans and dependent rela
tiyes of deceased officers, sailors and marines of
the navy, making total of navy pensioners Of
5000, and grand total of pensioners of all
classes of 238. Ali, showing a net increase during
the fiscal year of 6,182 During the last year
the names of 16, 405 pensioners were added to the
rolls and 1929 names were dropped therefrom
for various causes The system adopted for the
the matter of pensions has been productive Of
satisfactory results, but legislation is needed to
provide if possible against the preparation of
| such frauds in future.
| The evidently increasing interest in the cause
of education is most encouraging feature in the
general progress, of civilization upon the Indian
reservations and hunting-grounds. Disturbances
have taken place between the Indians and whites
during the past year, and probably will continue
to do so until each race appreciates that the 9TH
| err has rights which must be respected. The
policy has been to collect the Indians as rapidly
as possible reservations, and as far as prac-
ticable, within what is known as the Indian ter
ritory and to teach them the arts of civilization
and self-support. Where found off their reser-
vatlons, and endangering the peace and safety Of
| the whites, they have been punished, aud will
continue to be for like offences. The Indian
territory south of Kansas and west CT Arkansas
| sufficient in area and agricultural resources TIC
| support all the Indians east Of the Rocky Noun
| tains In time no doubt all of them, except q
| few who may select to make their homes among
| white people, will be collected there AS a pre-
paratory step for this consummation am now
satisfied that territorial form of government
should be given them, which will secure the
treaty rights of the original settlers and protect
| their homesteads from alienation for perioC
of twenty years.
| The operations of the patent office are growing
to such magnitude and the accumulation O.
material is becoming so great that the necessity
Tor more room is becoming more obvious day by
day.
| respectfully invite your attention to the re
ports Of the Secretary of the Interior and Com
missioner of Patents on this subject. The bust
| ness Of the General Land Office exhibits mate
rial increase in all its branches during the las
fiscal year. During that time there was dispos
ed of out of the public lands 13,030,606 acres
being an amount greater by l,l65, 63l acres thai
was disposed of during the preceding year. 0
the amount disposed of, 1926, 266 acres were sol1
for cash, 2l4 $40 acres were located with militia
ry land warrants, 8, 1913. 6l2 acres were taken TO
homesteads, 600, 446..acres were located with az
ricultural college scrip, $685. 36 acres wer
certified by railroads. rs, 576 acres were granite
to wagon roads, 239, 548 acres were approved t
States as swamp lands, 1861 acres were cert
fed for agricultural colleges, common schools
universities and seminaries, 190,775 acres wer
approved to the States for internal improvements
and IA 222 acres were located with Indian scrip
The cash receipts during the same time were So,
4O8. 81 Is, so, being $3.50, 1850 in excess of tn
receipts of the previous year During the yea
80, 48s, 1872 acres of the public land were survey
ed, an increase over the amount surveyed tn
previous year of l,037,l93 acres, and added t
the area previously surveyed, aggregates GIG
554, 1896 acres which have been surveyed. leavin
12l8, 443, sos acres of the public land still un
surveyed. The increased and steadily increas
ing facilities for reaching our unoceuped pub
lie domain and for the transportation of surplu