Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-12-04

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/ recommend that SO much of said act as
provides for involuntary bankruptcy on ac-
count of the suspension be repealed.
CLAIMS.
Your careful attention is invited to the
subject of claims against the Government,
and the facilities afforded by the existing
laws for their prosecution in each Of the De-
Partments. The Departments of State,
treasury aud War have demands for many
millions of dollars upon their files, and they
are rapidly accumulating. To these may
De added those now pending before Con-
gress, the Court of Claims, and the Southern
otalms Commission, making in the agare-
gate an immense sum. Most of these grew
cut OF the rebellion, and are intended to inc
demnify persons Of both sides for their losse-
during the war, aud not few of them ar
fabricated and supported by false testimos
ny. Projects are on foot. it is believed, 10
| induce Congress to provide for new classes
OF claims, and to revive old ones, through
the repeal or modification Of the statute of
Limitation ty which they are now barred. l
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 thereof, be required
to present them at an early day, and that leg
| islation be direcred, as far as practicable,
to the defeat of unfounded and unjust de-
mands upon the Government; and would
L SO frot
that witnesses be called upon TO appear in
person to testify before these tribunals
having said claims before them for adjudica-
| ton.
Probably the largest saving to the Ma
tional Treasury can be secured by timely
legislation on these subjects, of any of the
economic measures that will be proposed.
You will be advised of the operations Of
the Department of Justice by the report Of
the Attorney General, and invite your
attention to the amendments of existing
laws suggested by him, with the view Of
reducing the expenses Of that department.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
The policy inaugurated towards the In
| dams at the beginning of the last admins
tration has been steadily pushed, and be.
lieve With beneficial results. 1t will be
continued with only such notifications as
time and experience may demonstrate as
necessary, With the encroachment Of civ
ilization 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
other has rights which must be respected.
The policy has been to collect the Indians
as rapidly as possible on reservations, and,
| as far az practicable, within what is known
as the Indian Territory, and to teach them
the arts Of civilization and self-support-
Whenever found off their reservations and
endangering the peace and safety
of the whites, they have been punish
cd, and will continue to be for like offenses.
The Indian Territory, south of Kansas and
west Of Arkansas, is sufficient in area and
agricultural resources to support all the In
dams of the Rocky mountains. In time no
doubt, all Of them, except o few who may
select 10 make their homes among white
people, will be collected there. As pre-
paratory step for this contamination, I am
| now satisfied that u territorial form Of gov
srnmen should be given them, which will
secure the treaty rights Of the original set
tiers and protect their homesteads from
alienation for period OF twenty years.
The operations of the Patent Office are
growing to such magnitude, and the aeon
mutation ofmaterial 10 becoming SO great,
| that the necessity for more room is becom-
ing obvious day by day. respectfully in
vite your attention to the reports Of TIL;
Secretary of the Interior and Commissioner
of Patents on this subject.
The business of the General Land Office
| exhibits material increase in all its branch
es during the last fiscal year. During that
time there were disposed of out Of the pub
lie lands, 18,0a9, 500 acres, being an amount
greater by 1,l66, e3l acres than was disposed
Of during the preceding year. OF the
amount disposed Of 1929, 2es acres were
sold for cash /; pa $40 acres were located
with military land warrants; 1898 ,6l2
acres were taken for homesteads $50, 448
acres were located with agricultural college
scrip 6,e03, $3.50 acres were certified by
railroads; 865,756 acres were granted to
wagon roads 238, 548 acres were approved
to States as swamp lands; 13s,6s1 acres
were certified for agricultural colleges, COM
mon schools, universities and seminaries !;
r rsS"-A $780, III
internal improvements, and 1922 acres
were located with Indian scrip. The cash
receipts during the same time were So, 409,.
6l6.60, being $l90, 4l5.5G in excess of the
receipts for the previous year. During the
year S0,4ss,182 acres of public land were
surveyed, an increase Of the amount sur
veyed the previous year of 1,0S7,1eS acres
and, added to the area previously surveyed,
aggregates 61o,554,s95 acres which have
been surveyed, leaving 1918. 44a, sos acres
OF the public lands still unsurveyed. The
increased and steadily increasing facilitie,
for reaching our unoccupied public domain
and for the transportation of surplus pro-
ducts, enlarges the available field for desi.
rable homestead locations, thus stimulating
settlements and extending year by year, in
q gradually increasing ratio, the area of oc-
cupation and cultivation.
The expressed desire of the represen tatives
of large colony of citizens of Russia to
emigrate to this country, az is understood,
with the consent of their Government, If
certain concessions can be made to enable
them to settle in compact colony, is of
great interest as going to show the light 10
which our institutions are regarded by an
industrious, intelligent and wealthy people
deairous Of enjoying civil and religious lib
erty, and the acquisition of SO large an i'm
migration of citizens, Of superior class,
would, without doubt, be Of such substan-
tial benefit to the country, that I invite
your attention TO the suggestion of the Sec
rotary OF the Interior III this behalf.
There was paid during the last fiscal year
for pensions, including tire expenses of dis.
bursement, 500, 1876, 2S9. go, being an amount
less by 1884, 050.9 S than was expended for
the same purpose the preceding year. Al
though this statement of expenditures wo'd
indicate material reduction In the amount
compared with the preceding year, it is be-
lieved that the changes in the pension laws
made at the last session of Congress will ab-
sorb that amount the current year. At the
close Of the last fiscal year there were on
pension rolls 99.s04 invalid military pen
sioners and ll2.0ss widows, orphans and
dependent widows Of deceased soldiers,
making a total Of that class Of 2ll 1902
1926 survivors Of the war of 1872, and
6,063 widows Of soldiers of that war PEN
stoned under the act OF Congress Of Februa-
ry IA, 1871, making total of that class of
% $40 I; !, 430 invalid navy pensioners, and
4 4