National Republican., 1877-12-04
osed. in reality any estimates m.1. upon tn. dat.

Deeds in reality any estimates made upon the data
The The rspidI,y with which this country Is being
man. It has been estimated by good authority
that II We 70 on At the present rate the .upply Of
s%sSy % h M EssS .sol. S y y E : . s..
necessities. How dissstrousiy the destruction Of
the forests Of country affects the regularity OF the
increases The frequency Of ffeshcu and inunda,
tons dries upsprings; and transforms fertile agri:
universal experience the world over.
-. The Government cannot prevent the cutting Of
timber on land owned by private citizens Il is
more careful Of their timber as il rises in value
But the Government can do two things: I. II can
take determined and, as think, encctiial measures
on large scale, which Is always attended with the
most reckless waste and, 1t can preserve the for
@ e. @ N 10 IS BY nsps ns% unds
sale Of timber It's lands to secure the renewal
Of the forests BY natural growth and the careful
preservation Of tho young timber.
As is shown BY the Commissioner Of the General
Land once In his report, considerable number Of
suits were instituted in different parts Of the coun.
try, some Of which have already been tried and
decided in favor Of the Government have reason
to believe that the measures taken by the Depart.
the n ne
paratively smsl number Of watchful and energetic
tie stealing Of single trees here and there but at
least depredstions on large scale To this end,
however, Is necessary that Congress by an appro.
priation for this purpose 10 be mme 1latey avsllA
bic. enable this Department to keep the agents IN
the field, and also to provide a more speedy and
effective system for the seizure mud sale Of logs,
lumber, or turpentine, cut or manu- factured from
timber on the public lands than IL now provided
BY existing laws. l would also recommend that
section 475l Of the Revised Statutes be 30 amended
% provide that all penalties and forfeitures In.
CURED under existing laws for cutting timber on
the public lands, except trespssses committed on
lands reserved for naval purposes shall be sued for
recovered and accounted for under proper regula.
tions by the Secretary Of the Interior.
the timber upon the public lands by the willfui or
negligent and careless setting Of fires calls for earn
est attention. While In several II not all, Of the
statute, yet no law OF the United States provide.
specifically for their punishment when committed
damages res thereby sustained. would therefore rec' S
ommend the passage OF q law prescribing severe
penalty for the willn negligent or careless setting
principally valuable for the timber thereon, and
and also providing for the recovery Of all damages
thereby sustained
DESERT LANDS.
large majority OF tho lands west OF the Tooth
meridian are unfit for agricultural purposes with.
out artificial irrigation, and the area on which
S Snd aS, srs seIy
practically inapplicabe TO lands that class for the
simple reason that agricultural settlement on
small Subdivisions Is impossible. Extensive tracts
OIL the plains" however, can be made useful ~
pasturnge for the raising Of catte In fact they
being used for that purpose on large scale. The
mense proportions. but It is carried on upon the
public domain without the authority as well rs
derives no benefit from such use OF the public
lands. Some system should be devised 10 make
these lands source Of public revenue, and TO put
the enterprise OF the citizens engaged In such pur
suits upon u legal basis.
PRINATE LAND CLAIMS.
The enactment Of some law providing more
speedy settlement Of the private land claim. n.ihc
territory Except California; acquired from Mexico
by the treaty OF Guadalupe lIidalgo in 1873, and
the Gadsden. treaty of 1858, is imperatiyely de-
Visions Of said treaties, an act of Congress rp ap
proved July y, 1854 charged the SurveyOr.Gene
raj Of the Territory OF New Mexico with the duty
OF asccrtaining and reporting to Congress the orr
gin, nature and extent Of oil private claims with
| In his district, the title to which were derived
IRON e ss " ,hs ac OF Msre S%vesn
10 the Territories Of Arizona and Colorado, (now
| the State Of Colorndo.l
During the twenty: three years in which this law
has been In force, tho Surveyor. General OF New
Mexico has reported TO Congress for confirmation
III Of said claims. OF which number II have been
| Congress has no doubt acted wisely in refusing
thus far TO confirm any grenter number Of said
claims.
The same act which provided the present system
of ascertaining and determining the validity of
to ihe Territory within which they are situated
and the conflict arising from the want Of harmony
much difenty VA and .,Tie bstween the grant % Claim NJ
ants and settlers. Thb Is especially true In the
Territory ofNew Mexico.
| The complaints which have reached mo during
| tho last few months, growing ont Of the dhcultes
| arising from these conflicting systems induce me
to most earnestly recommend the passage OF an act
| providing for the appointment OF commission
with full power TO hear and determine the validity
subject to appeal to the United States courts, o.
| all the claims within the territory named
LAPsED LAND GRANTS.
The Secretary recommends such legislation a,
will authorize the Land.Ofce to take possession OF
| those grants In the name Of the United States anc
declare them subject to sale and disposal
THE PACIFIC RAILWAYS.
The condition Of these railways Is set forth Al
compiled from the reports Of the companies ant
their Indebtedness to the Government Is shown a
Under the act Of lst July, 1862 and ID July. 1856,
subsidy bonds were issuea :. the United States Il
six Hallway companies, Central Pacific, Kansa,
Pacific, Union Pacific, Central Branch Union Pa
cifc, Western Pacific, and Sioux City and Pacific
10 the amount Of sd4 62S.5l2 These bonds, having
thirty years from date to run, will mature some IL
1896 others IN 1897. aud others In 1893. Tho semi
annual interest paid on them will amount at ma
turity Of the b'us to sllG 822 S2 60 at simple In
terest and To s3l6 10 II compounded or III,
principal added thereto slso'H5,SSSeo and $3.50
There has been covered into the Treasury on &C
count Of he indee'edness out O. ne rsnsporiatio,
Ss,756.Ii3.52. The total amount on the one.hal
transportation basis up 10 October 81 1877, 81 703
6yT "a
The Secretary then proceeds In an elaborat
manner to give full account Of the railroad sink
Ing fund; how the railroad company can pay
their debt To the Government, and how to improv,
the accountability of the companies &c. All o
| which has from time 10 time been published II
these columns
PATENTS.
The Commissioner OF Patents reports that durin
the year ending June 30. 1877, 1924 application
for patents were filed. The number q
patents issued, including reissues and dc
signs, was H.I59: the number Of caveats file
was 1858; 098 patents were allowed but not issue
!, because the final fee was not paid; 1870 applies
, cations for registration Of trade. were 7,
ceived; 9s6 trademarks were registered; b56 appl
, cations for registration Of labels were filed; 81
labels were registered. The total receipts Of th
!, Office from all sources were Hl4,06iT3; IN
. total expenditures were J6O9, leaving a
excess OF 500 y2l 40 OF receipts over expenditure
The Commissioner reports that he has foun
, himself embarrassed during the year by the smal
ness Of the appropriations for the regular work
tho ONCE which were less by $4,000 than the aI
\ propristions for the year ending June 80, 1876.
PENSIONS
The annual report Of the Commissioner OF Pei
siOns shows that at the close - the year endn
June 10, 1876, there were the files OF his oiiit
q, 500 original army invalid claims ls344 lnyall
, increase 82,7l3 army widows original; Sl4 wi,
! | ows increase; y75 original navy inyalds; G2 nav