The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-11
LAND OFFICE INVESTIGATION.
HOW THE GOLD" FORCE GOT AwAr
WITH HANDSOME FEES.
And Yet There Was No Law Authorizing
That Custom

y That Custom.
The committee to investigate the affairs of u
State Land Office met last night at the State Hous
o Present: Senator Robertson, chairman, and Rel
resentatives Peralts, Tremoulet and Drury.
The fret witness called was Mr.. J. O. Bres
Is clerk in the Land Office; have been there tv
years and BALI. No salary was attached to tf
r position; made salary by charging certain fec
IN making entries in the books filing applies
!, tons, etc.. charging generally IS for copies
KNOW OF NO LAW
authorizing such charge, but did it as it wa
outside business
| Mr.. Graham came to the office every da,
Formerly did the clerical work in the absence o
Mr. Ray. II was the custom heretofore to chsrg.
for memoranda furnished from the office. There
WAS no law for it, but it was done, and had beer
done since
THE OFFICE WAS CREATED,
Never used my personal influence to secure PADS
from first purchasers. Cannot say positiveb but
presume that some OF the entries made VIE not
| for actual settlement.
In the office was Mr.. John Ray, the fegiste,
| Mr.. Richardson, Charlie Ray, Johnny lay, mVeit
and another. Charlie Ray was emplged in pax
Ing the tract books, as was mysel and MIR. hlch-
| ardson. Made altogether eighteen coPes or
tract books in two years and hM. Got sooper
month myself, Maj Richardson got sSoO per
month, Charlie Ray 1850. but don't knos what
Johnny Bay got.
There are certain fees accruing to the State
upon the entry of land, viz 81 for essh patent
and twenty-five cents
FOR EACH FORTY ACRES
We paid the fees in every quarter. There are no
books with entries other than the stud DOCK
tnlN I.a-x n
count books kept except these.
MIR. Robertson-An examination SHOWS That
during the past eight or ten veas appropriations
amounting to $50, Ol0 or t6O00OhsVe been MADE
for the Land Office. fs there Any books or record
IN the office TO show the disbursement or expen-
dit1re OF that money!
The witness-None except ibis stub BOOK,
which shows the warrants issued ~ the Register
for the lands erroneouslv sold. That 1s ALL and |
no account book was kept of any kind as TO
money either received or disbursed.
Mr.. J. B. Parsons oalled--Iss resident OF this |
city; has been the Deputy tied States Suvveyo |
for seven years, aud in that position have been |
engaged in entering lands for people in the |
country; generally swamp lands. For lands en-
tered under the
SETTLEMENT AND CULTIVATION ACT
was charged fee at the State Land Office Of 90 |
for the patent and forty cents for each forty |
acres; for "bomesteads, sometimes fee OF ~,
80 and g. most OF the time 81. Never could find
what the charge WAS for Did not show the GER
tificate of the State Treasurer TO the clerk in the
Land Office before securing patent As far as
| know others were charged the same fee as my
self.
To Mr.. Peralta-For copying the maps fron
The United States surveyors ten cents per section
would be q fair charge, which would make Sc 60
per township.
To Mr.. Robertson Have been doing great
Zeal of surveying. and had q contract with the
state at $40 to s12 Then ID was cut down to So
md ~, and then raised TO $40 and sl4, but 10
low &c and 81 for prairie land. Have just COM
,leted township which amounted to 1914. with
vi four lines run. We're the lines run in adjoin-
ng townships the cost would
NOT BE AS MUCH.
The price stated includes section and township
ines. Would consider $40 to si4 fair price, and
Vt that rate 1t would m ske $760 per township.
Think S. would be outside price for copying
me township map; il $40 was charged would
consider 1t exorbitant. To include the field
notes with the survey in copying IL would cost
bout s15 per township. Have made many such
copies and never charged more.
United States Marshal Jack Wharton Was called
le1t, but his examination was postponed, owing
o the fact that Senator Robertson had an impor-
ant engagement. Col. Wharton's examination
vas postponed until Monday Mex the committee
djonrning until that night at o'clock.