The Rock Island Argus., 1879-11-12
Last Nights Dispatches.
WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON, Nov, 1l.-The oficia
announcement of the death of Rear Ad
miral Augustus Ell. Kelley was issued b.
the Secretary of the Navy to-day.
The annual report of the General Lane
Office has been handed into the Secretar,
of the Interior of the Interior. 1t show
that during the fiscal year ended June sc
last, g. 333. 353 acres of public lands were
surveyed in addition to 734. .591 ,236 acres
previously surveyed. The total number
of acres of the public domain still unsur
veyed is about 1.08l 100000 acres. The
disposals were mostly made as follows
| Homestead entries 5,260,lll acres, tim.
| Der culture entries 2.766,574 acres, cash
entries 625,574 acres, including 165, 99e
acres entered under the desert law grants
to railroads 278 334 acres, swamp lands
patented to states 186, 1892 acres. The
amount of land surveyed during the last
fiscal year exceeds by Ala, 1863 acres the
total acres surveyed in the preceding
twelve months, and while the report shows
falling off of some TIA, 900 acre3 10 cash
sales, state selections, scrip locations and
lands patented for railroad grants, the in
crease in the area taken up by settlers
under homestead and timber culture laws
has been sufficient not only TO counter bal
ance this failing off, but to make the ag
gregate disposal for the year greater by
b4I ,2O4 acres than the total for the pTeyi-
Gus year, The increase in the homestead
entries was S4l 100 acres and in timber
culture entries was 396, i39 acres. Owing
to the existing laws for the disposal of
public lands for homestead and timber
culture, it is shown that during the last
fiscal year, with larger disposal Of land,
there was received from all sources 81.
lacc hr,G GJ
received during the fiscal year ending Oct.
80. 1878.
The Acting Commissioner reports that
under tho various acts of the Forty fifth
congress, and with the aid of the appro~
prIatlon OF $4,000 granted last March for
the protection OF timber on the public
lands, efforts have been continued to sup
press cepredations, but they are yet ex
tensiVe and the interests of the govern
ment and those OF the people now residing,
or who may desire to settle, in the region
Of pubic timbered lands, require that they
should be still pursued with unremitting
earnestDess and vigor. A large amount
Of lumber has been recovered and cousld-
cradle sums of money received as a com
promise on suits brought by the govern
ment against timber depredators, and
many other suits are still pending. Depre-
datIoOs are reported 20 have been com
mitted upon our public tim Der lands by
Canadians, These cases are now under
Investigation. The powers OF the depart
ment are so enfeebled by the limited
appropriations for detecting and Furnishing
timber trespassers, that but tithe of the
plumber and destruction of timber on pub
lie domains can now be prevented, aud
there is great necessity for more prompt
and vigorous action than the government
has heretofore taken for the protection of
its interests,
The Cabinet meeting was attended By
all the members aud was unusually long
Most OF their time was occupied in dis
cuSsiDg the question of international law
in connection with the subject of the
proclamation recently issued by the
Canadian government In permitting
a merican vessels to come to the relief of
Canadian vessels in the waters of the
Dominion, only when danger OF loss o!
life or cargo is absolutely imminent, The
law now upon our statute books permits
Canadian vessels to enter our waters
freely, and render assistance TO American
vessels in distress under any circumstaD-
cos and any extent 1t was suggested
to day that the President should declare
by proclamation that privileges of Cana
cisely the same as those accorded by the
Dominion authorities to American vessels
and no greater, but the Cabinet was divid-
ed in opinion as to the power Of the Presi
dent under our existing law to issue
qualified proclamation Of 1.-THE nature
above indicated and ar the close of the
discussion the whole matter was left un-
determined
The president aufi,unced to the Cabinet
to day that he thought Of offering the APP
poiutmeut of the District of Colum bia
commission to Gen. Holbert Il. Paine the
present Commissioner of Patents. The
suggestion was received with great appTo'
val By all present except the Secretary of
the Interior vino expressed strong disin
clination to see Paine retire from the
position which he now fills so eptably.
It is believed that in the forthcoming
department reports Secretary McCrary
will indorse Gen. Sherman's recommends
ton for legislation to establish the army on
the basis of IS, 900 men of rank and file,
not including the men detailed for special
duties, aDd that Attorney General Demet
will renew his recommendation that Dis
trict Attorneys be paid fixed salaries, and
also recommend some change by Congress
10 the law governing the method of paying
.Ierks of the limited States