The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-10-25
The General Land Office Rep0rt.

The annual report of COMMISSIONS Mac
Farland, of the general land office, for the fis-
cal year ended June ~, 1882, shows that dis
posuls of public lands under all acts of Con-
gress embraced 1855, 740.37 acres, and of In
dian lands BIG, 3S6. 13 acres, making the total
disposals 14,HMI, 12G.m acres, All increase over
disposais during the preceding year of',4l2'-
2!9.35 acres. The amount Of money re-
ceived from nil sources i'll conlec-
ton with disposals of the public lands was
| 81, u.s. Gl .02, and from sales of Indian lands
| SG;;;4, ;S7 ~, Il total of $S,:ES, 1924, being an
increase over the previous year OF S2,"Ni,-
0ti.0S. The cash receipts of the Office were:
SS,:D2, 1891, including from sales of public
lands, SG.G27, .!2S. T.; from sales of Indian
lands, *tsii, 81: from homestead fees and
commissions. SG37 ,9iS.h9: and from timber
culture, fee, and commissions, S2:32,til. The
public sales OF lands during the past year
amounted to 7,!G3.13 acres, embracing hol6
acres near Toledo, Ohio, which were sold for
SIG. 7:35.4.2, IN average of $3.3S per acre.
| Three million acres of timber lands i'll Min,
neSota have been proclaimed for sale. ana
will be offered in the Duluth and 81. CLOUD
land districts, the sales commencing Ill Inc
former district on December 4, 1852, and III
the latter district January Ii, 1883. rive
hundred and thirty-thrcc entries were l!iNae
under tho desert land act, embracing l3i,'
S41,3l acres, IN increase over the previous
year of 46, IS. - acres. From the disposal
of lots in the Hot Springs reservation IN
Arkansas So, i5S.S 81 were realized during 1he
wear. The commissioner recommends That
tho presumption laws he abolished, as the
homestead laws cover all cases now arising:
The total area of public lands surveyed IN
the several States and Territories from the
commencement OF surveying operations ny
tho government up TO June ~, lSN2, IS HJl,-
725, SOB acres. The estimated area OF the ull-
surveyed PORTION of the public doslain, inclu-
sive of the Territory of Alaska, Is 9Sa,O62,f3J
acres. During the fiscal year ending June ~,
1882, there were sold &c, 7GS.63 acres of mill
eral land, an excess over the previous
year of 9,57S.3 acres: S,G3i.S3 acres oil
coal land wero also sold during the lis
cal year. The number of acres of land
certified for railroad purposes during tho
year was 17G, 40G.GG The list of selections
awaiting explanation or action on June %,
1SS2, embraced ! ,45S,:3G2. 70 acres. The mum,
Der Of miles of road reported rs constructed
| under tho Immigrant system during tho year
was 60S.G6, making a total Of lG,239.lO miles
| of Immigrant railroad constructed Ill all Inc
| States and Territories ny to the close or the
fiscal year. Respecting tho forfeiture or
| railroad grants the commissions says:
"Ihe status of various grants for railroad
purposes where the roads have not been cor
structed within the time prescribed by law was
reported to Congress on March %, last. Inc
absence of legislative action touching the
renewal of these grants, or declaring the ftr'
fixture thereof, seriously embarrassed The
work of this Office. It is not deemed c3l.n,-
dent to certify additional lands to the rail-
road companies, nor To award TO the com
panles lands in dispute between them anu
settlers or other claimants pending the dc
termination of Congress in the PREMISE
Large numbers of settlers are occupying SUCH
lands, and it is important to them to
know whether they can receive
their titles from the United States, or
whether they will be required TO purchase
from the railroad companies. The prevail
ing uncertainty necessarily retards improve
mcnts and inpairs values. New arpllcallols
are also constantly being made to enter tho
Withdrawn lands under the public land law
I deem it Of pressing Importance to the pup
lie interests that Congress should take early
action in respect to these grants
The commissioner is of opinion that q gen.
eral law should be enacted clearly defining
the rights of citizens to take timber from the
public lands for prescribed purposes, ana
providing penalties for its unlawful cutting
removal, destruction or waste,
On the subject of fraudulent land entries
the commissioner says:
demonstrations that have been n dur
ing the past year have developed the exist
encc of much fraud under the shield OF the
pre-emption, homestead and imber culture
laws. These Investigations have been based
upon complaints made to this oilice that
great quantities of valuable coal ana
iron lands, forests of timber, and the avail.
able agricultural lands in whole regions OF
grazing country have been monopollZed by
persons who have caused fraudulent pre-
emption and committed homestead entries
,nndo Inv their agents and employees.
Efforts havo been made to check un,
lawful acts of this character in the coal
and iron regions of Alabama, the timber re-
gions of Minnesota, the grazing country IN
California, and on agricultural lands IN the
Territory of Dakota by the special lnvestisa-
ton of cases of alleged frauds, trials before
local land officers TO cancel alleged entries,
and the institution of civil md crlmlna SUITS.
Proceedings have been instituted IN Mis-
souri, to recover the title 10 several hundred
thousand acres of land in that State fraud
ulently entered many years ago under the
graduation act, which act has been re-
pealed"
The commissioner says that, in his opin-
ion, a statute is required imposing penalties
for the unlawful Enclosure of the public
lands and the prevention by force or lntlmi-
dation of legal settlement and entry.
The commissioners submits estimates for
salaries and contingent expenses Tor the
next fiscal. year, amounting i'll the aggregate
to :;4G,9i0, which is al increase OF the
amount appropriatcd for the current fiscal
wear of S:33,9i0. He also asks 70 ROO add
tionul clerks and for sufficient room Tor Their
accommodation. "This increase in force" he
saws, sis necessary to meet The additional
work which the growing increase IN the
volume of public business Is daily bringing