The Dickinson press., 1883-12-08

contested cases were examined and acted upon dur
Ing the fiscal year. The number OF pre-emption
i insssas u1a ot sss n 5anS 20 q 1881 .Sss:, was g. = ! ~ a.. aa
1872 new cases were received for action. Con-
siderable timber land was sold: but. no land valu.
public sale.
In regard to fraudulent entries the report says:
n difficulty is found where the parties making
such fraudulent entries still hold the title. but IN
case there has been q transfer for . valuable con.
sideration without notice Of the fraud. great In.
Justice is done &c. the purchaser by disturbing the
title which he had no reason to suppose was fraud.
.ulent. II 1t is clearly established that tho grantee
IN the patent had no existence. the title is held to be
In the government, and the purchaser has no REM
pecunious. and not infrequently has left the coun-
try, 1t would appear to be right that after . cor
that the patent was issued in strict accordance with
law. and there should be no inquiry into the pro-
%ceedings anterior to the time Of issue"
,i, ~ the matter ma ter. q fencing public lands. . erisvon.
urged to take decisive steps to prevent rich CAPT.
talists from taking up the public domain. to the
prejudice OF Door men who want land.
RAILROAD EXEMPTIONS.
The subject of railroad taxation, in the csses
where railroads lease their lands without taking Q
patent for them, and 80 escape taxation for local
purposes ana FOR the expenses of surveying. is COW
ersd ny the following suggestion:
1t Is earn silly to be desired that some means of
auoustinento OF these grants, as a whole. De provided,
or some method devised which shall. under cover OF
legislative authority, not only remedy the evil snS.
gested. but enable this department to reach q final
NY as to the titles to be conveyed to these corpora
relieve an anxious and excited public feeling,
already, sufficiently aroused upon the various diha-
cult and complicated question . Connected with the
branch OF public affairs. To this end I most ur-
gently that the prompt and serious
attention of congress bs invited to the foregoing
At the close of the last fiscal year there were
S03,6os pensioners. as follows:
Army invalids. GAG
Army widows, minor children, and depend.
ve eMs tela.1xes' 74,414
Navy widows. minor children. and depend. ''
Survivors Of the war ii isi2.:" 4,sSi
Widows of those who served /. the war
There were added during the year s., iG Sa.' new
pensioners, and 79G previously dropped were re-
over the number added of 10. 645. During the.
year 2O.997 pensioners were dropped for various
causes E leaving a net increase over the rolls Of
There we're 80, 734 applications for patents and.
trade marks, and 22.6s6 were granted.
In the matter of education the recommendation
made ls rs follows: In many of the StateS the.
school system is only lacking in efficiency on &C.
count OF the lack of funds to- support the schools
liberal appropriation BY the general government
would SO stimulate the State system that the States
could be ultimately left to carry on the work with
out government aid"
The commissioner of railroads gives a detailed!
statement showing the condition Of the sinking
funds of the Union and Central Pacific companies,
held by the treasurer of the United States under the,
act Of congress approved May z. 1873. from which.
1t will be seen that on June 80. 1888. these funds
amounted to $4,O3G, 7l3.45: the Central Pacific
having to its credit S.. 4O4 ,Ol5. sG, and tbs I'm ion
Pacihc Si,632.G97.59 There are uninvested
Ss5S,532 to the credit of the Union Pacific, and
SS44.G52 to the credit of the Central Pacific. The
fund. says Secretary Teller. is a failure. aud works
hardship to the companies because so large
an amount lies idle. On the Utah question. noth-
ing new is announced. 1t is recommended that
any laws proposed by the Utah legislature, be
unlimited to congress- for approval. Game pro-
tec',on and strict police regulations. are urged for
the Yellowstone National park. The speedy COM
pletion of the census is promised. Fire escapes
are asked for the government printing Office and
the Freedmen's hospital last year was l,OI7.