St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-09
The Land Laws.

Indians, who claimed the terri
tory as belonging to their reservation
under the treaty of 1858. This claim was de-
termined after careful consideration to be
well founded, and consequently the executive
order referred to was, by proclamation of
| April II, 1885, declared to be imperative and
of no effect and all persons upon the land
were warned to leave. This warning has been
| substantially complied with
| The expense of the Indian bureauduring the
| last fiscal year was more than $6,5OO,0OO. L
believe much of this expenditure may be
| saved under the plan proposed. That It's
economical affects would be increased with
| its continuance that the safety or our IRON
| tier settlers would be subserved under its
| operation and that the nation would be saved
| through its results from the inputation Of
| inhumanity injustice and mismanagement.
In order to carry out the policy of allotment
| Of Indian lands in severalty and when deemed
| expedient, it will be necessary to have sur
I hope that provision will be made
| for the prosecution of this work.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
| had its origin in ceSSiOnS of lands by the
states to the general government. The first
cession was made by the state Of New York
| and the largest, which in its area exceeded
all others, by the state of Virginia. The ter
ritory, the proprietorship of which became
| thus vested in the general government, ex-
| tended from the western line of Pennsyl-
| vania to the Mississippi river. These patri-
otto donations OF the states were incumbered
with no conditions, except tnat they
| should be held and used for
the common benefit of the United States By
purchase with the common fund of all the
| people additions were made to this domain
| until it extended to the northern line of Mex
| leo, the Pacific ocean and the polar sea. The
| original trust, "For the common benefit of
| the United States,' attached to all in the ex-
| ecution of that trust the policy of many
homes, rather than large estates, was adopted
| by the government. That these might be
| easily obtained and be an abode of security
and contentment the laws for the acquisition
were few, easily understood and general in
| their character. But the pressure of local
| interests, combined with
| A SPECULATIVE SPIRIT,
| have in many instances procured the pas
sage of laws which marred the harmony of
| the general plan and encountered the system
| with multitude of general and special en-
| actments which rendered the land laws COM
| plicated, subject the titles to uncertainty and
| the purchasers often to oppression and
| wrong. Laws that were intended for the ''cOm-
mon benefit have been perverted so that
| large quantities of land are vesting in sight
| ownershipS. From the multitude and char
| acter of laws that seemed incapable of
! correction by mere administration
1t is not for 4 the common benefit
| of the United States that large area of the
public lands should be acquired directly or
| through, grant, in the hands of a single in
| dviduaE The nations strength is in the
people. The nations prosperity is in their
| property.
| THE NATIONS GLORY
| is in the equality of her justice. The ma
| tons perpetuity is in the patriotism of all
| her people, hence, as far as practicable, the
plan adopted for the disposal of public lands
| should have in view the original policy
i,i1g, md rNf
these lands for homes and discouraged
| the massing of large areas. EX-
elusive of Alaska about three-fifths
of national domain has been sold or subject
to contract or grant. OF the remaining two
fifths considerable portion is either mount
ain or desert A rapidly-increasing popula-
ton creates a growing demand for homes,
and the accumulation of wealth inspires an
| eager competition to obtain this public land
| for speculative purposes. In the future this
collision of interests will be more marked
| than in the past, and the execution Of the
nations trust, in behalf of our settlers, will
be more difficult. !, therefore, commend to
your attention the recommendation contained
| in my report of the secretary of the interior,
with reference to the appeal and modification
| of certain of our land laws.
Railroad Grants.
| The nation has made princely grants and
| subsidies to system of railroads projected
| as great national highways to connect the
Pacific states with the East. 1t has been
charged that these donations from the people
| have been diverted to private gain and cor
| rupt uses, aud thus public Indignation has
| been aroused and suspicion engendered. Our
great nation does not begrudge its gener-
| OSity, but it abhorS peculation and fraud,
| and the favorite regard Of our people for the
great corporations to which these grants
were made can only be revived
by restoration of confidence to
be secured by their constant I'M
A faithful application of this undiminish ed
| proceeds of the grants to the construction
andperfecting of their roads an honest dis
charge of their obligations, and entire justice
| to all the people in the enjoyment OF their
rights on the highways of travel, is all the
public asks, and it will be content with no
less. To secure these things should be the
common purpose of the officers of the govern
ment as well as Of the corporations. With
their accomplishment prosperity would be
permanently secured to the roads,
ana p naona Of p rational would eopa ahae
1t appears from the report of the commits
| Sioner of pensions that there were on the
| first day of July, 1885, 345, 125 persons borne
upon the pension rolls. They were classified
| as follows: Army invalids, "a, 456; widows,
minor children and dependent relatives of de-
1
navy widows, minor children and dependents,
| 1926; survivors of the war of 1872, 295, and
widows of those who served in that war,
| I,212, about one man in ten OF all those
who enlisted in the late war or re-
ported as receiving pensions exclusive
of the dependents of deceased soldiers. On
the first of July, 1875, the number of pension
| ers was 234, S21, and the increase within the
ten years next thereafter was 110.304. While
| there is no expenditure of the public funds
4 1l~4 r11xy
| than that made in recognition OF the services
| of our soldiers living and dead, the sentiment
| underlying the subject should not be violated
| by the introduction of any fraudulent prac-
| tees. Therefore it is fully as important that
| the rolls should be cleansed of all those who by
| fraud have secured place thereon, as that
meritorious claims should be speedily exam
| ined and adjusted. The reforms in the meth
DDS of doing the business OF this bureau
| which have lately been inaugurated prom
| Use better results in both tn csc directions.
| The operations of the patent office demon
| Strate the activity of the inventive genius of
| the country for the year ended June 30. 1855.
The applications for patents, including re-
| issues and for the registration OF trade marks
and labels, numbered 1858. During the
! same period there were %, 92S patents granted
| and re-issued, and 1,429 trade marks and Ia
| bels registered The number of patents
| issued in the year 1885 was 1887. The re-
cepts during the last fiscal year were 81. 074,-
974,35, and the total expenditures, not includ-
ing contingent expenses, 1884,
There were s,7SS applications for patents
| pending on the 1st day of July, 1884, and
| 5,TS6 on the same date in the year 1885.
There has been considerable improvement
made on the prompt determination of appli-
cations, and consequent relief to expectant
| inventors. A number of suggestions and
| recommendations are contained in the report
| of the commissioner of patents which are
| well entitled to the consideration of congress.
| THE MORMON QUESTION.
| A Fitting Tribute to the Monster Evil
| AT Must he Crushed.