Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-12-11
PUBLIC REPORTS.
Summary OF the Annual Rcports OF Land
Commissioners Sparks and Secretary Of
War Endicott.

PUBLIC REPORTS.
Summary OF tho Annual Reports OF Land
Commissioners SPARKS and Secretary Of
War Endicott.
MIR. spARKs' REPORT.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.--The annual re-
port OF Land Commissioner Sparks says
that tho public lands have been wasted in
the past under defective and improvdent
laws, and through laxity Of public admin
istration astonishing In business sense
IL not cupable In recklessness of
official responsibility; that the vast ma
chlnery OF the Land Department appears TO
have been used to convey title to public
lands upon fraudulent entries under strained
constructions of imperfect land laws and IL
legal claims under public and private grants.
The Commissioner calls attention 10 the
evils accompanying the use of the specials
deposit system In the public survey branch,
and the frauds perpetrated under II by irreg-
ularitles, and recommends the repeal of the
act of March 3, 1879, making such ccrtlf-
Gates of deposit negotiable. and the passage
OF an act Imposing penalties for making
false and fraudulent returns OF public sur-
veys or surveys of private land claims, and
for willful removal or destruction OF survey
ing monuments.
The Commissioner calls attention to the
fact that while upward of 100000 miles of
railroad have been constructed without
land-grants since the passage OF the Land
grant acts, only 1881 miles have been
built under the land-grant system, the con-
struction having been delayed until settle
ment outside of railroad lands Ind rem
dered 1t profitable without public sub
sidy. While the granting of acts gen.
orally made no provision for official
SyifhIIro Nvnl nf lnnha ~ hnrilpI a
the entire line must be located before the
law vested any right in the granted land.
But periods of attachments of railroad
rights have been officially computed upon
reported dates of partial Surveys In the
field" or upon maps of portions of a
line undetermined as whole; and by
reason thereof numbers Of settlers
having indisputable rights to the lands
occupied by them have been forced
to buy their homes of the railroad COM
panies or to suffer eviction. Present esti-
mates of the amount by which these land
grants have been overlrawn show that the
average rate per mile of road will reach 500
acres, amounting in all to 10, 0,000, 900 acres,
which has hitherto been treated rs the abb
sOlute property of tho corporations, but is
In fact public land of the United States, re.
coverable to the public domain.
Grants have been made to aid In the con.
struction of 10, 129 miles of road, of which
7,09S miles have not yet been completed. OF
the lands granted IA. 0s9, 1al acres have been
patented, leaving 100, 600, 600 acres of unpat-
ented lands included In all the grants sub.
ject to forfeiture an area equal to that of
the combined States of New York, New
Jersey. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland
aid Virginia. The right of the Govern.
ment thereto being legal one, the default
| of the companies being voluntary, the pow.
er of Congress to declare q forfeiture should
be exercised.
Tho Commissioner, referring to alleged
| fraudulent land-entries in regions domi-
mated by the cattle companies, says that lie
| has suspended the issue of patents thereon
character of the applications can be
made. He suggests the repeal of
| the presumption system of commnted
homesteads, of the Timber Culture
law, of the Desert-land act, and of all gen.
eral provisions of law authorizing sales of
land for cash, and restricting the sale to the
actual settler, because they offer covers for
fraudulent transactions The Commissioner
recommends the abolition of the fee system
in the registry offices, and that measures be
taken to preserve the forests OH the public
| domain.
| SECRETARY ENDIcoTT's REPORT.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The annual re-
port of the Secretary of War lis largely made
up of the report of Lieutenant-General
Sheridan and subordinates heretofore pub
lished. After reviewing tile operations of
the troops in the West the report says that
desertions in the army during the year were
greatly diminished, but it is recommended
that some more adequate punishment
should be inflicted OH chronic deserters.
1t is recommended that increased oppor.
tunity and instruction be given West Point
cadets, with view to improving their
workmanship with small arms 1t is also
recommended that the number of appoint.
ments 'at large" should be restored to ten
per year. Attention is called to the pro
pricty of requiring all graduates of the
academy to serve two years, immediatel
after graduation, at post graduate arm o.
the service to which they belong.
The number of trials by general court.
martial during the year was 2,32S, an in
crease over last year of 4S, and the number
of convictions for desertion WAS 674.
The purchase of q building in New Yorl
City for the use of army officers is recon
mended. A new military post is to be es
tablished at Atlanta, Ga.
The expenditures for the signal-servict
during the fiscal year ending June 80, 1885
were S792,0
The report closes by urging the creation
of tine office of Assistant Secretary o
War;"