The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-20

=
work of the local land Offices.
THE SYSTEM IN FORCE.
he rays. was not prOmOtivc Of th,
speedy dispatch of business. especial ,
IN the case Of the board of review credil
by Commissioser Sparks. which Acting
Commissioner stone abolished as hin
drance to good. safe aud quick work il
the Office.
Commenting on Mr.. Sparks "unf0r
tuuate and unwarranted suspicious thai
a widespread system of fraud prevail
ed. and Mr. Sparks assertion that 9TH,
proportion Of fraudulent filings to In,
total number of filings made and re-
lilguished may be estimated i'm round
numbers at 100 per cent"
Mr.. Stone saws that this wholesale ar.
raignment of claimants on the public
domain should not have been made
without the most conclusive evidence t.
sustain it.
WESTERN SETTLERS.
The report goes on 10 say that no
general misconduct on the part of West.
ern settlers has been found Durina
the year 1O14l agricultural patents
were issued. covering 11.79l.l1 acres
Of land. an increase over the preceding
year of more than three million acres
The total cash receipts Of the office from
sales of land and fees were 20 go 22j: a
decrease of more than S3 600. 600. as
compared with the previous year.
Ia his report Commissioner Stone
calls attention ITO certain allowances
made to deputy surveyors by the First
Comptroller Of the Treasury i'm the
years 1856 and 1857. which. in his
opinion. were grossly irregular and a
palplble usurpation of the powers aus
duties specially belonging to the Com
missioner of the General Land Office p
The conditions under which these
vouchers were issued were fully ex-
planned in the United Press dispatches
a few weeks ago.
Commissioner Stone discusses OF
length
THE QUESTION or JURISDICTION,
and concludes that the First Comp
troller. in considering the balance of
special deposits. amounting to 5000 600.
available for the payment of any
balance due deputy surveyors. was
guilty of a clear violation OF law, and
over-ruled all previous practice Of the
two offices.
The report refers TO the unset He'd
condition of private land claims IN New
Mexico and Arizona, aod the urgent
need of Congressional action to settle
titles in these territories
Referring to the act Of March 3rd.
1857. which authorizes the Secretary OF
the Interior to adjust each of the
RAILROAD GRANTS.
and if any have been enormously certi-
fed or patented to commence proceed
ings to cancel them. tire reports states
that of pending selections. 81 G5O.oi6
acres have been suspended awaiting ac-
ton by Congress
Attention is called to the fact that
more than 10000 600 acres of land have
been claimed under
THE SWAMP LAND ACT
in the various States. Florida alone.
while having total area of bat 1881,
500 acres, having lists filed for -. .@2l.
400 acres as swamp land. There can
be no doubt. says the report, that
large quantities Of lana. amounting 10
a million acres. have been patented to
the state errOneously "a swamps. when
IN fact they were and are good agricul.
tural lands.
The report recommends the repeal OF
laws relating to public timber. and the
enactment of a general law. plain. con-
else. and unmlstakable IN meaning.
Fewer fraudulent entries have been
made dunng the year than for many
wears past. owing TO increased vigl-
lance: but several cases are mentioned
I'M the report where syndicates sought
TO obtain coal lands by fraudulent
means. and in one case. had they sue.
ceeded, the commission alone would
have amounted TO 5000 600.
The opening Of Oklahoma is referred
10 az the most important event for seve-
raj wears in the administration OF The
Office.
RESERVATION FOR GERONIMO AND Ills
BAND.
Recently the Indian Rights Associa-
ton informed the Secretary that II
would purchase large tract OF land
in North Carolina and provide homes
ON il for Geronimo and his Apache
Indians. who are now confined at
Mount Vernon barracks, Ala, If the
Secretary would agree TO the removal
of the renegades. To-day Secretary
Proctor informtd d that association that
re would agree 10 It's proposition. An
AGENT Will be sent To North Carolina to
secure The land. and when tins Is done
the removal will take place
RIOT N JAMAIcA-AMEmcANs KILLED.
A cable dispatch was received at the
state Department this morning fIom
Consul Allen, at Kingston, Jamaica
s,stipg that a riot had occurred at
i'm which a number OF Amer
can. were killed. At the request OF
Iba consul British war ship leit
Jamaica Immediately for the scene oi
the difficulty. The dispatch contains
no particulars. ,;..,,.
The State Department Immediately
informed Secretary Tracy Of the occur
renee. and the latter caOled 10 81
Nicholas Mole. Hayti. the cable ter
minus for the United States steamer
yalena which is cruising in those wa
te,. 10 repair Immediately to Navassa'
Admiral Gherandi Is on the Galena'
Savassa is . guano iisland owned 10y
General B. +. Butler, and an American
.omnany. 1t is about 25O miles from
I<ineston. Though under no particular
,arisdiction it il looked upon as being
rnder tine protection Of the Uoited
states. and is inhabited cbieiy Dy
A meTicans. -. on
With regard to the reported riot on
Island. the Nagassi Phosphate
Company. Of Baltimore, whicn owns
thc Island. state that yesterday .,, .nsy
received dispatch from sea captain, !,
in which he referred TO revolution
~ - the island without giving any de-
tails To-day they received another
rabIegram ria England which contains sr,
80 M reference TO the revolution. Inc
- 'a,sst mail sdvice is letter dated sep
'a 'a'',her ;n,h. lt does not give any III
I,mation of trouble.